Holography without holography: How to turn inter-representational into intra-theoretical relations in AdS/CFT

TL;DR

This paper explores how inter-representational relations in the AdS/CFT correspondence can serve as a tool for intra-theoretical development in quantum gravity, emphasizing their role in guiding the understanding of gravity's quantum origin.

Contribution

It demonstrates that the AdS/CFT correspondence, while not directly evidencing quantum gravity, can be used as a guiding principle for theoretical progress through inter- and intra-representational relations.

Findings

Inter-representational relations can facilitate intra-theoretical development.

AdS/CFT correspondence cannot directly prove quantum gravity.

Case studies show its role as a guiding principle for quantum gravity insights.

Abstract

We show by means of the AdS/CFT correspondence in the context of quantum gravity how inter-representational relations - loosely speaking relations among different equivalent representations of one and the same physics - can play out as a tool for intra-theoretical developments and thus boost theory development in the context of discovery. More precisely, we first show that, as a duality, the AdS/CFT correspondence cannot in itself testify to the quantum origin of gravity (though it may be utilized for this purpose). We then establish through two case studies from emergent gravity (Jacobson (2016), Verlinde (2017)) that the holographic AdS/CFT correspondence can, however, still excel as a guiding principle towards the quantum origin of gravity (similar in nature to quantisation).