Nominations 2nd quarter M.I.P. prediction poll

[marcus]

Please post suggestions for what could turn out to be "Most Influential Paper" that you see between now and June.

We just had a 1st quarter 2006 M.I.P. forecast poll and 11 people responded by indicated which of 6 papers they predicted to be the most valuable for future research. Those were 6 that appeared roughly in the first 90 days of the year.

It was fun (I thought) and interesting to see different people's guesses.
Sometimes this helps form one's own ideas. So I would like to do it again, with other members' nominations.

selfAdjoint just suggested this one
http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0604044
Graviton propagator in loop quantum gravity
Eugenio Bianchi, Leonardo Modesto, Carlo Rovelli, Simone Speziale
41 pages, 6 figures
"We compute some components of the graviton propagator in loop quantum gravity, using the spinfoam formalism, up to some second order terms in the expansion parameter."

So please post on this thread whatever preprint you see come out roughly in the second 90 days (April thru June---approx. or thereabouts) which you think is profoundly innovative and likely to start many research hares.
non-string QG and related stuff.

Come end June I will pick a half dozen or so and make a poll.

 

[marcus]

the Rovelli et al paper was dated 10 April
here is one dated 4 May

http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0605052
Generic predictions of quantum theories of gravity
Lee Smolin
For inclusion in "Approaches to Quantum Gravity - toward a new understanding of space, time, and matter", edited by D. Oriti, to be published by Cambridge University Press

"I discuss generic consequences (sometimes called 'soft predictions') of a class of background independent quantum theories of spacetime called causal spin network theories. These are theories whose kinematics and dynamics is based on the evolution of labeled graphs, by local moves, such as in loop quantum gravity and spin foam models. Some generic consequences are well known, including the discreteness of quantum geometry, the elimination of spacetime singularities, the entropy of black hole and cosmological horizons and the fact that positive cosmological constant spacetimes are hot. Within the last few years three possible generic consequences have come to light. These are 1) Deformed special relativity as the symmetry of the ground state, 2) Elementary particles as coherent excitations of quantum geometry, 3) Locality is disordered. I discuss some possible experimental consequences of each."

So we have two potentially important QG papers nominated so far. If you can think of another QG paper that has appeared in 2nd quarter of this year and is likely to be of major significance, please post a link.

the "Most Influential Paper" forecast poll for the first quarter of 2006 is here:
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=116791
If I remember correctly, 't Hooft's paper was the favorite, but there was strong support for one or two others as well.

 

[marcus]

selfAdjoint suggested the Rovelli graviton paper as MIP candidate
https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=961518&postcount=19
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=961518#post961518
and I nominated Smolin "Generic Predictions"
Now I think I have to add Distler et al to the list.

http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ph/0604255
Falsifying String Theory Through WW Scattering
Jacques Distler, Benjamin Grinstein, Ira Z. Rothstein
4 pages, 2 figures

"We show that the coefficients of operators in the electroweak chiral Lagrangian can be bounded if the underlying theory obeys the usual assumptions of Lorentz invariance, analyticity and unitarity for all scales. Violations of these bounds can be explained by either the existence of new physics below the naive cut-off of the the effective theory, or by the breakdown of one of these assumptions in the short distance theory. If no light resonances are found, then a measured violation of the bound would falsify string theory."

this is bound to be a major paper if only because of what it TRIES to do which is show a prediction of SST that makes the theory falsifiable. it could be a trend-setter WHETHER OR NOT it succeeds in doing what it says (I'm still not sure about that)
Bert Schroer at N.E.W. blog said he is waiting to see if this is followed up by a series of other papers by more people trying to do the same thing, which would be great. Here is Schroer's comment:
http://www.math.columbia.edu/~woit/wordpress/?p=385#comment-10388

Nominations for 2nd quarter 2006 MIP are open. I'd say we have 3 nominees for sure. If we get more than half a dozen or so I will do some sifting. But if we only get these 3 I think it would already be an interesting runoff.

