PIRSA:26040098

Emergence of gravity from a topological theory

Hrytseniak, O. (2026). Emergence of gravity from a topological theory. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/26040098

Hrytseniak, Oleksandra. Emergence of gravity from a topological theory. Perimeter Institute, Apr. 06, 2026, https://pirsa.org/26040098 

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:26040098,
            doi = {10.48660/26040098},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/26040098},
            author = {Hrytseniak, Oleksandra},
            keywords = {Other},
            language = {en},
            title = {Emergence of gravity from a topological theory},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2026},
            month = {apr},
            note = {PIRSA:26040098 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }

Oleksandra Hrytseniak

Talk numberPIRSA:26040098
DOI10.48660/26040098
Collection
Talk Type Scientific Series
Subject

Abstract

Formulations of gravity as a constrained topological theory not only help us understand its variables and symmetries, but also are especially useful for quantization. In the first part of this talk, I will present the EPRL (Engle-Pereira-Rovelli-Livine) model, which is a spinfoam quantization of the four-dimensional Einstein-Cartan-Holst gravity that relies exactly on its relation to a topological theory. Namely, it transforms the simplicity constraints, distinguishing the continuum gravitational theory from its topological counterpart, into a condition on states in the Hilbert space, which is imposed after quantization. The second part of the talk will be concerned with my ongoing work on a different formulation of general relativity, which emerges from a topological theory through a different mechanism: gauging the Lorentz symmetry. I will overview the relationship between these theories in the continuum, as well as mention the current progress in their discretization.