Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 56 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Use units and put . The static patch of de Sitter spacetime has radial factor . A Wick rotation makes its radial-time metric positive:Near the cosmological horizon, write . Then andin the radial-time directions. Thus must be an angle of period . A larger integer multiple would give a conical excess rather than a smooth origin. The Euclidean black-hole regularity condition givesThis de Sitter horizon temperature uses the time normalization at , where is proper time; static observers at other radii see the corresponding Tolman temperature law redshift.
Vary the gravitational Euclidean action with respect to . The identities and the integrated variation of the scalar curvature yield, after discarding the assumed boundary term,The resulting vacuum Einstein field equations are thereforeTracing in four dimensions gives , and substitution gives .
The smooth Euclidean geometry is compact. Explicitly, in Euclidean five-space useThese obey and induce precisely the above metric, so with the identified Euclidean time covers a round four-sphere once. Neither the collapsing two-sphere at nor the collapsing time circle at is a physical boundary. Since , its volume and on-shell Euclidean action areThe semiclassical partition function is , and follows from the free energy relation . With the stipulated zero internal energy,Thus the Euclidean de Sitter action and entropy reproduce the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of the cosmological horizon without a boundary contribution. Restoring constants, .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 55 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Both metrics have curvature radius one and signature . Their global topology must be specified as well as their local metric. The usual two-dimensional de Sitter spacetime is the hyperboloid in three-dimensional Minkowski spacetime, parametrized byThus and is periodic modulo , for example . Spatial slices are circles. Unwrapping instead gives the universal cover, not the usual closed spatial model.
The ordinary two-dimensional anti-de Sitter spacetime hyperboloid is in ambient signature , withOn this quadric and is periodic modulo . The closed time circles are timelike, so it contains closed timelike curves. The usual physically causal AdS model is its universal cover, for which , with time no longer identified. The signed radial coordinate has two spatial ends; restricting to would retain only half of this global model. The metric by itself cannot distinguish periodic time from the cover. The scalar curvature is for de Sitter and for AdS in the Ricci convention of Q2. Both are maximally symmetric and have no curvature singularity; these toy two-dimensional metrics illustrate causal geometry rather than the ordinary four-dimensional matter field equations.
For the conformal cylinder of two-dimensional de Sitter spacetime, introduceThenThe conformal boundaries are spacelike circles, representing past and future infinity. Null geodesics are straight lines , with the periodic spatial identification. The finite total conformal-time interval explains the cosmological horizons: light cannot complete a full trip around the circle during the entire history.
For the conformal strip of two-dimensional anti-de Sitter spacetime, useso on the universal coverIts two conformal boundaries at are timelike. Null rays are , and the strip extends for arbitrarily long coordinate time. The distances in these conformal diagrams are not physical lengths: a conformal boundary may be reached in finite coordinate time while lying infinitely far away in physical affine parameter.
Conformal cylinder and observer horizons of two-dimensional de Sitter spacetime, compared with the timelike boundaries and geodesics of the AdS universal cover
. Details. The sides of the de Sitter diagram are identified; its top and bottom are spacelike infinities. The AdS diagram shows a finite window of an infinite time strip, with no identification of top and bottom. Null rays have slope one in both diagrams. The blue curves are timelike geodesics, while the colored de Sitter lines bound the central observer's causal domains.
The geodesics of two-dimensional de Sitter spacetime can be derived directly. Let an overdot denote an affine parameter normalized so that the tangent norm is for timelike, null and spacelike geodesics. The cyclic coordinate gives conserved , and normalization givesWriting reduces this to . For a future-directed timelike geodesic,The spatially comoving curves are geodesics, and every timelike geodesic extends through all , with infinite proper time in both directions. Initially comoving nearby observers have physical separation proportional to , displaying de Sitter's tidal defocusing. Relative separation can initially decrease for other initial velocities; not every pair is monotonically separating.