 

[marcus]

I wondering what some other people think of Corichi's new paper establishing the Immirzi parameter on a solider footing.

that is what the paper tries to do, and it may have succeeded.

doing that would be importanthttp://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0605014
Entropy counting for microscopic black holes in LQG
Alejandro Corichi, Jacobo Diaz-Polo, Enrique Fernandez-Borja
4 pages, 6 figures

"Quantum black holes within the loop quantum gravity (LQG) framework are considered. The number of microscopic states that are consistent with a black hole of a given horizon area A_0 are computed and the statistical entropy, as a function of the area, is obtained for A_0 up to 550 l^2_P. The results are consistent with an asymptotic linear relation and a logarithmic correction with a coefficient equal to -1/2. The Barbero-Immirzi parameter that yields the asymptotic linear relation compatible with the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy is shown to coincide with a value close to \gamma=0.274, which has been previously obtained analytically. However, a new and unexpected functional form for the entropy is found for small, Planck size, black holes that calls for a physical interpretation."
(at one time there was some confusion about what is the right value of this parameter----also a correction was made in one of the calculations that changed the value arrived at by one method.)

this paper argues from several directions (not just by one method) that Immirzi has to be about 0.274

If we accept this, then we have a new constant of nature. Freidel has written about the physical meaning of the Immirzi number.

does anyone think we should put the new Corichi paper as one of the options in the poll? If so, please say. I've already nominated a couple and would like other people's ideas for MIP.

 

[hossi]

Hi marcus,

I don't think the recent Smolin-paper is such a good pick, its not really a research paper, more a summary. Why not take the real thing (or was that already nominated for the last quarter?)

"[URL
Quantum gravity and the standard model
Authors: Sundance O. Bilson-Thompson, Fotini Markopoulou, Lee Smolin
[/URL]

We show that a class of background independent models of quantum spacetime have local excitations that can be mapped to the first generation fermions of the standard model of particle physics. These states propagate coherently as they can be shown to be noiseless subsystems of the microscopic quantum dynamics. These are identified in terms of certain patterns of braiding of graphs, thus giving a quantum gravitational foundation for the topological preon model proposed by one of us.
These results apply to a large class of theories in which the Hilbert space has a basis of states given by ribbon graphs embedded in a three-dimensional manifold up to diffeomorphisms, and the dynamics is given by local moves on the graphs, such as arise in the representation theory of quantum groups. For such models, matter appears to be already included in the microscopic kinematics and dynamics.

B.

 

[marcus]

thanks for the reaction B. and for the suggestion.

Actually, as you may have guessed, I did consider that paper for inclusion last quarter, in the poll we already had

I think the most recent Smolin is more likely to be influential for several reasons which we can discuss when we get there.

You may have noticed that only one page out of 20-some is about the work with Sundance and Markopoulou----so the Sundance paper you suggested would not be a good substitute: rougly speaking "at the 19/20 level" so to say, they are about different things. But I did consider the Sundance paper for the previous poll.

Do you have some objection to survey papers? Or do you fear that they cannot be so influential as primary research?

My feeling is that the survey paper "Generic Predictions" gives an overall vision of the QG unification program, which has VARIOUS possibilities for realizing matter being tried out----and it is this overall vision that is likely to be influential.

We can argue about that later though, if you want.

 

[hossi]

Do you have some objection to survey papers? Or do you fear that they cannot be so influential as primary research?

It depends on what you mean with that. Counting the numbers of readers, a survey paper will most likely be more influential, just because it covers a broader range. Then why don't we take Lisa Randall's new book? That certainly has a huge influence in that regard. I might have misunderstood the intention, but I thought the poll was meant to show up promising future devolopments. If such are mentioned in a survey, they only point back to the research paper. I.e. the new Smolin paper also talks about DSR etc, which is certainly nice but certainly not new this quarter.

B.

 

[marcus]

It depends on what you mean with that...

I definitely mean influence on future research (I am not talking about number of readers in general public.)

so you think I should have nominated something last quarter on the previous poll that I didnt.

I will make a note of that in the next one:
That the survey paper could serve people as (among other things) a surrogate for the earlier original research paper---since it includes the same stuff plus more.

thanks for the helpful suggestion

 

[marcus]

selfAdjoint has pointed out the potential importance of a Freidel paper that appeared recently

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=986924#post986924

...These are very important papers - you ask what will be cited in the future, I'll bet it will be them. Note that down the road they seem to have made a successful start on is Clay Prize number one, and a million bucks.

Here is a link to a Clay Prize page
http://www.claymath.org/millennium/Yang-Mills_Theory/
this page has links to a Douglas 2004 essay on "current status" of attempts to solve the problem
and to a Jaffe-Witten "official problem description"

We were talking about nominating this one for MIP:

http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0604185
On pure Yang-Mills theory in 3+1 dimensions: Hamiltonian, vacuum and gauge invariant variables
Laurent Freidel
35 pages
"In this work we discuss an analytic approach towards the solution of pure Yang-Mills theory in 3+1 dimensional spacetime which strongly suggests that the recent strategy already applied to pure Yang-Mills theory in 2+1 can be extended to 3+1 dimensions..."

