Freelance Holography (2509.20517v1)

Abstract: In this paper, we introduce the Freelance Holography Program, an extension of the AdS/CFT correspondence within the saddle-point approximation that opens several novel directions. This framework generalizes holography beyond the asymptotic AdS boundary, allowing it to be formulated on arbitrary timelike hypersurfaces in the bulk. Moreover, it accommodates arbitrary boundary conditions for bulk fields, moving beyond the standard Dirichlet prescription. As part of this development, we construct a one-parameter family of renormalized boundary conditions that, unlike conventional choices in the literature, lead to a finite on-shell action. We also explore intriguing consequences of the framework, including the emergence of induced gravity and the flow of boundary conditions under holographic renormalization.