Characteristic Cohomology and Observables in Higher Spin Gravity

Abstract

We give a complete classification of dynamical invariants in $3d$ and $4d$ Higher Spin Gravity models, with some comments on arbitrary $d$. These include holographic correlation functions, interaction vertices, on-shell actions, conserved currents, surface charges, and some others. Surprisingly, there are a good many conserved $p$-form currents with various $p$. The last fact, being in tension with `no nontrivial conserved currents in quantum gravity' and similar statements, gives an indication of hidden integrability of the models. Our results rely on a systematic computation of Hochschild, cyclic, and Chevalley--Eilenberg cohomology for the corresponding higher spin algebras. A new invariant in Chern-Simons theory with the Weyl algebra as gauge algebra is also presented.