A Note on Weyl invariance in gravity and the Wess-Zumino functional

Abstract

It is shown that the explicit calculation of the Wess-Zumino functional pertaining to the breaking term of the Weyl symmetry for the Einstein-Hilbert action allows to restore the Weyl symmetry by introducing the extra dilaton field as Goldstone field. Adding the Wess-Zumino counter-term to the Einstein-Hilbert action reproduces the usual Weyl invariant action used in standard literature. Further consideration might confer to the Einstein-Hilbert action a new status.