Regularized Lovelock gravity

A four-dimensional regularization of Lovelock-Lanczos gravity up to an arbitrary curvature order is considered. We show that Lovelock-Lanczos terms can provide a non-trivial contribution to the Einstein field equations in four dimensions, for spherically symmetric and Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker spacetimes, as well as at first order in perturbation theory around (anti) de Sitter vacua. We will discuss the cosmological and black hole solutions arising from these theories, focusing on the presence of attractors and their stability. Although curvature singularities persist for any finite number of Lovelock terms, it is shown that they disappear in the non-perturbative limit of a theory with a unique vacuum. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study investigates a four-dimensional regularization of Lovelock-Lanczos gravity up to an arbitrary curvature order. The research shows that Lovelock-Lanczos terms can have a significant impact on the Einstein field equations in four dimensions, particularly in spherically symmetric and Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker spacetimes, as well as in perturbation theory around (anti) de Sitter vacua at the first order. The focus is on discussing the cosmological and black hole solutions derived from these theories, with emphasis on the presence of attractors and their stability despite the persistence of curvature singularities in theories with a finite number of Lovelock terms.