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Linearized gravity as edge modes and manifest duality and Lorentz covariance

Calvin Y.-R. Chen*

Euihun Joung†

Karapet Mkrtchyan‡

  • Max Planck–IAS–NTU Center for Particle Physics, Cosmology and Geometry, Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Center for Theoretical Physics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan

  • Department of Physics, College of Science and Research Institute for Basic Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea

  • *Contact author: cyrchen@ntu.edu.tw
  • †Contact author: euihun.joung@khu.ac.kr
  • ‡Contact author: k.mkrtchyan@imperial.ac.uk
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Phys. Rev. D 114, 086019 – Published 26 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/nt7c-cdpl

Abstract

We present the first formulation of linearized gravity in four dimensions which is manifestly Lorentz covariant and democratic, i.e., treats the two frames related by electric-magnetic duality on equal footing. It is well known that four-dimensional linearized gravity belongs to a class of singleton representations of the four-dimensional conformal algebra so(2,4). Our key insight is viewing this algebra as the isometry of AdS5 and realising the massless spin-2 field as edge modes of a five-dimensional topological field taking values in a specific finite-dimensional representation of so(2,4). The desired four-dimensional action is then found by a covariant boundary reduction procedure.

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Phys. Rev. D 114, 086019– Published 26 October, 2026
  • Received 20 April 2026
  • Revised 22 June 2026
  • Accepted 28 September 2026
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