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// overview

I study the deep mathematical structure of spacetime, from the geometry of its boundaries to the quantum fluctuations at its smallest scales, and everything in between.

My research spans conformal geometry, general relativity, quantum gravity, and cosmology. On the geometric side, I developed a systematic theory of conformal hypersurface invariants: canonical extrinsic curvatures that govern when conformally compact manifolds are related to Poincaré-Einstein metrics. These invariants have applications to Willmore energies, Q-curvatures, and holographic boundary problems.

On the quantum gravity and cosmology side, I have studied curvature fluctuations in discrete models of quantum spacetime and explored holographic dark energy scenarios, including constraints on exotic cosmological futures such as the "long freeze." These threads are unified by a broader interest in understanding the deep mathematical structure of spacetime, from its microscopic quantum origins to its large-scale cosmological evolution.

// research interests

Conformal Geometry Poincaré-Einstein Manifolds Willmore Invariants Carrollian Geometry Null Hypersurfaces Black Hole Thermodynamics Quantum Gravity Holographic Dark Energy Cosmology General Relativity

// publications & eprints

2026Carrollian Geometry
Potential Carroll structures and special Carrollian manifolds
S. Blitz, G. Herczeg & D. McNutt

We introduce potential Carroll structures on three-manifolds and determine conditions relating them to special Carrollian manifolds, with implications for null hypersurface geometry and holography.

arXiv:2601.20068
arXiv →
2026Yang-Mills / Conformal
Einstein and Yang-Mills implies conformal Yang-Mills
S. Blitz, A. R. Gover, J. Kopiński & A. Waldron

We show that Einstein gravity coupled to Yang-Mills theory implies a conformally invariant Yang-Mills equation on the conformal boundary, with applications to holographic gauge theories.

arXiv:2601.09975
arXiv →
2025Conformal Geometry
Conformal hypersurface invariants and Bach-type boundary problems
S. Blitz & A. R. Gover

We establish a new symmetric trace-free tensor conformal invariant of hypersurface embeddings in even-dimensional conformal manifolds, completing the family of conformal fundamental forms, with connections to the Poincaré–Einstein boundary value problem.

arXiv:2511.02072
arXiv →
2025Conformal Geometry
Non-existence of higher-order conformal fundamental forms in odd dimensions
S. Blitz

We prove the general non-existence of higher-order conformal fundamental forms when the embedded hypersurface is odd-dimensional, completing the characterization of conformal fundamental forms.

arXiv:2509.20554
arXiv →
2025Cosmology
A breathing universe is consistent
S. Blitz

We demonstrate the consistency of a breathing universe scenario, contributing to the growing literature on alternative cosmological models beyond standard ΛCDM.

arXiv:2507.06385
arXiv →
2025General Relativity
Asymptotia of Kerr-de Sitter black holes
S. Blitz & J. Kopiński

Using conformal geometry, we find necessary conditions for generic solutions to asymptotically approach the Kerr–de Sitter metric, constraining the admissible form of the free data on conformal infinity.

Accepted in Class. Quantum Grav. · arXiv:2506.18169
arXiv →
2025Carrollian / GR
Unique Carrollian manifolds emerging from Einstein spacetimes
S. Blitz, D. McNutt & P. Nurowski

We explicitly determine all shear-free null hypersurfaces embedded in Einstein spacetimes and show each corresponds to a Carrollian structure with a unique pair of Ehresmann connection and affine connection.

Class. Quantum Grav. 42: 075006 (2025)
arXiv →
2025Quantum Gravity
Quantum curvature fluctuations and the cosmological constant in a single plaquette quantum gravity model
S. Blitz & S. Majid

We analyze quantum curvature fluctuations in a baby quantum gravity model, deriving implications for the cosmological constant from a single-plaquette discretization of spacetime.

Class. Quantum Grav. 42: 04LT01 (2025)
arXiv →
2025Submanifold Geometry
Holography of higher codimension submanifolds: Riemannian and conformal
S. Blitz & J. Šilhan

We provide a natural generalization to submanifolds of the holographic method used to extract higher-order local invariants of both Riemannian and conformal embeddings, with qualitatively new behavior in higher codimension.

SIGMA 21: 002 (2025) · arXiv:2405.07692
arXiv →
2025Cosmology
The long freeze: an asymptotically static universe from holographic dark energy
S. Blitz, R. Scherrer & O. Trivedi

We study holographic dark energy models admitting a "long freeze" in which the scale factor evolves to a constant, analyzing the viability of this exotic cosmological scenario.

J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 063 (2025)
arXiv →
2024Carrollian / GR
Horizons that gyre and gimble: a differential characterization of null hypersurfaces
S. Blitz & D. McNutt

We study the geometric invariant theory of null hypersurfaces, developing a Carrollian hypersurface calculus for intrinsic and extrinsic differential invariants of black hole horizons.

Eur. Phys. J. C 84: 561 (2024) · arXiv:2310.08141
arXiv →
2024Conformal Geometry · Willmore
Generalized Willmore energies, Q-curvatures, extrinsic Paneitz operators, and extrinsic Laplacian powers
S. Blitz, A. R. Gover & A. Waldron

We explicitly compute the extrinsic Paneitz operator and apply it to obtain an extrinsically-coupled Q-curvature for embedded four-manifolds and generalized Willmore energies in all even dimensions.

Commun. Contemp. Math. 26(5):2350014 (2024) · arXiv:2111.00179
arXiv →
2025Poincaré-Einstein
The Dirichlet-to-Neumann map for Poincaré–Einstein fillings
S. Blitz, A. R. Gover, J. Kopiński & A. Waldron

We study the nonlinear Dirichlet-to-Neumann map for the Poincaré–Einstein filling problem, constructing conformally invariant Dirichlet-to-Neumann hypersurface invariants.

Accepted in Rev. Mat. Iberoam. · arXiv:2307.08470
arXiv →
2023Conformal Geometry
Conformal fundamental forms and the asymptotically Poincaré–Einstein condition
S. Blitz, A. R. Gover & A. Waldron

We construct conformally invariant higher fundamental forms and show their vanishing is necessary and sufficient for a conformally compact metric to be conformally related to an asymptotically Poincaré–Einstein metric.

Ind. Univ. Math. J. 72(6):2215-2284 (2023) · arXiv:2107.10381
arXiv →