Spacetime as a Complex Network and the Cosmological Constant Problem

We propose a promising model of discrete spacetime based on nonassociative geometry and complex networks. Our approach treats space as a simplicial 3-complex (or complex network), built from “atoms” of spacetime and entangled states forming n-dimensional simplices (n=1,2,3). At large scales, a highl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inUniverse (Basel) Vol. 9; no. 6; p. 266
Main Author Nesterov, Alexander
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.06.2023
Subjects
Analysis
Atoms & subatomic particles
Book publishing
complex networks
cosmological constant
discrete spacetime
emergent spacetime
Energy
Entropy
Euler characteristic
Geometry
Graphs
High temperature
Lagrange multiplier
Low temperature
nonassociative geometry
Phase transitions
Quantum field theory
Quantum theory
Spacetime
Temperature
Theory of relativity
Topology
Universe
Iran
United Kingdom
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Summary:We propose a promising model of discrete spacetime based on nonassociative geometry and complex networks. Our approach treats space as a simplicial 3-complex (or complex network), built from “atoms” of spacetime and entangled states forming n-dimensional simplices (n=1,2,3). At large scales, a highly connected network is a coarse, discrete representation of a smooth spacetime. We show that, for high temperatures, the network describes disconnected discrete space. At the Planck temperature, the system experiences phase transition, and for low temperatures, the space becomes a triangulated discrete space. We show that the cosmological constant depends on the Universe’s topology. The “foamy” structure, analogous to Wheeler’s “spacetime foam”, significantly contributes to the effective cosmological constant, which is determined by the Euler characteristic of the Universe.
ISSN:2218-1997
2218-1997
DOI:10.3390/universe9060266