Lovelock theory and the AdS/CFT correspondence

Abstract

Lovelock theory is the natural extension of general relativity to higher dimensions. It can be also thought of as a toy model for ghost-free higher curvature corrections in gravitational theories. It admits a family of AdS vacua, which provides an appealing arena to explore different holographic aspects in a broader setup within the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence. We will elaborate on these features and review previous work concerning the constraints that Lovelock theory entails on the CFT parameters when imposing conditions like unitarity, positivity of the energy or causality.