Summing over Non-singular Paths in Quantum Cosmology

TL;DR

This paper develops a path integral approach to quantum cosmology, introducing the DeWitt boundary condition via the image method to avoid singularities, and validates the approach against the Wheeler-DeWitt equation.

Contribution

It applies the image method within the path integral formulation to define the DeWitt boundary condition in quantum cosmology, addressing a key conceptual gap.

Findings

The image method is valid for symmetric potentials.

The derived DeWitt propagator matches Wheeler-DeWitt solutions.

The approach offers a new way to implement boundary conditions in quantum gravity.

Abstract

In this paper we provide the DeWitt propagator and its wave function in quantum cosmology using the path integral formulation of quantum gravity. The DeWitt boundary condition is introduced as a way to avoid the Big Bang singularity by positing that the wave function of the universe vanishes near the Big Bang. However, there is currently no clear definition of the DeWitt boundary condition in the path integral formulation. To address this issue, we use the image method, which eliminates singular paths in the forbidden region of the infinite potential, and apply this method to quantum cosmology based on the Batalin-Fradkin-Vilkovisky formulation of the path integral. We investigate the validity of the image method, and in particular, find that this method is only appropriate when the potential has symmetry with respect to the boundary. We then show that the DeWitt propagator and the DeWitt wave function derived from the image method are consistent with solutions of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation for certain models of quantum cosmology.