In these notes we will review some approaches to 2+1 dimensional gravity and the way it is coupled to point-particles. First we look into some exact static and stationary solutions with and without cosmological constant. Next we study the polygon approach invented by t Hooft. The third section treats the Chern-Simonons formulation of 2+1-gravity. In the last part we map the problem of finding the gravitational field around point-particles to the Riemann-Hilbert problem.
We define and discuss classical and quantum gravity in 2+1 dimensions in the Galilean limit. Although there are no Newtonian forces between massive objects in (2+1)-dimensional gravity, the Galilean limit is not trivial. Depending on the topology of spacetime there are typically finitely many topological degrees of freedom as well as topological interactions of Aharonov-Bohm type between massive objects. In order to capture these topological aspects we consider a two-fold central extension of the Galilei group whose Lie algebra possesses an invariant and non-degenerate inner product. Using this inner product we define Galilean gravity as a Chern-Simons theory of the doubly-extended Galilei group. The particular extension of the Galilei group we consider is the classical double of a much studied group, the extended homogeneous Galilei group, which is also often called Nappi-Witten group. We exhibit the Poisson-Lie structure of the doubly extended Galilei group, and quantise the Chern-Simons theory using a Hamiltonian approach. Many aspects of the quantum theory are determined by the quantum double of the extended homogenous Galilei group, or Galilei double for short. We study the representation theory of the Galilei double, explain how associated braid group representations account for the topological interactions in the theory, and briefly comment on an associated non-commutative Galilean spacetime.
We review the covariant canonical formalism initiated by DAdda, Nelson and Regge in 1985, and extend it to include a definition of form-Poisson brackets (FPB) for geometric theories coupled to $p$-forms, gauging free differential algebras. The form-Legendre transformation and the form-Hamilton equations are derived from a $d$-form Lagrangian with $p$-form dynamical fields $phi$. Momenta are defined as derivatives of the Lagrangian with respect to the velocities $dphi$ and no preferred time direction is used. Action invariance under infinitesimal form-canonical transformations can be studied in this framework, and a generalized Noether theorem is derived, both for global and local symmetries. We apply the formalism to vielbein gravity in $d=3$ and $d=4$. In the $d=3$ theory we can define form-Dirac brackets, and use an algorithmic procedure to construct the canonical generators for local Lorentz rotations and diffeomorphisms. In $d=4$ the canonical analysis is carried out using FPB, since the definition of form-Dirac brackets is problematic. Lorentz generators are constructed, while diffeomorphisms are generated by the Lie derivative. A doubly covariant hamiltonian formalism is presented, allowing to maintain manifest Lorentz covariance at every stage of the Legendre transformation. The idea is to take curvatures as velocities in the definition of momenta.
A class of explicitly integrable models of 1+1 dimensional dilaton gravity coupled to scalar fields is described in some detail. The equations of motion of these models reduce to systems of the Liouville equations endowed with energy and momentum constraints. The general solution of the equations and constraints in terms of chiral moduli fields is explicitly constructed and some extensions of the basic integrable model are briefly discussed. These models may be related to high dimensional supergravity theories but here they are mostly considered independently of such interpretations. A brief review of other integrable models of two-dimensional dilaton gravity is also given.
It is possible to couple Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) scalars possessing generalized Galilean internal shift symmetries (Galileons) to nonlinear massive gravity in four dimensions, in such a manner that the interactions maintain the Galilean symmetry. Such a construction is of interest because it is not possible to couple such fields to massless General Relativity in the same way. We show that this theory has the primary constraint necessary to eliminate the Boulware-Deser ghost, thus preserving the attractive properties of both the Galileons and ghost-free massive gravity.
A new class of integrable two-dimensional dilaton gravity theories, in which scalar matter fields satisfy the Toda equations, is proposed. The simplest case of the Toda system is considered in some detail, and on this example we outline how the general solution can be obtained. Then we demonstrate how the wave-like solutions of the general Toda systems can be simply derived. In the dilaton gravity theory this solutions describe nonlinear waves coupled to gravity. A special attention is paid to making the analytic structure of the solutions of the Toda equations as simple and transparent as possible, with the aim to apply the idea of the separation of variables to non-integrable theories.