Liouville theory and matrix models: a Wheeler DeWitt perspective

Abstract

Abstract We analyse the connections between the Wheeler DeWitt approach for two dimensional quantum gravity and holography, focusing mainly in the case of Liouville theory coupled to c = 1 matter. Our motivation is to understand whether some form of averaging is essential for the boundary theory, if we wish to describe the bulk quantum gravity path integral of this two dimensional example. The analysis hence, is in a spirit similar to the recent studies of Jackiw-Teitelboim (JT)-gravity. Macroscopic loop operators define the asymptotic region on which the holographic boundary dual resides. Matrix quantum mechanics (MQM) and the associated double scaled fermionic field theory on the contrary, is providing an explicit “unitary in superspace” description of the complete dynamics of such two dimensional universes with matter, including the effects of topology change. If we try to associate a Hilbert space to a single boundary dual, it seems that it cannot contain all the information present in the non-perturbative bulk quantum gravity path integral and MQM.