collaborators

7 papers

hep-th2026

An observer's quantization of 3d de Sitter

Andreas Blommaert, Damiano Tietto, Herman Verlinde

What is the density of states of the de Sitter static patch? We propose a definition and calculation of such a density in 3d dS. Our proposal involves a sum over an SL(2,$\mathbb{Z…

hep-th2026

Baby Universe in a Coupled SYK Model

Andrew Sontag, Herman Verlinde

We analyze three saddle points of the path integral computing the partition function of the SYK model with a Maldacena-Qi coupling in the double scaling limit. The three saddle poi…

hep-th2026

Generalized Free Fields in de Sitter from 1D CFT

Kanato Goto, Alexey Milekhin, Herman Verlinde +1

We show that a pair of identical large 1D CFTs, like the low-energy limit of the SYK model or a line-defect inside a higher dimensional CFT, contains a natural sub-algebra of o…

hep-th2026

3D near-de Sitter gravity and the soft mode of DSSYK

Tommaso Marini, Xiao-Liang Qi, Herman Verlinde

We present a dual gravity interpretation of the complex reparametrization mode that governs the soft dynamics of double-scaled SYK in the presence of a time-dependent Malda…

hep-th2026

Complexity and the Hilbert space dimension of 3D gravity

Vijay Balasubramanian, Rathindra Nath Das, Johanna Erdmenger +2

A central problem in formulating a theory of quantum gravity is to determine the size and structure of the Hilbert space of black holes. Here we use a quantum dynamical Krylov comp…

hep-th2025

SYK collective field theory as complex Liouville gravity

Andreas Blommaert, Damiano Tietto, Herman Verlinde

We establish a precise relationship between the collective field theory of the double scaled SYK model and the worldsheet theory of the complex Liouville string a.k.a. sine d…