Sapere Aude grant to Konstantin Wernli

Independent Research Fund Denmark has awarded DKK 234 million to 38 talented researchers. They now have the opportunity to delve into their very best research ideas while also having the chance to form a research group around them.

These Sapere Aude grants are given to young, talented researchers who, with their groundbreaking ideas, help address both national and international challenges.

One of them is postdoc Konstantin Wernli from Centre for Quantum Mathematics at Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. His research idea is titled From Pertubative to non-Pertubative Quantum Field Theory by Cutting and Gluing, and he describes it as below.

Here is Independent Fund Research Denmarks presentation of Konstantin Wernli.

Konstantin Wernli´s Research Idea

Quantum Field Theory (QFT) combines special relativity with quantum mechanics to describe the fundamental particles of the universe.

To describe interactions of particles, physicists use Feynman graphs and rules. This approach is called perturbative QFT and provides accurate predictions that can be measured at CERN. 

However, mathematicians have found a non-perturbative approach, where spacetime can be cut into simple pieces simple and glued back together. By combining the strengths of perturbative and non-perturbative QFT, we will be able to better understand spacetime at the small-scale level, paving the way for new and unexpected discoveries.

In my project, I will study a new way of cutting and gluing Feynman graphs to understand the connection between these two approaches on simple pieces of spacetime.

The goal of the project is to study the connection between the two approaches in a specific example, which will make it possible to understand the general cases.