Disc partition function of 2d $R^2$ gravity from DWG matrix model

TL;DR

This paper calculates the sum over flat 2D surfaces with conical singularities using a generalized matrix model, bridging quantum gravity and near-flat geometries, and explores potential extensions to AdS2 backgrounds.

Contribution

It generalizes the DWG matrix model to include conical defects, enabling the study of fluctuating 2D geometries with varied curvature distributions.

Findings

Interpolates between quantum gravity and near-flat surface regimes.

Provides a framework for summing over quadrangulations with conical singularities.

Suggests potential for studying 2D geometries with AdS2 backgrounds.

Abstract

We compute the sum over flat surfaces of disc topology with arbitrary number of conical singularities. To that end, we explore and generalize a specific case of the matrix model of dually weighted graphs (DWG) proposed and solved by one of the authors, M. Staudacher and Th. Wynter. Namely, we compute the sum over quadrangulations of the disc with certain boundary conditions, with parameters controlling the number of squares (area), the length of the boundary and the coordination numbers of vertices. The vertices introduce conical defects with angle deficit given by a multiple of $\pi$, corresponding to positive, zero or negative curvature. Our results interpolate between the well-known 2d quantum gravity solution for the disc with fluctuating 2d metric and the regime of 'almost flat' surfaces with all the negative curvature concentrated on the boundary. We also speculate on possible ways to study the fluctuating 2d geometry with $AdS_2$ background instead of the flat one.