Characteristic classes in general relativity on a modified Poincare curvature bundle

Abstract

Characteristic classes in space-time manifolds are discussed for both even- and odd-dimensional spacetimes. In particular, it is shown that the Einstein--Hilbert action is equivalent to a second Chern-class on a modified Poincare bundle in four dimensions. Consequently, the cosmological constant and the trace of an energy-momentum tensor become divisible modulo R/Z.