# What if Newton's Gravitational Constant was negative?

## TL;DR

This paper explores scalar-tensor gravity theories to understand how the sign of the gravitational constant G can be dynamically determined, showing models that stabilize G as positive and support inflationary cosmology.

## Contribution

It demonstrates that quadratic potentials in scalar-tensor theories can naturally stabilize G as positive and facilitate de Sitter inflation and relaxation to General Relativity.

## Key findings

- Models with quadratic potentials stabilize G as positive.
- De Sitter inflation is achievable in these models.
- Relaxation to General Relativity occurs naturally.

## Abstract

In this work, we seek a cosmological mechanism that may define the sign of the effective gravitational coupling constant, {\em G}. To this end, we consider general scalar-tensor gravity theories as they provide the field theory natural framework for the variation of the gravitational coupling. We find that models with a quadratic potential naturally stabilize the value of {\em G} into the positive branch of the evolution and further, that de Sitter inflation and a relaxation to General Relativity is easily attained.