And also a shorter companion paper

http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0604184
Towards a solution of pure Yang-Mills theory in 3+1 dimensions
Laurent Freidel, Robert G. Leigh, Djordje Minic
12 pages

 

[marcus]

Nominations so far, listed in order of arxiv number:

1. http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0604044
Graviton propagator in loop quantum gravity
Eugenio Bianchi, Leonardo Modesto, Carlo Rovelli, Simone Speziale
41 pages, 6 figures
"We compute some components of the graviton propagator in loop quantum gravity, using the spinfoam formalism, up to some second order terms in the expansion parameter."

2. [EDIT one to be chosen from the two following:
http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0604184
Towards a solution of pure Yang-Mills theory in 3+1 dimensions
Laurent Freidel, Robert G. Leigh, Djordje Minic
12 pages

http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0604185
On pure Yang-Mills theory in 3+1 dimensions: Hamiltonian, vacuum and gauge invariant variables
Laurent Freidel
35 pages
"In this work we discuss an analytic approach towards the solution of pure Yang-Mills theory in 3+1 dimensional spacetime which strongly suggests that the recent strategy already applied to pure Yang-Mills theory in 2+1 can be extended to 3+1 dimensions..." ]3. http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ph/0604255
Falsifying String Theory Through WW Scattering
Jacques Distler, Benjamin Grinstein, Ira Z. Rothstein
4 pages, 2 figures

"We show that the coefficients of operators in the electroweak chiral Lagrangian can be bounded if the underlying theory obeys the usual assumptions of Lorentz invariance, analyticity and unitarity for all scales. Violations of these bounds can be explained by either the existence of new physics below the naive cut-off of the the effective theory, or by the breakdown of one of these assumptions in the short distance theory. If no light resonances are found, then a measured violation of the bound would falsify string theory."
4. http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0605052
Generic predictions of quantum theories of gravity
Lee Smolin
For inclusion in "Approaches to Quantum Gravity - toward a new understanding of space, time, and matter", edited by D. Oriti, to be published by Cambridge University Press

"I discuss generic consequences (sometimes called 'soft predictions') of a class of background independent quantum theories of spacetime called causal spin network theories. These are theories whose kinematics and dynamics is based on the evolution of labeled graphs, by local moves, such as in loop quantum gravity and spin foam models. Some generic consequences are well known, including the discreteness of quantum geometry, the elimination of spacetime singularities, the entropy of black hole and cosmological horizons and the fact that positive cosmological constant spacetimes are hot. Within the last few years three possible generic consequences have come to light. These are 1) Deformed special relativity as the symmetry of the ground state, 2) Elementary particles as coherent excitations of quantum geometry, 3) Locality is disordered. I discuss some possible experimental consequences of each."

 

[selfAdjoint]

I have just scanned the Freidel solo paper(hep-th/0604185) so far, but its reference to the Freidel, Leigh, and Minic one (hep-th/0604184) suggests that that is specifically about their new gauge invariant variables (integrals along a path from infinity to points) which enable them to extend the results previously shown for 2+1 Yang-Mills to 3+1, although 3 dimensional space does not support a complex structure, which was key for the 2+1 results. If this is so, then it would be the FLM paper that gets the cites, as other competitors for the prize show that their use of the technique is well-founded.

 

[marcus]

I will edit post #10 to leave undecided which one we take as representative. I want to keep down the number of papers in the list, else would put both.

 

[marcus]

In a month or so we should have an MIP poll for second quarter (the crop of papers posted April thru end June)

Nominations so far, listed in order of arxiv number, include these:1. http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0604044
Graviton propagator in loop quantum gravity
Eugenio Bianchi, Leonardo Modesto, Carlo Rovelli, Simone Speziale
41 pages, 6 figures
"We compute some components of the graviton propagator in loop quantum gravity, using the spinfoam formalism, up to some second order terms in the expansion parameter."

2. http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0604184
Towards a solution of pure Yang-Mills theory in 3+1 dimensions
Laurent Freidel, Robert G. Leigh, Djordje Minic
12 pages
"We discuss an analytic approach towards the solution of pure Yang-Mills theory in 3+1 dimensional spacetime. The approach is based on the use of local gauge invariant variables in the Schrödinger representation and the large N, planar limit. In particular, within this approach we point out unexpected parallels between pure Yang-Mills theory in 2+1 and 3+1 dimensions. The most important parallel shows up in the analysis of the ground state wave-functional especially in view of the numerical similarity of the existing large N lattice simulations of the spectra of 2+1 and 3+1 Yang Mills theories."

