Abstract
I define a statistical model of graphs in which 2-dimensional spaces arise at low temperature. The configurations are given by graphs with a fixed number of edges and the Hamiltonian is a simple, local function of the graphs. Simulations show that there is a transition between a low-temperature regime in which the graphs form triangulations of 2-dimensional surfaces and a high-temperature regime, where the surfaces disappear. I use data for the specific heat and other observables to discuss whether this is a phase transition. The surface states are analyzed with regard to topology and defects.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ishibashi, N., Kawai, H., Kitazawa, Y., Tsuchiya, A.: A large-N reduced model as superstring. Nucl. Phys. B 498, 467 (1997). arXiv:hep-th/9612115
Banks, T., Fischler, W., Shenker, S.H., Susskind, L.: M theory as a matrix model: A conjecture. Phys. Rev. D, Part. Fields 55, 5112 (1997). arXiv:hep-th/9610043
Steinacker, H.: Emergent geometry and gravity from matrix models: an introduction. Class. Quantum Gravity 27, 133001 (2010). arXiv:1003.4134 [hep-th]
Smolin, L.: Matrix universality of gauge field and gravitational dynamics. arXiv:0803.2926 [hep-th]
Huggett, S.A., Tod, K.P.: An Introduction to Twistor Theory. London Mathematical Society Student Texts, vol. 4. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1994)
Penrose, R., Rindler, W.: Spinors and Space–Time; Vol. 2, Spinor and Twistor Methods in Space-Time Geometry. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1985)
Ambjorn, J., Jurkiewicz, J., Loll, R.: Causal dynamical triangulations and the quest for quantum gravity. arXiv:1004.0352 [hep-th]
Ambjorn, J., Jurkiewicz, J., Loll, R.: Quantum gravity, or the art of building spacetime. arXiv:hep-th/0604212
Hamber, H.W.: Quantum Gravity on the Lattice. Gen. Relativ. Gravit. 41, 817 (2009). arXiv:0901.0964 [gr-qc]
Thiemann, T.: Modern Canonical Quantum General Relativity. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2007)
Rovelli, C.: Quantum Gravity. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2004)
Perez, A.: Spin foam models for quantum gravity. Class. Quantum Gravity 20, R43 (2003). arXiv:gr-qc/0301113
Konopka, T., Markopoulou, F., Smolin, L.: Quantum graphity. arXiv:hep-th/0611197
Konopka, T., Markopoulou, F., Severini, S.: Quantum graphity: a model of emergent locality. Phys. Rev. D, Part. Fields 77, 104029 (2008). arXiv:0801.0861 [hep-th]
Konopka, T.: Statistical Mechanics of Graphity Models. Phys. Rev. D, Part. Fields 78, 044032 (2008). arXiv:0805.2283 [hep-th]
Konopka, T.: Matter in toy dynamical geometries. J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 174, 012051 (2009). arXiv:0903.4342 [gr-qc]
Hamma, A., Markopoulou, F., Lloyd, S., Caravelli, F., Severini, S., Markstrom, K.: A quantum Bose–Hubbard model with evolving graph as toy model for emergent spacetime. Phys. Rev. D 81, 104032 (2010). arXiv:0911.5075 [gr-qc]
Caravelli, F., Markopoulou, F.: Properties of quantum graphity at low temperature. arXiv:1008.1340 [gr-qc]
Newman, M.E.J., Barkema, G.T.: Monte Carlo Methods in Statistical Physics. Clarendon, Oxford (1999)
Young, A.P.: Spin Glasses and Random Fields. World Scientific, Singapore (1998)
Hartmann, A.K., Ricci-Tersenghi, F.: Direct sampling of complex landscapes at low temperatures: the three-dimensional +/−J Ising spin glass. Phys. Rev. B, Solid State 66, 224419 (2002). arXiv:cond-mat/0108307
Moreno, J.J., Katzgraber, H.G., Hartmann, A.K.: Finding low-temperature states with parallel tempering, simulated annealing and simple Monte Carlo. Int. J. Mod. Phys. C 14, 285 (2003). arXiv:cond-mat/0209248
Veldhuizen, T.L.: Dynamic multilevel graph visualization. arXiv:0712.1549 [cs.GR]
Ahlfors, L.V., Sario, L.: Riemann Surfaces. Princeton University Press, Princeton (1960)
Janke, W., Johnston, D.A., Weigel, M.: Two-dimensional quantum gravity—a laboratory for fluctuating graphs and quenched connectivity disorder. Condens. Matter Phys. 9, 263 (2006)
Reisenberger, M., Rovelli, C.: Spin foams as Feynman diagrams. arXiv:gr-qc/0002083
Reisenberger, M.P., Rovelli, C.: Spacetime as a Feynman diagram: The connection formulation. Class. Quantum Gravity 18, 121 (2001). arXiv:gr-qc/0002095
Oriti, D.: The group field theory approach to quantum gravity. arXiv:gr-qc/0607032
Rovelli, C., Vidotto, F.: Single particle in quantum gravity and BGS entropy of a spin network. Phys. Rev. D, Part. Fields 81, 044038 (2010). arXiv:0905.2983 [gr-qc]
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Conrady, F. Space as a Low-Temperature Regime of Graphs. J Stat Phys 142, 898–917 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10955-011-0135-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10955-011-0135-9