Quanta of Geometry: Noncommutative Aspects

TL;DR

This paper explores how noncommutative geometry leads to quantized geometric structures, revealing discrete 'quanta' of space that relate to fundamental physics phenomena like dark matter and black hole areas.

Contribution

It introduces a novel framework linking spectral triples and Heisenberg relations to the quantization of geometry, connecting mathematical structures to physical implications.

Findings

Manifold decomposes into quantized spheres of Planckian volume.

Connected solutions with large quantized volume are constructed.

Applications include quantization of cosmological constant and black hole areas.

Abstract

In the construction of spectral manifolds in noncommutative geometry, a higher degree Heisenberg commutation relation involving the Dirac operator and the Feynman slash of real scalar fields naturally appears and implies, by equality with the index formula, the quantization of the volume. We first show that this condition implies that the manifold decomposes into disconnected spheres which will represent quanta of geometry. We then refine the condition by involving the real structure and two types of geometric quanta, and show that connected spin-manifolds with large quantized volume are then obtained as solutions. The two algebras M_2(H) and M_4(C) are obtained which are the exact constituents of the Standard Model. Using the two maps from M_4 to S^4 the four-manifold is built out of a very large number of the two kinds of spheres of Planckian volume. We give several physical applications of this scheme such as quantization of the cosmological constant, mimetic dark matter and area quantization of black holes.