3. http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ph/0604255
Falsifying String Theory Through WW Scattering
Jacques Distler, Benjamin Grinstein, Ira Z. Rothstein
4 pages, 2 figures
"We show that the coefficients of operators in the electroweak chiral Lagrangian can be bounded if the underlying theory obeys the usual assumptions of Lorentz invariance, analyticity and unitarity for all scales. Violations of these bounds can be explained by either the existence of new physics below the naive cut-off of the the effective theory, or by the breakdown of one of these assumptions in the short distance theory. If no light resonances are found, then a measured violation of the bound would falsify string theory."

4. http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0605052
Generic predictions of quantum theories of gravity
Lee Smolin
For inclusion in "Approaches to Quantum Gravity - toward a new understanding of space, time, and matter", edited by D. Oriti, to be published by Cambridge University Press
"I discuss generic consequences (sometimes called 'soft predictions') of a class of background independent quantum theories of spacetime called causal spin network theories. These are theories whose kinematics and dynamics is based on the evolution of labeled graphs, by local moves, such as in loop quantum gravity and spin foam models. Some generic consequences are well known, including the discreteness of quantum geometry, the elimination of spacetime singularities, the entropy of black hole and cosmological horizons and the fact that positive cosmological constant spacetimes are hot. Within the last few years three possible generic consequences have come to light. These are 1) Deformed special relativity as the symmetry of the ground state, 2) Elementary particles as coherent excitations of quantum geometry, 3) Locality is disordered. I discuss some possible experimental consequences of each."

5. http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0605087
Quantization of strings and branes coupled to BF theory
John C. Baez, Alejandro Perez
"BF theory is a topological theory that can be seen as a natural generalization of 3-dimensional gravity to arbitrary dimensions. Here we show that the coupling to point particles that is natural in three dimensions generalizes in a direct way to BF theory in d dimensions coupled to (d-3)-branes. In the resulting model, the connection is flat except along the membrane world-sheet, where it has a conical singularity whose strength is proportional to the membrane tension. As a step towards canonically quantizing these models, we show that a basis of kinematical states is given by 'membrane spin networks', which are spin networks equipped with extra data where their edges end on a brane."

We just had a thread (in which John Baez participated) about the Baez Perez paper and its immediate precursor the Baez Wise Crans paper "Exotic Statistics". Enough people seemed to think it important that it's a natural one to include here. Maybe the response depends on connecting it with the Baez Wise Crans which is the paper with all the new "loop braid group" pictures. You could make a meal of all the new algebraic structure in that paper. And maybe construct spacetime from it as well. You wouldn't even want dessert after.

 

[marcus]

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=116791
Padmanabhan's paper, which came out in March 2006, already has 20 citations. Of the 6 in the poll, it's the clear leader at this point. I suppose that could change in the course of the year, but it is a striking early result.

those who picked the Padma paper were
arivero, Feynmania, Kea, selfAdjoint, turbo-1

I'm not sure one should automatically adopt citation count as a measure of how influential or important a paper is, either. Especially when it is so early. But 20 seems like a lot to pick up in less than 4 months.

does anyone have a nomination for M.I.P, besides those we have, that appeared April-June?

 

[marcus]

Handicapping by bundling papers

To make it harder to guess (arivero, selfAdjoint, turbo are getting too good), I am thinking of bundling recent papers---including some that came out in first quarter that were not on the previous poll.

How about a choice between:

one by Padmanabhan
two by Rovelli
two by Ashtekar
three by Majid

Which of these BUNDLES will turn out to be the most influential in future research over the next year? If you don't like the idea of lumping please object and I will go back to comparing single papers.

The following are mostly second quarter papers but I have thrown in some first quarter ones that we missed earlier:

one by Padmanabhan
http://arxiv.org/gr-qc/0606061

two by Rovelli
http://arxiv.org/gr-qc/0604044
http://arxiv.org/quant-ph/0604064

two by Ashtekar
http://arxiv.org/gr-qc/0602086
http://arxiv.org/gr-qc/0605011

three by Majid
http://arxiv.org/hep-th/0601004
http://arxiv.org/hep-th/0604130
http://arxiv.org/hep-th/0604132

=============
there is also a Baez bundle but I don't know if it lends itself to inclusion
because the handle would not be a second-quarter 2006 arxiv posting but
would rather be a page of links at Baez site relating to his PERIMETER TALK
of 31 May---
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/quantum_spacetime/

----so the handle would be to a talk and references therein instead of to an arxiv posting
(can one compare influence on research from different media?)

or maybe a it could just be these two:
http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0605087
http://arxiv.org/abs/math.DG/0511710

(putting together a second quarter posting (May 2006) with an earlier one that I missed)