Higher dimensional formulation of counterterms

Abstract

It is by now well established that divergences of the on-shell action for asymptotically AdS solutions can be cancelled by adding covariant local boundary counterterms to the action. Here we show that although one can still renormalise the action for asymptotically $AdS_p \times S^q$ solutions using local boundary counterterms the counterterm action is not covariant since the conformal boundary is degenerate. Any given counterterm action is defined with respect to specific coordinate frame and gauge choices.