Why 1 dimensional discrete space?

[Eh]

It seems that the idea of space being made out of some 1 dimensional fundamental entity is popular these days. Not only does string theory propose the structure of space to be 1D loops, but Loop Quantum Gravity proposes a lattice built of similar 1D loops. What is the advantage of this? I know that if you were to shake a string, the vibration would travel down the string at the speed of light, so as to not violate SR and avoid the point particle. But it seems one could apply the same logic to a fundamental loop of 3 dimensions.

So what is the practical benefits of a 1D entity over something of extended dimensions?

 

[selfAdjoint]

Well string theory begat brane theory, where the elements are of higher dimensions.

IIRC, physicists around 1960 tried to develop a field theory in which the electron was a little ball. It didn't work. Apparantly the element has to be "of measure zero" in the relevant space in order for the theory to even approximately converge.

 

[Labguy]

One dimension??
From all I can find, String Theory requires at least 10 dimensions, and in some cases more. See one "explanation" at:

http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/gr/public/qg_ss.html

It does remove any necessity for infinities, which I don't believe have any place in Cosmology anyway. Just personal opinion, but I can't buy String Theory either.

 

[Loren Booda]

Maybe next a fractal dimension <1?

In 10 dimensional space, strings are the fundamental 1-D constructs of the string theory.

Also, aren't (quantum) probabilities often composed of singular (0-D) values?

 

[Eh]

Originally posted by Labguy
One dimension??
From all I can find, String Theory requires at least 10 dimensions, and in some cases more.

I'm talking about the strings, which are 1 dimensional entities.