Asymptotic safety, quantum gravity, and the swampland: A conceptual assessment, by Ivano Basile, Benjamin Knorr, Alessia Platania, Marc Schiffer

SciPost Physics Home Authoring Refereeing Submit a manuscript About Asymptotic safety, quantum gravity, and the swampland: A conceptual assessment Ivano Basile, Benjamin Knorr, Alessia Platania, Marc Schiffer SciPost Phys. 20, 027 (2026) · published 2 February 2026 doi: 10.21468/SciPostPhys.20.2.027 pdf BiBTeX RIS Submissions/Reports Abstract We provide a conceptual assessment of some aspects of fundamental quantum field theories of gravity in light of foundational aspects of the swampland program. On the one hand, asymptotically safe quantum gravity may provide a simple and predictive framework, thanks to a finite number of relevant parameters. On the other hand, a (sub-)set of intertwined swampland conjectures on the consistency of quantum gravity can be argued to be universal via effective field theory considerations. We answer whether some foundational features of these frameworks are compatible. This involves revisiting and refining several arguments (and loopholes) concerning the relation between field-theoretic descriptions of gravity and general swampland ideas. We identify the thermodynamics of black holes, spacetime topology change, and holography as the core aspects of this relation. We draw lessons on the features that a field theoretic description of gravity must (not) have to be consistent with fundamental principles underlying the swampland program, and on the universality of the latter. × TY - JOURPB - SciPost FoundationDO - 10.21468/SciPostPhys.20.2.027TI - Asymptotic safety, quantum gravity, and the swampland: A conceptual assessmentPY - 2026/02/02UR - https://scipost.org/SciPostPhys.20.2.027JF - SciPost PhysicsJA - SciPost Phys.VL - 20IS - 2SP - 027A1 - Basile, IvanoAU - Knorr, BenjaminAU - Platania, AlessiaAU - Schiffer, MarcAB - We provide a conceptual assessment of some aspects of fundamental quantum field theories of gravity in light of foundational aspects of the swampland program. On the one hand, asymptotically safe quantum gravity may provide a simple and predictive framework, thanks to a finite number of relevant parameters. On the other hand, a (sub-)set of intertwined swampland conjectures on the consistency of quantum gravity can be argued to be universal via effective field theory considerations. We answer whether some foundational features of these frameworks are compatible. This involves revisiting and refining several arguments (and loopholes) concerning the relation between field-theoretic descriptions of gravity and general swampland ideas. We identify the thermodynamics of black holes, spacetime topology change, and holography as the core aspects of this relation. We draw lessons on the features that a field theoretic description of gravity must (not) have to be consistent with fundamental principles underlying the swampland program, and on the universality of the latter.ER - × @Article{10.21468/SciPostPhys.20.2.027, title={{Asymptotic safety, quantum gravity, and the swampland: A conceptual assessment}}, author={Ivano Basile and Benjamin Knorr and Alessia Platania and Marc Schiffer}, journal={SciPost Phys.}, volume={20}, pages={027}, year={2026}, publisher={SciPost}, doi={10.21468/SciPostPhys.20.2.027}, url={https://scipost.org/10.21468/SciPostPhys.20.2.027},} Ontology / Topics See full Ontology or Topics database. Quantum field theory (QFT) Quantum gravity Renormalization group (RG) String theory Ultraviolet (UV) fixed points Authors / Affiliations: mappings to Contributors and Organizations See all Organizations. 1 2 Ivano Basile, 3 Benjamin Knorr, 4 Alessia Platania, 5 Marc Schiffer 1 Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München / Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich [LMU] 2 Max-Planck-Institut für Physik / Max Planck Institute for Physics [MPP] 3 Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg / Heidelberg University 4 Niels Bohr Institute [NBI] 5 Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen / Radboud University Nijmegen [RUN] Funders for the research work leading to this publication Institut Périmètre de physique théorique / Perimeter Institute [PI] Ministry of Colleges and Universities NordForsk Villum Fonden / Velux Foundation