Is holography implicit in canonical gravity?

We conjecture that in asymptotically anti-de Sitter (AdS) space, two solutions of the Wheeler-DeWitt (WdW) equation that coincide asymptotically must also coincide in the bulk. This suggests that the essential elements of holography are already present in canonical gravity. Our argument sheds light on why holography works only in gravitational theories, and also on the significance of AdS boundary conditions.

Remarks on the linking theory of shape dynamics

This short note is an attempt to bring out the geometric structures in the linking theory of shape dynamics. Symplectic induction is applied to give a natural construction of the extended phase space used in the linking theory as a trivial vector bundle over the original phase space for canonical gravity. The geometry of the gauge fixing for shape dynamics is analyzed with the assistance of the Lichnerowicz–York equation lifted to the extended phase space. An alternative description is provided to show how the same geometry simply derives from symplectic induction.

Hamiltonian expression of curvature tensors in the York canonical basis: (II) Weyl tensor, Weyl scalars, Weyl eigenvalues and the problem of the observables of the gravitational field

We find the Hamiltonian expression in the York basis of canonical ADM tetrad gravity of the 4-Weyl tensor of the asymptotically Minkowskian space-time. Like for the 4-Riemann tensor we find a radar tensor (whose components are 4-scalars due to the use of radar 4-coordinates), which coincides with the 4-Weyl tensor on-shell on the solutions of Einstein's equations. Then, by using the Hamiltonian null tetrads, we find the Hamiltonian expression of the Weyl scalars of the Newman–Penrose approach and of the four eigenvalues of the 4-Weyl tensor. After having introduced the Dirac observables (DOs) of canonical gravity, whose determination requires the solution of the super-Hamiltonian and super-momentum constraints, we discuss the connection of the DOs with the notion of 4-scalar Bergmann observables (BOs). Due to the use of radar 4-coordinates these two types of observables coincide in our formulation of canonical ADM tetrad gravity. However, contrary to Bergmann proposal, the Weyl eigenvalues are shown not to be BOs, so that their relevance is only in their use (first suggested by Bergmann and Komar) for giving a physical identification as point-events of the mathematical points of the space-time 4-manifold. Finally we give the expression of the Weyl scalars in the Hamiltonian post-Minkowskian linearization of canonical ADM tetrad gravity in the family of (non-harmonic) 3-orthogonal Schwinger time gauges.

TOWARDS A CANONICAL GRAVITY IN TWO TIME AND TWO SPACE DIMENSIONS

We describe a program for developing a canonical gravity in 2 + 2 dimensions (two time and two space dimensions). Our procedure is similar to the usual canonical gravity but with two times rather than just one time. Our work may be of particular interest as an alternative approach to loop quantum gravity in 2 + 2 dimensions.