Comment on "Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet Gravity in 4-Dimensional Space-Time''

TL;DR

This paper refutes a recent claim of a 4D Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity theory by proving it lacks consistent field equations, thus demonstrating the theory's non-existence.

Contribution

It provides a rigorous proof that the proposed 4D Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity theory is inconsistent and does not have valid field equations.

Findings

The theory does not have consistent field equations.

The proof applies to both metric and first order formalisms.

The proposed 4D Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity is invalid.

Abstract

We summarize our proof that the "Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet Gravity in Four-Dimensional Spacetime" introduced in Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 081301 (2020) does not have consistent field equations, as such the theory does not exist. The proof is given in both the metric and the first order formalisms.