Capturing the phase diagram of (2 + 1)-dimensional CDT using a balls-in-boxes model

We study the phase diagram of a one-dimensional balls-in-boxes (BIB) model that has been proposed as an effective model for the spatial-volume dynamics of (2 + 1)-dimensional causal dynamical triangulations (CDT). The latter is a statistical model of random geometries and a candidate for a nonperturbative formulation of quantum gravity, and it is known to have an interesting phase diagram, in particular including a phase of extended geometry with classical properties. Our results corroborate a previous analysis suggesting that a particular type of potential is needed in the BIB model in order to reproduce the droplet condensation typical of the extended phase of CDT. Since such a potential can be obtained by a minisuperspace reduction of a (2 + 1)-dimensional gravity theory of the Hořava-Lifshitz type, our result strengthens the link between CDT and Hořava-Lifshitz gravity.