We construct explicitly a (12g − 12)-dimensional space P of unconstrained and independent initial data for ’t Hooft’s polygon model of (2+1) gravity for vacuum spacetimes with compact genus-g spacelike slices, for any g ≥ 2. Our method relies on interpreting the boost parameters of the gluing data between flat Minkowskian patches as the lengths of certain geodesic curves of an associated smooth...

A quantum state of the entire cosmos (universe or multiverse) is proposed which is the equal mixture of the Giddings-Marolf states that are asymptot-ically single de Sitter spacetimes in both past and future and are regular on the throat or neck of minimal three-volume. That is, states are excluded that have a big bang or big crunch or which split into multiple asymptotic de Sitter spacetimes. ...

We conjecture that space-like singularities are simply regions in which all available degrees of freedom are excited, and the system cycles randomly through generic quantum states in its Hilbert space. There is no simple geometric description of the interior of such a region, but if it is embedded in a semi-classical space-time an external observer sees it as a black hole. Big Bang and Crunch s...

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