String universality for permutation orbifolds

The hypothesis that every theory of quantum gravity in AdS3 is a dimensional reduction of string or M theory leads to a natural conjecture for the density of states of two-dimensional CFTs with a large central charge limit. We prove this conjecture for 2D CFTs which are orbifolds by permutation groups. In particular, we characterize those permutation groups which give CFTs with well-defined large N limits and can thus serve as holographic duals to bulk gravity theories in AdS3. We then show that the holographic dual of a permutation orbifold will have a Hagedorn spectrum in the large N limit. This is evidence that, within this landscape, every theory of quantum gravity with a semiclassical limit is a string theory.