Gravity as Large Scale Structure: Families of CFTs and the Higher-Spin Gap

We observe an apparently universal behavior in large $N$ conformal field theory (CFT) in $d\ge 2$ dimensions: the single-trace, higher-spin gap obeys the parametric bound ${\mathrm{\Delta }}_{\mathrm{g}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{p}}\lesssim (\delta c{)}^{1\mathrm{/}d}$, where $\delta c$ is the central charge increment between successive theories. The origin of this bound is explained heuristically, using a generalized notion of branes that interpolate between conformal points in theory space. Seeking a more precise framework for this picture leads to the central concept of families of CFTs, which tacitly underlies various features and puzzles of AdS/CFT. We develop a working definition of families, with inspiration from families of $L$-functions in number theory, and formulate a family-level version of the gap bound. Interpreted holographically for families of AdS${}_{d+1}$ vacua, this bound, when applicable, rules out Planckian scale separation, constrains the size and number of extra dimensions, and explains simple scaling patterns in string/M-theory. It also accounts for why all known large $N$ vector models have a bounded gap.