Interaction of symmetric higher-spin gauge fields

Abstract

We show that the recently proposed equations for holomorphic sector of higher-spin theory in $d=4$, also known as chiral, can be naturally extended to describe interacting symmetric higher-spin gauge fields in any dimension. This is achieved with the aid of Vasiliev's off shell higher-spin algebra. The latter contains ideal associated to traces that has to be factored out in order to set the equations on shell. To identify the ideal in interactions we observe the global $sp(2)$ that underlies it to all orders. The $sp(2)$ field dependent generators are found in closed form and appear to be remarkably simple. The traceful higher-spin vertices are analyzed against locality and shown to be all-order space-time spin-local in the gauge sector, as well as spin-local in the Weyl sector. The vertices are found manifestly in the form of curious integrals over hypersimplices. We also extend to any $d$ the earlier observed in $d=4$ higher-spin shift symmetry known to be tightly related to spin-locality.