Matrix String Theory of Banks, Fischler, Shenker and Susskind can be understood as a generalized quantum theory (provisionally named "quansical" theory) which differs from Adler's generalized trace quantum dynamics. The effective Matrix String Theory Hamiltonian is constructed in a particular fermionic realization of Matrix String Theory treated as an example of "quansical" theory.
Matrix String Theory of Banks, Fischler, Shenker and Susskind can be understood as a generalized quantum theory (provisionally named "quansical" theory) which differs from Adler's generalized trace quantum dynamics. The effective Matrix String Theory Hamiltonian is constructed in a particular fermionic realization of Matrix String Theory treated as an example of "quansical" theory.
The present understanding of nonperturbative ground states in the fractional quantum Hall effect is based on effective theories of the Jain ‘composite fermion’ excitations. We review the approach based on matrix variables, i.e. D0 branes, originally introduced by Susskind and Polychronakos. We show that the Maxwell–Chern–Simons matrix gauge theory provides a matrix generalization of the quantum Hall effect, where the composite-fermion construction naturally follows from gauge invariance. The matrix ground states obtained by suitable projections of higher Landau levels are found to be in one-to-one correspondence with the Laughlin and Jain hierarchical states. The matrix theory possesses a physical limit for commuting matrices that could be reachable while staying in the same phase.
A bstract We describe a new exact lattice bosonization of matrix quantum mechanics (equivalently of non-relativistic fermions) that is valid for arbitrary rank N of the matrix. It is based on the exact operator bosonization of non-relativistic fermions introduced earlier in [1]. The trace identities, which characterize finite rank matrices, are automatically incorporated in the bosonic theory. The finite number N of fermions is reflected in the finite number N of bosonic annihilation-creation operators, and equivalently to the finite number N of lattice points. The fermion Hamiltonian is exactly mappable to a bosonic Hamiltonian. At large N , the latter becomes local and corresponds to the lattice version of a relativistic boson Hamiltonian, with a lattice spacing of order 1/ N . The finite lattice spacing leads to a finite entanglement entropy (EE) of the bosonic theory, which reproduces the finite EE of the fermionic theory. Such a description is not available in the standard bosonization in terms of fermion density fluctuations on the Fermi surface, which does not have a built-in short distance cut-off (see, however, a recent description of the finiteness of the fermionic EE in a collective field theory formalism [2]). The bosonic lattice constructed in our work is equipped with a geometry that is determined by the matrix potential or equivalently by the shape of the Fermi surface. Our bosonization also works in the double scaled c = 1 matrix model; in particular the bosonic EE again turns out to be finite, with the short distance cut-off turning into g s l s , and reproduces the matrix result. Once again, this is to be contrasted with the conventional dual 2D string theory, where the bosonic EE is naturally identified with that of the “tachyon”, the massless string mode, where one may imagine the short-distance cut-off to be the string length l s . This appears to indicate our bosonization as a different dual description to the c = 1 matrix model appropriate for “local physics” like quantum entanglement, by contrast with the conventional duality to the eigenvalue density which works well for asymptotic observables like S-matrices. We briefly discuss possible relation of our bosonization to D0 branes.
We show that the recently proposed matrix model for M theory obeys the cyclic trace assumptions underlying generalized quantum or trace dynamics. This permits a verification of supersymmetry as an operator calculation, and a calculation of the supercharge density algebra by using the generalized Poisson bracket, in a basis-independent manner that makes no reference to individual matrix elements. Implications for quantization of the model are discussed. Our results are a special case of a general result presented elsewhere, that all rigid supersymmetry theories can be extended to give supersymmetric trace dynamics theories, in which the supersymmetry algebra is represented by the generalized Poisson bracket of trace supercharges, constructed from fields that form a noncommutative trace class graded operator algebra.
We propose a paradigm for realizing the SYK model within string theory. Using the large N matrix description of c<1 string theory, we show that the effective theory on a large number Q of FZZT D-branes in (p,1) minimal string theory takes the form of the disorder averaged SYK model with Jψp interaction. The SYK fermions represent open strings between the FZZT branes and the ZZ branes that underly the matrix model. The continuum SYK dynamics arises upon taking the large Q limit. We observe several qualitative and quantitative links between the SYK model and (p,q) minimal string theory and propose that the two describe different phases of a single system. We comment on the dual string interpretation of double scaled SYK and on the relevance of our results to the recent discussion of the role of ensemble averaging in holography.
In this chapter we set up a classical Lagrangian and Hamiltonian dynamics for matrix models. The fundamental idea is to set up an analog of classical dynamics in which the phase space variables are non-commutative, and the basic tool that allows one to accomplish this is cyclic invariance under a trace. Since no assumptions about commutativity of the phase space variables (such as canonical commutators/anticommutators) are made at this stage, the dynamics that we set up is not the same as standard quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanical behavior will be seen to emerge only when, in Chapters 4 and 5, we study the statistical mechanics of the classical matrix dynamics formulated here. In Section 1.1, we introduce our basic notation for bosonic and fermionic matrices, and give the cyclic identities that will be used repeatedly throughout the book. In Section 1.2, we define the derivative of a trace quantity with respect to an operator, and give the basic properties of this definition. In Section 1.3, we use the operator derivative to formulate a Lagrangian and Hamiltonian dynamics for matrix models. In Section 1.4, we introduce a generalized Poisson bracket appropriate to trace dynamics, constructed from the operator derivative defined in Section 1.2, and give its properties and some applications. Finally, in Section 1.5 we discuss the relation between the trace dynamics time evolution equations, and the usual unitary Heisenberg picture equations of motion obtained when one assumes standard canonical commutators/anticommutators. Bosonic and fermionic matrices and the cyclic trace identities We shall assume finite-dimensional matrices, although ultimately an extension to the infinite-dimensional case may be needed. The matrix elements of these matrices will be constructed from ordinary complex numbers, and from complex anticommuting Grassmann numbers.
We study numerically the onset of chaos and thermalization in the Banks-Fischler-Shenker-Susskind (BFSS) matrix model with and without fermions, considering Lyapunov exponents, entanglement generation, and quasinormal ringing.We approximate the real-time dynamics in terms of the most general Gaussian density matrices with parameters which obey self-consistent equations of motion, thus extending the applicability of real-time simulations beyond the classical limit.Initial values of these Gaussian density matrices are optimized to be as close as possible to the thermal equilibrium state of the system.Thus attempting to bridge between the low-energy regime with a calculable holographic description and the classical regime at high energies, we find that quantum corrections to classical dynamics tend to decrease the Lyapunov exponents, which is essential for consistency with the Maldacena-Shenker-Stanford bound at low temperatures.The entanglement entropy is found to exhibit an expected "scrambling" behavior-rapid initial growth followed by saturation.At least at high temperatures the entanglement saturation time appears to be governed by classical Lyapunov exponents.Decay of quasinormal modes is found to be characterized by the shortest timescale of all.We also find that while the bosonic matrix model becomes nonchaotic in the low-temperature regime, for the full BFSS model with fermions the leading Lyapunov exponent, entanglement saturation time, and decay rate of quasinormal modes all remain finite and nonzero down to the lowest temperatures.