Functional integration over geometries

Abstract

The geometric construction of the functional integral over coset spaces ℳ/𝒢 is reviewed. The inner product on the cotangent space of infinitesimal deformations of ℳ defines an invariant distance and volume form, or functional integration measure on the full configuration space. Then, by a simple change of coordinates parameterizing the gauge fiber 𝒢, the functional measure on the coset space ℳ/𝒢 is deduced. This change of integration variables leads to a Jacobian which is entirely equivalent to the Faddeev–Popov determinant of the more traditional gauge fixed approach in non-abelian gauge theory. If the general construction is applied to the case where 𝒢 is the group of coordinate reparameterizations of spacetime, the continuum functional integral over geometries, i.e. metrics modulo coordinate reparameterizations may be defined. The invariant functional integration measure is used to derive the trace anomaly and effective action for the conformal part of the metric in two and four dimensional spacetime. In two dimensions this approach generates the Polyakov–Liouville action of closed bosonic non-critical string theory. In four dimensions the corresponding effective action leads to novel conclusions on the importance of quantum effects in gravity in the far infrared, and in particular, a dramatic modification of the classical Einstein theory at cosmological distance scales, signaled first by the quantum instability of classical de Sitter spacetime. Finite volume scaling relations for the functional integral of quantum gravity in two and four dimensions are derived, and comparison with the discretized dynamical triangulation approach to the integration over geometries are discussed. Outstanding unsolved problems in both the continuum definition and the simplicial approach to the functional integral over geometries are highlighted.