General bounds on holographic complexity

Abstract We prove a positive volume theorem for asymptotically AdS spacetimes: the maximal volume slice has nonnegative vacuum-subtracted volume, and the vacuum-subtracted volume vanishes if and only if the spacetime is identically pure AdS. Under the Complexity=Volume proposal, this constitutes a p...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Netta Engelhardt, Åsmund Folkestad
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2022-01-01
Series:Journal of High Energy Physics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP01(2022)040
Description
Summary:Abstract We prove a positive volume theorem for asymptotically AdS spacetimes: the maximal volume slice has nonnegative vacuum-subtracted volume, and the vacuum-subtracted volume vanishes if and only if the spacetime is identically pure AdS. Under the Complexity=Volume proposal, this constitutes a positive holographic complexity theorem. The result features a number of parallels with the positive energy theorem, including the assumption of an energy condition that excludes false vacuum decay (the AdS weak energy condition). Our proof is rigorously established in broad generality in four bulk dimensions, and we provide strong evidence in favor of a generalization to arbitrary dimensions. Our techniques also yield a holographic proof of Lloyd’s bound for a class of bulk spacetimes. We further establish a partial rigidity result for wormholes: wormholes with a given throat size are more complex than AdS-Schwarzschild with the same throat size.
ISSN:1029-8479