Six Dimensional Topological Gravity and the Cosmological Constant Problem

TL;DR

This paper develops a six-dimensional topological gravity theory with SO(3,3) symmetry that naturally prevents a cosmological constant, offering a novel approach to the cosmological constant problem.

Contribution

It introduces a six-dimensional topological gravity model with boundary conditions and symmetries that exclude the cosmological constant, providing a new theoretical framework.

Findings

Formulation of a 6D topological gravity with SO(3,3) gauge group.

Implementation of a $ ext{Z}_2$ symmetry to forbid the cosmological constant.

Discussion of potential matter inclusion at quantum level.

Abstract

We formulate a topological theory in six dimensions with gauge group SO(3,3) which reduces to gravity on a four dimensional defect if suitable boundary conditions are chosen. In such a framework we implement the reflection automorphism of SO(3,3) as a $\Z2$ symmetry which forbids the appearance of a gravitational cosmological constant. Some temptative speculations are presented also for the possible inclusion of the matter contribution at a full quantum level.