The Functional Renormalization Group in Quantum Gravity

Abstract: The gravitational asymptotic safety program envisions a high-energy completion of the gravitational interactions by an interacting renormalization group fixed point, the Reuter fixed point. The primary tool for investigating this scenario are functional renormalization group equations, foremost the Wetterich equation. This equation implements the idea of the Wilsonian renormalization group by integrating out quantum fluctuations shell-by-shell in momentum space and gives access to the theory's renormalization group flow beyond the realm of perturbation theory. This chapter gives a pedagogical introduction to the gravitational asymptotic safety program with a specific focus on clarifying conceptual points which led to confusion in the past. We provide a step-by-step introduction to the Wetterich equation and its most commonly used non-perturbative approximations. This exposition also introduces recent developments including the minimal essential scheme and $N$-type cutoffs. The use of the Wetterich equation in explicit computations is illustrated within the Einstein-Hilbert truncation which constitutes the simplest non-perturbative approximation of the gravitational renormalization group flow. We conclude with a brief summary and comments on recent developments originating from other quantum gravity programs.