Circuit complexity for Carrollian conformal (BMS) field theories

Abstract

We systematically explore the construction of Nielsen's circuit complexity to a non-Lorentzian field theory keeping in mind its connection with flat holography. We consider a 2d boundary field theory dual to 3d asymptotically flat spacetimes with infinite-dimensional BMS_3 as the asymptotic symmetry algebra. We compute the circuit complexity functional in two distinct ways. For the Virasoro group, the complexity functional resembles the geometric action on its co-adjoint orbit. Using the limiting approach on the relativistic results, we show that it is possible to write BMS complexity in terms of the geometric action on BMS co-adjoint orbit. However, the limiting approach fails to capture essential information about the conserved currents generating BMS supertranslations. Hence, we refine our analysis using the intrinsic approach. Here, we use only the symmetry transformations and group product laws of BMS to write the complexity functional. The refined analysis shows a richer structure than only the geometric action. Lastly, we extremize and solve the equations of motion in terms of the group paths and connect our results with available literature.