For a nontrivial null geodesic, and . Hence the conformal infinities at occur at infinite affine parameter, despite their finite values of . For a spacelike geodesic, and . Over a full affine-length period , integrating gives a change . Thus the spacelike geodesics close on the usual cylinder. The special case is the equatorial circle . These closed spacelike curves do not threaten causality.
The geodesics of two-dimensional anti-de Sitter spacetime instead conserve . Their norm equation givesA future timelike geodesic has andIts turning points are . Timelike geodesics oscillate rather than escaping to the spatial boundary. For , the central curve is geodesic. Integrating shows that a full proper-time period advances coordinate time by . They close on the periodically identified hyperboloid but remain complete nonclosed curves on the universal cover. Geodesics leaving reconverge at after proper time , illustrating AdS tidal focusing. A static observer at nonzero fixed is accelerated, not one of these oscillating free trajectories.
For AdS null geodesics, and . They approach either timelike conformal boundary at infinite affine parameter, while the coordinate-time travel from the centre is only . A spacelike geodesic has and connects the two spatial ends with infinite affine length. Both global models are geodesically complete. Reflecting a signal at the AdS conformal boundary is a choice of boundary condition for fields; it is not an automatic continuation of a geodesic at a finite affine endpoint.
For the complete de Sitter observer at , let be the shortest angular distance. An event at can send a signal reaching the observer at a finite future time exactly whenIt can receive a signal sent by the observer at a finite past time exactly when . Equality gives the future and past observer horizons in two-dimensional de Sitter spacetime; their null branches are respectively and on the displayed cylinder. Their intersection is the central static patch, . All complete timelike geodesic observers have analogous horizons by de Sitter symmetry. These are observer-dependent cosmological horizons, not singularities of the global coordinates or Cauchy horizons.
In contrast, the complete central AdS observer can exchange signals with every event at finite : the conformal distance is finite and the observer exists for all . Its static Killing vector has squared norm everywhere. Thus global AdS on its cover has no cosmological event horizon for this observer, although other restricted patches or accelerated observers can have horizons.
The causal predictability distinction is also important. Global de Sitter is globally hyperbolic: constant- circles are Cauchy surfaces. A causal curve is monotone in and satisfies ; if it ended at finite , compactness of the spatial circle would allow an endpoint and extension. Hence an inextendible causal curve crosses every such slice once. AdS on the cover has no closed timelike curves, but it is not globally hyperbolic. For two central events at and , with , their causal diamond contains events at and arbitrarily large , so it is not compact. Initial data alone do not determine field evolution without conditions at the timelike conformal boundaries. de Sitter has spacelike conformal infinities and cosmological observer horizons; covered AdS has timelike conformal infinities and requires boundary data. The distinction between the AdS quadric and its universal cover is also explained in David Tong's general relativity lectures.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 61 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Take both curvature radii to be one. Coordinate ranges depend on the global identification, which a line element alone cannot fix. For the ordinary two-dimensional de Sitter spacetime,This is the unit hyperboloid in ambient signature , parametrized by , , . Unwrapping instead gives its universal cover.
For two-dimensional anti-de Sitter spacetime, the embedding in ambient signature is parametrized by , , . On this hyperboloid and is periodic modulo , creating closed timelike circles. The physically usual universal cover removes that periodicity:Both signs of are needed for the full two-dimensional spatial line. Taking without an additional construction would omit one of its two ends. The following causal comparison uses the AdS universal cover.
Both models are maximally symmetric Lorentzian manifolds, with constant sectional curvature and no curvature singularities. In the paper's convention their Ricci scalars are respectively and . The de Sitter spatial scale factor contracts to a nonzero minimum and then expands; is not a big-bang singularity. The AdS metric is static, and is timelike everywhere because .
The embeddings give a concise classification of all affinely parametrized geodesics. Geodesic acceleration in the ambient space is normal to the hyperboloid, hence proportional to . Differentiating the constraint and setting , with for timelike, null and spacelike curves, givesEvery solution stays in the two-plane spanned by its initial point and tangent , so every geodesic is a plane section through the ambient origin. For de Sitter, these are for timelike curves, for null curves, and for spacelike curves. Thus timelike geodesics and null geodesics are complete and nonclosed, while spacelike geodesics are closed circles on the ordinary hyperboloid. These are the geodesics of two-dimensional de Sitter spacetime.
