Double trace flows and holographic RG in dS/CFT correspondence

If there is a dS/CFT correspondence, time evolution in the bulk should translate to RG flows in the dual euclidean field theory. Consequently, although the dual field is expected to be non-unitary, its RG flows will carry an imprint of the unitary time evolution in the bulk. In this note we examine the prediction of holographic RG in de Sitter space for the flow of double and triple trace couplings in any proposed dual. We show quite generally that the correct form of the field theory beta functions for the double trace couplings is obtained from holography, provided one identifies the scale of the field theory with (i|T|) where T is the 'time' in conformal coordinates. For dS ₄, we find that with an appropriate choice of operator normalization, it is possible to have real n-point correlation functions as well as beta functions with real coefficients. This choice leads to an RG flow with an IR fixed point at negative coupling unlike in a unitary theory where the IR fixed point is at positive coupling. The proposed correspondence of Sp(N) vector models with de Sitter Vasiliev gravity provides a specific example of such a phenomenon. For dS_d+1 with even d, however, we find that no choice of operator normalization exists which ensures reality of coefficients of the beta-functions as well as absence of n-dependent phases for various n-point functions, as long as one assumes real coupling constants in the bulk Lagrangian.