What is the Conformal Boundary of AdS Space?

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In summary, the conformal boundary of \mbox{Ads}_{n+1} is the set of points that is on null geodesic originating from the center of \mbox{Ads}_{n+1} and ends at a null cone at infinity.
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kau
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Somehow I can't relate two things and confused over this.
What I understand when someone say that some spacetime has conformal boundary it means that I can write the metric conformally to some other metric where the coordinates are finite ..So it has boundary.
Now I just read something on Ads Conformal boundary which i can't understand much.
Consider (d+2) dim spacetime with two negative eigenvalue of the metric and imposde the following condition
## -x0^{2}+ \Sigma{ x^{i 2} }- x^{{d+1} ^{2}} = -L^{2} ## doing this give you the AdS space.
Now to understand the conformal boundary of this spacetime the logic that is put forward is the following:
For large ##X^{M}## this ##-x0^{2}+ \Sigma{ x^{i 2} }- x^{{d+1} ^{2}} = -L^{2} ## The reason behind that I think since we have positive and negative sign. So in large value limit that contributes very small quantity which we can assume to be zero. (please correct me if I am wrong in this statement) . But the condition is it has to become -L^2 to be a part of AdS.. So in some sense it has to have some end somewhere.
And then they defined the boundary as the set of points which is on null geodesic originating from the centre of (d+2) dim spacetime and then end at null cone at infinity. Can someone explain this part ?
 
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  • #2
kau said:
Somehow I can't relate two things and confused over this.
What I understand when someone say that some spacetime has conformal boundary it means that I can write the metric conformally to some other metric where the coordinates are finite ..So it has boundary.
Now I just read something on Ads Conformal boundary which i can't understand much.
Consider (d+2) dim spacetime with two negative eigenvalue of the metric and imposde the following condition
## -x0^{2}+ \Sigma{ x^{i 2} }- x^{{d+1} ^{2}} = -L^{2} ## doing this give you the AdS space.
Now to understand the conformal boundary of this spacetime the logic that is put forward is the following:
For large ##X^{M}## this ##-x0^{2}+ \Sigma{ x^{i 2} }- x^{{d+1} ^{2}} = -L^{2} ## The reason behind that I think since we have positive and negative sign. So in large value limit that contributes very small quantity which we can assume to be zero. (please correct me if I am wrong in this statement) . But the condition is it has to become -L^2 to be a part of AdS.. So in some sense it has to have some end somewhere.
And then they defined the boundary as the set of points which is on null geodesic originating from the centre of (d+2) dim spacetime and then end at null cone at infinity. Can someone explain this part ?
Reading the above, it is not at all clear to me how much you know about the conformal group [itex]C(1,n-1)[/itex] and its global action.

1) Globally, the conformal group [itex]C(1,n-1)[/itex] acts not on the Minkowski space [itex]\mbox{M}^{(1,n-1)}[/itex] but on its conformal compactification [itex]\mbox{M}_{c}^{(1,n-1)}[/itex]. This is an n-dimensional compact manifold isomorphic to [itex]S^{n-1} \times S^{1} / \mathbb{Z}_{2}[/itex].

2) The basic idea behind Ads/CFT is the fact that the conformal boundary of [itex]\mbox{Ads}_{n+1}[/itex] is a 2-fold covering of [itex]\mbox{M}_{c}^{(1,n-1)}[/itex], i.e. [itex]\partial(\mbox{Ads}_{n+1}) = S^{n-1} \times S^{1}[/itex].

If you understand where the above two points come from, then it is easy to understand the relation [itex]\mbox{M}^{(1,n-1)} \cong \mbox{M}_{c}^{(1,n-1)} - \{ \mathcal{K}_{\infty} \}[/itex], where [itex]\{ \mathcal{K}_{\infty} \} \subset \mathbb{R}^{(2,n)}[/itex] is the set of points at infinity (projective cone).
 

Related to What is the Conformal Boundary of AdS Space?

1. What is the conformal boundary of AdS?

The conformal boundary of AdS (Anti-de Sitter) space is a mathematical concept that describes the infinite boundary of the AdS space. It is the set of all points that are infinitely far away from the center of the AdS space, and it has the same dimension as the AdS space.

2. Why is the conformal boundary important in AdS?

The conformal boundary of AdS is important because it plays a crucial role in the AdS/CFT (Conformal Field Theory) correspondence, a theoretical framework that relates AdS space to a conformal field theory living on its boundary. This correspondence has been a key tool in studying the properties of AdS space and understanding the holographic principle.

3. How is the conformal boundary defined in AdS?

The conformal boundary of AdS is defined in terms of the coordinate system used to describe AdS space. In this coordinate system, the conformal boundary is located at the points where the radial coordinate goes to infinity. It is also defined as the set of points where the metric of AdS space becomes degenerate.

4. What are the properties of the conformal boundary in AdS?

The conformal boundary of AdS inherits many properties from the AdS space itself, such as its dimensionality and symmetry. It is also a conformally flat space, meaning that its metric can be transformed to a flat metric with a conformal transformation. Additionally, the conformal boundary is a null hypersurface, meaning that the light cones at each point are collapsed onto each other.

5. Can physical observables be defined on the conformal boundary of AdS?

Yes, physical observables can be defined on the conformal boundary of AdS. In the AdS/CFT correspondence, certain quantities in the conformal field theory can be related to observables in AdS space. This has allowed for the study of physical phenomena in AdS space, such as black holes and quantum gravity, through the use of the conformal boundary.

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