On the linearization of Regge calculus

Abstract

We study the linearization of three dimensional Regge calculus around Euclidean metric. We provide an explicit formula for the corresponding quadratic form and relate it to the curl t curl operator which appears in the quadratic part of the Einstein-Hilbert action and also in the linear elasticity complex. We insert Regge metrics in a discrete version of this complex, equipped with densely defined and commuting interpolators. We show that the eigenpairs of the curl t curl operator, approximated using the quadratic part of the Regge action on Regge metrics, converge to their continuous counterparts, interpreting the computation as a non-conforming finite element method. © 2011 The Author(s).