Quantum Gravity from Simplices: Analytical Investigations of Causal Dynamical Triangulations

Abstract

A potentially powerful approach to quantum gravity has been developed over the last few years under the name of Causal Dynamical Triangulations. Numerical simulations have given very interesting results in the cases of two, three and four spacetime dimension. The aim of this thesis is to give an introduction to the subject (Chapter 1), and try to push the analytical understanding of these models further. This is done by first studying (Chapter 2) the case of a (1+1)-dimensional spacetime coupled to matter, in the form of an Ising model, by means of high- and low-temperature expansions. And after (Chapter 3) by studying a specific model in (2+1) dimensions, whose solution and continuum limit are presented.