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This research investigates how the spectral dimension of universes changes with scale in nonperturbative quantum gravity.

October 20, 2005Open Access

The Spectral Dimension of the Universe is Scale Dependent

Key Points

This research investigates how the spectral dimension of universes changes with scale in nonperturbative quantum gravity.
Measured spectral dimension of causal triangulated geometries.
Analyzed state sums to evaluate dimensional behavior.
Assessed dimensional reduction at varying distances.
At large scales, the spectral dimension is four.
At short distances, the spectral dimension shifts to two.
Suggests quantum gravity could be self-renormalizing at the Planck scale.

Abstract

We measure the spectral dimension of universes emerging from nonperturbative quantum gravity, defined through state sums of causal triangulated geometries. While four dimensional on large scales, the quantum universe appears two dimensional at short distances. We conclude that quantum gravity may be "self-renormalizing" at the Planck scale, by virtue of a mechanism of dynamical dimensional reduction.

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