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MaPhySto
Centre for Mathematical Physics and Stochastics
Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Aarhus

Funded by The Danish National Research Foundation

MPS-RR 1998-12
August 1998




Euclidean and Lorentzian Quantum Gravity

Lessons from Two Dimensions

by:

Jan Ambjørn

R. Loll, J.L. Nielsen, J. Rolf

Abstract

We review recent progress in our understanding of 2d quantum gravity, and in particular the relation between the Euclidean and Lorentzian sectors of the quantum theory. We show that conventional 2d Euclidean quantum gravity can be obtained from Lorentzian quantum gravity by an analytic continuation only if we allow for spatial topology changes in the latter. Once this is done, one obtains a theory of quantum gravity where space-time is fractal: the intrinsic Hausdorff dimension of usual 2d Euclidean quantum gravity is four, and not two. However, certain aspects of quantum space-time remain two-dimensional, exemplified by the fact that its so-called spectral dimension is equal to two.

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This paper has now been published in Chaos Solitons Fractals 10 (1999) 177-195