Abstract. The Christensen–Egan algorithm is extended and generalized to efficiently evaluate new spin foam vertex amplitudes proposed by Engle, Pereira and Rovelli and Freidel and Krasnov, with or without (factored) boundary states. A concrete pragmatic proposal is made for comparing the different models using uniform methodologies, applicable to the behavior of large spin asymptotics and of expectation values of specific semiclassical observables. The asymptotics of the new models exhibit non-oscillatory, power-law decay similar to that of the Barrett–Crane model, though with different exponents. Also, an analysis of the semiclassical wave packet propagation problem indicates that the Magliaro, Rovelli and Perini's conjecture of good semiclassical behavior of the new models does not hold for generic factored states, which neglect spin–spin correlations.

PACS number: 04.60.Pp

Print publication: Issue 12 (21 June 2009)
Received 13 November 2008, in final form 25 March 2009
Published 27 May 2009