For AdS the roles of the circular and hyperbolic solutions are reversed: timelike curves are , null curves are , and spacelike curves are . Timelike curves close after proper time on the hyperboloid, but their lifts on the universal cover continue to ever later time rather than forming closed curves. All three kinds extend for arbitrary affine parameter. This is geodesics of two-dimensional anti-de Sitter spacetime, not an assertion that geodesics reach the conformal boundary in finite physical affine length.
The coordinate first integrals make the behavior concrete. In de Sitter, spatial rotational symmetry gives a conserved , and normalization givesConstant- observers are timelike geodesics. Nontrivial null geodesics have affine parameter proportional to , which diverges at both . In AdS the conserved static energy is , withFor timelike curves, andThey oscillate through the center and never reach spatial infinity; is the geodesic. For null curves, , so both ends are at infinite affine parameter. Spacelike AdS geodesics likewise extend to the two spatial ends.
For the conformal structure, introduce de Sitter conformal timeMultiplying by gives the conformal cylinder of two-dimensional de Sitter spacetime. The past and future conformal infinities are spacelike circles at . Null curves are modulo . Although the conformal-time interval is finite, their physical affine parameters and timelike observers' proper times are infinite at its ends. Constant- circles are Cauchy hypersurfaces; global de Sitter is globally hyperbolic.
For AdS putThe conformal strip of two-dimensional anti-de Sitter spacetime has unbounded time and timelike conformal boundaries at . Null curves have . A signal from any finite reaches the center in coordinate time , and a null curve crosses the entire conformal strip in time . This finite coordinate travel time coexists with infinite physical affine length to the boundary. The covering spacetime has no closed timelike curves, but is not globally hyperbolic: causal curves can arrive from timelike infinity without meeting a proposed initial slice. Field evolution consequently requires boundary conditions as well as initial data. Unwrapping time removes closed timelike curves, not the timelike boundary.
The contrast in observer event horizons follows directly from these null curves. For the complete de Sitter observer , let be shortest angular distance. An event can send a signal to this observer before its future endpoint precisely whenEquality is its future observer event horizon. It can receive a signal emitted by the observer after its past endpoint precisely when , whose equality is the past horizon. In the observer's fundamental domain these horizons are null linesTheir intersection encloses the observer's static patch of de Sitter spacetime, the diamond . They are observer-dependent cosmological horizons, not curvature singularities or Cauchy horizons. Every inertial observer has the corresponding horizons by de Sitter symmetry.
For the complete AdS static observer at , every event at finite can send a signal to the observer, and can receive one, because time is unbounded and the coordinate distance is finite. Thus there is no corresponding global static-observer event horizon. The lapse never vanishes in these coordinates. Restricted accelerated-observer patches can have observer horizons, but those are distinct from the global static model. On the original periodic-time AdS hyperboloid, the more serious issue is closed timelike curves.
Conformal cylinder of de Sitter and covering anti-de Sitter strip, showing null geodesics, observer horizons and causal boundaries
. Details. The figure identifies the de Sitter spatial edges and displays only a finite time window of the AdS covering strip, whose time continues indefinitely. Solid red curves are null geodesics; the oscillating AdS curve is a timelike geodesic. The shaded de Sitter diamond is the static observer's two-way communication region, not the entire spacetime.
The concise comparison is de Sitter has spacelike conformal infinities and cosmological observer horizons; covering AdS has timelike conformal boundaries and no horizon for an eternal global static observer. Both are constant-curvature and geodesically complete, but their geodesic recurrence, global topology, causal boundaries and initial-value properties differ.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ii Paper 2 36D d Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
The simple zeros and are Killing horizons: respectively the black-hole event horizon and the cosmological horizon of the static region.

