Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 iii Paper 56 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Use the mostly-plus Clifford algebra and Riemann curvature tensor conventions of the preceding solutions, with , , and a Majorana gravitino. An action for minimal four-dimensional supergravity in the exact transformation normalization given isThe kinetic coefficient is tied to the normalization of the supersymmetry transformations: if and , this becomes the canonical coefficient , with and . Mixing those two normalizations would spoil the cancellation.
To the retained order, use the torsion-free connection. More generally the 1.5-order formalism allows its variation to be omitted after imposing its own algebraic equation; the resulting contorsion is quadratic in fermions and first affects the displayed action at quartic order. The metric tensor variation induced by the vierbein is , so the Einstein-Hilbert action varies asFor the fermionic action, varying both Majorana factors gives the same contribution after integration by parts and the Grassmann bilinear interchange rule. ThusThe vector-index Riemann curvature tensor contribution vanishes by the first Bianchi identity. The spin-index contribution is determined byFor the last equality, expand the antisymmetric three-gamma/two-gamma product: the totally antisymmetric Riemann curvature tensor terms vanish by Bianchi, and the surviving terms are the Ricci contraction minus half its trace. Hencewhich cancels the gravitational variation. Variations of vierbeins, gamma matrices and the connection in the fermionic kinetic term carry three dynamical fermions. They lie beyond this linear-fermion cancellation and are cancelled by the omitted four-fermion completion. Thus the action is invariant up to boundary terms at the order specified, rather than claiming that a truncated action is exactly invariant at every fermion order.
For the cosmological extension, add a gravitino mass parameter and deform the derivative:Indeed the fermion terms combine as because . The modified spinor connection curvature isand contraction givesThe same action-variation cancellation therefore works with replaced by precisely forThis is the Anti-de Sitter deformation of minimal supergravity. A cosmological term alone would leave its variation uncancelled; the mass term and the gamma shift of the gravitino transformation are both necessary. A positive cosmological constant cannot arise from this real unbroken minimal deformation.
For electromagnetism, retain and introduce an Abelian vector multiplet , with Majorana gaugino . A complete quadratic-fermion extension isThe accompanying leading transformations areThey preserve the rigid Maxwell-gaugino action for constant . For a local parameter, the variation containsTo obtain this, vary , vary both gaugino factors, and use . The terms with cancel between the two actions; integrating the three-gamma term uses , leaving exactly the displayed derivative of the parameter. The interaction is , whose variation under cancels that term.
The other linear-fermion variation is also fixed. Put and . Clifford multiplication givesVarying in the gravitino-current interaction then gives , which cancels the Maxwell vierbein variation. This proves the required supergravity coupling of an Abelian vector multiplet through the retained order.
Beyond that order one uses a supercovariant gauge field strength, here , and the associated higher-fermion transformation terms and four-fermion interactions. An auxiliary scalar may be retained for off-shell closure, or eliminated in this on-shell formulation. A Maxwell field without a fermionic partner cannot be coupled by merely adding while leaving all transformations unchanged. An alternative is an gravity multiplet, where the vector is a graviphoton and a second gravitino supplies its extra fermionic states; the explicit construction above is the minimal matter extension.