Canonical analysis of $BF$ gravity in $n$ dimensions

Abstract

In this paper we perform in a manifestly $SO(n-1,1)$ [or, alternatively $SO(n)$] covariant fashion, the canonical analysis of general relativity in $n$ dimensions written as a constrained $BF$ theory. Since the Lagrangian action of the theory can be written in two classically equivalent ways, we analyze each case separately. We show that for either action the canonical analysis can be accomplished without introducing second-class constraints during the whole process. Furthermore, in each case the resulting Hamiltonian formulation is the same as the canonical formulation with only first-class constraints recently obtained in M. Montesinos, R. Escobedo, J. Romero, and M. Celada, Phys. Rev. D 101, 024042 (2020) from the $n$-dimensional Palatini action.