Functional Determinants for Constrained Path Integrals in Minisuperspace Jackiw-Teitelboim Gravity

TL;DR

This paper develops a systematic method using the Gelfand-Yaglom theorem to evaluate constrained path integrals in JT gravity and Bianchi IX cosmology, accurately computing functional determinants and propagators.

Contribution

It introduces a precise approach for handling constraints in gravitational path integrals via functional determinants, applicable to various minisuperspace models.

Findings

Exact evaluation of functional determinants using Gelfand-Yaglom

Derivation of normalized fixed-lapse propagators in JT gravity and Bianchi IX

Extension to quadratic dilaton potential and analysis of saddle-point structure

Abstract

We present a detailed evaluation of constrained minisuperspace path integrals in Jackiw-Teitelboim (JT) gravity and in biaxial Bianchi IX quantum cosmology, employing the Gelfand-Yaglom theorem to compute the relevant functional determinants. In both settings, integrating out the dilaton or a minisuperspace variable produces a functional delta that enforces the classical constraint equation, thereby localizing the remaining path integral onto classical configurations. The associated Jacobian, equivalently, the functional determinant of the operator obtained by linearizing the constraint about the classical solution, fixes the semiclassical prefactor and the correct measure. We evaluate this determinant exactly via the Gelfand-Yaglom method and obtain the fully normalized fixed-lapse propagators. We further extend the JT analysis to a quadratic dilaton potential $U(\phi)=m^{2}\phi^{2}$ and comment on the corresponding saddle-point structure of the lapse integral. Finally, we apply the same approach to Bianchi IX quantum cosmology and derive the fixed-lapse propagator, including its prefactor. Our results provide a systematic and broadly applicable prescription for treating constraint structures in gravitational path integrals using functional determinant techniques, with potential applications to a wider class of minisuperspace quantum cosmology and quantum gravity.