Spontaneous compactification and nonassociativity

Abstract

We consider the Freund-Rubin-Englert mechanism of compactification of N=1 supergravity in 11 dimensions. We systematically investigate both well-known and some new solutions of the classical equations of motion in 11 dimensions. In particular, we show that any threeform potential in 11 dimension is given locally by the structure constants of a geodesic loop in an affinely connected space.