Würzburg Seminar on Quantum Field Theory and Gravity

The quantum hydrodynamic effective field theory of chaos captures universal features of thermal correlators and OTOCs in strongly coupled systems. In this talk, I revisit this framework through the lens of the Universal Operator Growth Hypothesis (UOGH). Extracting the two-point function of the bare operator within this framework, we obtain the associated Krylov exponents analytically. Notably, a subclass of solutions exhibits submaximal growth, suggesting tension with the finite temperature version of the UOGH. In addition, I will discuss how the general solution of the shift equation leads to a universal formula closely related to the Thermal Product Formula, remarkably without assuming any holographic origin. This talk is based on work in progress with Maria Knysh and Andrew Rolph.