{
  "abstract": "A bstract : We develop a simple framework for implementing a type of path integral “surgery” through a correlated averaging over codimension-one defects/extended operators. This technique is then used to construct replica manifolds by effectively cutting and gluing the path integral without explicitly modifying the underlying manifold. We argue that restricted forms of this averaging may be used to calculate Rényi entanglement entropy corresponding to a wide range of choices of subsystem partitioning. When the entanglement entropy being calculated in this way does not simply correspond to entanglement between subregions, we call the resulting objects from this surgery “generalized replica manifolds”. We show how this framework extends to gauge theories and, in particular, how in non-Abelian gauge theories it establishes a connection between replica calculations of a gauge-invariant notion of entanglement between color degrees of freedom and a quiver gauge theory structure. Finally, we discuss how this framework looks in the context of large- N theories and holography, with a bird’s-eye view of potential future directions. This paper focuses on averaging over operators that form a representation of the Heisenberg group; a subsequent paper will focus on how we can extend this framework to more general operator averaging.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "University of Kentucky"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 1,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Mohamed Hany Radwan",
      "orcid": "0009-0005-9819-9656"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4exzm0ct8w7ja.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1007/jhep10(2026)023",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "4exzm0ct8w7ja",
  "issns": [
    "1029-8479"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://link.springer.com/10.1007/JHEP10(2026)023",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3106|Black Holes and Theoretical Physics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7219106072",
  "pdf_url": "https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/JHEP10(2026)023.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-02",
  "publisher": "Springer Science and Business Media LLC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4exzm0ct8w7ja.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:01Z",
      "native_id": "10.1007/jhep10(2026)023",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://link.springer.com/10.1007/JHEP10(2026)023"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "openalex:3106|Black Holes and Theoretical Physics",
      "subfield": "high-energy"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Generalized replica manifolds. Part I. Surgery and averaging",
  "title_text": "Generalized replica manifolds. Part I. Surgery and averaging",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:01Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4exzm0ct8w7ja",
  "venue": "Journal of High Energy Physics",
  "versions": []
}