Quantum Kaluza-Klein cosmologies (III)

The “ground state” proposal for the quantum state of the universe is generalized to the case of a noncompact spacelike three-hyperboloid as the configuration space. The most probable evolution of the universe must come from a gravitational instanton by quantum tunneling. We show that under some minisuperspace ansatz, there exists only S₄ × S₇ gravitational instanton in d = 11 supergravity. From the point of view of quantum cosmology this fact must be related to the fact that our observed spacetime is four-dimensional.