A new perspective on Gravity and the dynamics of Spacetime

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel approach to gravity by deriving Einstein's equations solely from the surface term of the Einstein-Hilbert action, offering a new perspective on spacetime dynamics akin to thermodynamics of solids.

Contribution

It demonstrates that Einstein's equations can be obtained from the surface term alone, providing a self-contained and thermodynamic-like framework for gravity.

Findings

Einstein's equations derived from the surface term of the action.

New perspective on gravity as a thermodynamic-like phenomenon.

Mathematical framework linking spacetime dynamics to continuum mechanics.

Abstract

The Einstein-Hilbert action has a bulk term and a surface term (which arises from integrating a four divergence). I show that one can obtain Einstein's equations from the surface term alone. This leads to: (i) a novel, completely self contained, perspective on gravity and (ii) a concrete mathematical framework in which the description of spacetime dynamics by Einstein's equations is similar to the description of a continuum solid in the thermodynamic limit.