Phase Structure of Four Dimensional Simplicial Quantum Gravity

We present the results of a high statistics Monte Carlo study of a model for four dimensional euclidean quantum gravity based on summing over triangulations. We show evidence for two phases; in one there is a logarithmic scaling on the mean linear extent with volume, whilst the other exhibits power law behaviour with exponent 1/2. We are able to extract a finite size scaling exponent governing the growth of the susceptibility peakComment: 11 pages (5 figures

Baby Universes in 4d Dynamical Triangulation

We measure numerically the distribution of baby universes in the crumpled phase of the dynamical triangulation model of 4d quantum gravity. The relevance of the results to the issue of an exponential bound is discussed. The data are consistent with the existence of such a bound.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Singular Vertices and the Triangulation Space of the D-sphere

By a sequence of numerical experiments we demonstrate that generic triangulations of the $D-$sphere for $D>3$ contain one {\it singular} $(D-3)-$simplex. The mean number of elementary $D-$simplices sharing this simplex increases with the volume of the triangulation according to a simple power law. The lower dimension subsimplices associated with this $(D-3)-$simplex also show a singular behaviour. Possible consequences for the DT model of four-dimensional quantum gravity are discussed.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figure

Simplicial Gravity in Dimension Greater than Two

We consider two issues in the DT model of quantum gravity. First, it is shown that the triangulation space for D>3 is dominated by triangulations containing a single singular (D-3)-simplex composed of vertices with divergent dual volumes. Second we study the ergodicity of current simulation algorithms. Results from runs conducted close to the phase transition of the four-dimensional theory are shown. We see no strong indications of ergodicity br eaking in the simulation and our data support recent claims that the transition is most probably first order. Furthermore, we show that the critical properties of the system are determined by the dynamics of remnant singular vertices.Comment: Talk presented at LATTICE96(gravity

Simulating Four-Dimensional Simplicial Gravity using Degenerate Triangulations

We extend a model of four-dimensional simplicial quantum gravity to include degenerate triangulations in addition to combinatorial triangulations traditionally used. Relaxing the constraint that every 4-simplex is uniquely defined by a set of five distinct vertexes, we allow triangulations containing multiply connected simplexes and distinct simplexes defined by the same set of vertexes. We demonstrate numerically that including degenerated triangulations substantially reduces the finite-size effects in the model. In particular, we provide a strong numerical evidence for an exponential bound on the entropic growth of the ensemble of degenerate triangulations, and show that a discontinuous crumpling transition is already observed on triangulations of volume N_4 ~= 4000.Comment: Latex, 8 pages, 4 eps-figure

Equivalence between various versions of the self-dual action of the Ashtekar formalism

Different aspects of the self-dual (anti-self-dual) action of the Ashtekar canonical formalism are discussed. In particular, we study the equivalences and differences between the various versions of such an action. Our analysis may be useful for the development of an Ashtekar formalism in eight dimensions.Comment: 10 pages, Latex, minor correction

On the Absence of an Exponential Bound in Four Dimensional Simplicial Gravity

We have studied a model which has been proposed as a regularisation for four dimensional quantum gravity. The partition function is constructed by performing a weighted sum over all triangulations of the four sphere. Using numerical simulation we find that the number of such triangulations containing $V$ simplices grows faster than exponentially with $V$. This property ensures that the model has no thermodynamic limit.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Simplicial Quantum Gravity on a Computer

We describe a method of Monte-Carlo simulations of simplicial quantum gravity coupled to matter fields. We concentrate mainly on the problem of implementing effectively the random, dynamical triangulation and building in a detailed-balance condition into the elementary transformations of the triangulation. We propose a method of auto-tuning the parameters needed to balance simulations of the canonical ensemble. This method allows us to prepare a whole set of jobs and therefore is very useful in systematic determining the phase diagram in two dimensional coupling space. It is of particular importance when the jobs are run on a parallel machine.Comment: 24 pages, PostScrip

BSSN in Spherical Symmetry

The BSSN (Baumgarte-Shapiro-Shibata-Nakamura) formulation of the Einstein evolution equations is written in spherical symmetry. These equations can be used to address a number of technical and conceptual issues in numerical relativity in the context of a single Schwarzschild black hole. One of the benefits of spherical symmetry is that the numerical grid points can be tracked on a Kruskal--Szekeres diagram. Boundary conditions suitable for puncture evolution of a Schwarzschild black hole are presented. Several results are shown for puncture evolution using a fourth--order finite difference implementation of the equations.Comment: This is the final version to be published in CQG. It contains much more information and detail than the original versio

Classical Loop Actions of Gauge Theories

Since the first attempts to quantize Gauge Theories and Gravity in the loop representation, the problem of the determination of the corresponding classical actions has been raised. Here we propose a general procedure to determine these actions and we explicitly apply it in the case of electromagnetism. Going to the lattice we show that the electromagnetic action in terms of loops is equivalent to the Wilson action, allowing to do Montecarlo calculations in a gauge invariant way. In the continuum these actions need to be regularized and they are the natural candidates to describe the theory in a ``confining phase''.Comment: LaTeX 14 page