European Network On Random Geometry, 2004 Renate Loll, A. Muller: Rich Murray 2008.06.27

[Rich Murray]

European Network On Random Geometry, 2004 Renate Loll, A. Muller: Rich
Murray 2008.06.27

[ See "The Self-Organizing Quantum Universe" in July 2008 Scientific
American. ]

http://www.phys.uu.nl/~loll/enrage/about/about.html

European Network On Random Geometry, 2004 Renate Loll, A. Muller

About Enrage

  Progress in the sciences is driven by the urge to push the limits of our
understanding of the physical world. The unprecedented advances of the last
century are now culminating in a collective search by theoretical physicists
for the most fundamental building blocks of space, time and matter, and a
unified description of their interactions. In trying to formulate a quantum
theory of physics at the most extreme scales, there is mounting evidence
that special, so-called non-perturbative methods are being called for. These
take into account that space-time at the Planck scale is not well
approximated by the fixed, flat Minkowski space which provides the setting
for standard quantum field theory at much lower energies. Although numerous
non-perturbative aspects of superstring theories have been uncovered in
recent years, and background-independent formulations of quantum gravity are
being explored, a complete and fully nonperturbative construction of these
theories is still lacking. The situation is not unfamiliar from quantum
chromodynamics, where powerful lattice methods have been developed over
time, but where we still lack a deeper theoretical understanding of
non-perturbative properties such as confinement.

A primary focus of the network ENRAGE is the further systematic development
of an already existing set of non-perturbative analytic and numerical tools
from the theory of discrete random geometries, and their application to some
of these fundamental problems. There is a coherent body of knowledge,
especially on the dynamics of lower-dimensional geometries (graphs and
surfaces) and the closely related theory of random matrices, to which many
of our network members have made seminal contributions. These methods are
rooted in quantum field theory and the theory of critical phenomena. They
are ideally suited for a non-perturbative description of
quantum-gravitational and string theories, because they do not require any a
priori distinguished background geometry. Pioneering advances have already
been made by network members in the study of the critical behaviour of
higher-dimensional random geometries.

It turns out that the very same methods are suited for the description of a
much wider range of phenomena, from condensed matter physics, through the
dynamics of networks, to biological systems, as well as areas of pure
mathematics, and the study of such topics provides a second major focus for
the network's research. The training of young researchers in the use of
these highly versatile tools - for which there is already a proven track
record - will prepare them for careers not just in physics, but in biology,
information technology, computer science, finance and economics. Previous EC
networks involving some of the teams in the current network have witnessed a
substantive amount of cross-fertilization and fruitful collaborations
between experts on various methodological and applied aspects of random
geometry, going far beyond the scope of any single subdiscipline of
theoretical physics, and not easily accommodated within current
institutional structures. The joint network activities provide our young
researchers with a unique perspective stretching beyond the boundaries of
their specific discipline.

ENRAGE draws in expertise on random geometry and random matrices from all
over Europe and beyond, while keeping a strong scientific focus on
formulating a non-perturbative description of quantum gravity and string
theory using discretized random geometries and applying these methods in the
study of other statistical mechanical systems and networks. The previous
networks have led to the formulation of such new concepts as the Gonihedric
string model, Lorentzian dynamical triangulations, new numerical algorithms
for the study of random geometries and the application of quantum field
theory methods to the study of networks. Building on these successes, there
is every reason to expect similar advances with the current collaboration.

http://www.phys.uu.nl/~loll/Web/research/research.html

My research is concerned with constructing spacetime from the bottom up,
that is, finding a consistent theory which describes the microscopic
constituents of spacetime geometry and the quantum-dynamical laws governing
their interaction.....