Quantum Cosmology in the BKL Regime and Dual Primon Gases

Explore the intersection of quantum chaos, holographic duality, and cosmological singularities in this 44-minute conference talk from the Institute for Advanced Study's Workshop on Quantum Aspects of Black Holes and Spacetime. Delve into the Belinski-Khalatnikov-Lifshitz (BKL) scenario, which describes the chaotic and inhomogeneous dynamics of spacetime near spacelike singularities, and discover how modern understanding of quantum chaos and holographic duality provides new insights into this 50-year-old framework. Learn about the remarkable modular symmetries that emerge in near-singularity dynamics and their connection to a dual description of the beginning of time through "primon gases" - a concept that bridges fundamental physics with deep results from number theory. Examine how this novel perspective offers both simplicity and profound mathematical connections in understanding the quantum nature of cosmological origins and the behavior of spacetime at its most extreme limits.