By regarding gravity as the convolution of left and right Yang-Mills theories together with a spectator scalar field in the bi-adjoint representation, we derive in linearised approximation the gravitational symmetries of general covariance, p-form ga
uge invariance, local Lorentz invariance and local supersymmetry from the flat space Yang-Mills symmetries of local gauge invariance and global super-Poincare. As a concrete example we focus on the new-minimal (12+12) off-shell version of simple four-dimensional supergravity obtained by tensoring the off-shell Yang-Mills multiplets (4+4,N_L =1)and(3+0,N_R =0).
We give an octonionic formulation of the N = 1 supersymmetry algebra in D = 11, including all brane charges. We write this in terms of a novel outer product, which takes a pair of elements of the division algebra A and returns a real linear operator
on A. More generally, with this product comes the power to rewrite any linear operation on R^n (n = 1,2,4,8) in terms of multiplication in the n-dimensional division algebra A. Finally, we consider the reinterpretation of the D = 11 supersymmetry algebra as an octonionic algebra in D = 4 and the truncation to division subalgebras.
By formulating N = 1, 2, 4, 8, D = 3, Yang-Mills with a single Lagrangian and single set of transformation rules, but with fields valued respectively in R,C,H,O, it was recently shown that tensoring left and right multiplets yields a Freudenthal-Rose
nfeld-Tits magic square of D = 3 supergravities. This was subsequently tied in with the more familiar R,C,H,O description of spacetime to give a unified division-algebraic description of extended super Yang-Mills in D = 3, 4, 6, 10. Here, these constructions are brought together resulting in a magic pyramid of supergravities. The base of the pyramid in D = 3 is the known 4x4 magic square, while the higher levels are comprised of a 3x3 square in D = 4, a 2x2 square in D = 6 and Type II supergravity at the apex in D = 10. The corresponding U-duality groups are given by a new algebraic structure, the magic pyramid formula, which may be regarded as being defined over three division algebras, one for spacetime and each of the left/right Yang-Mills multiplets. We also construct a conformal magic pyramid by tensoring conformal supermultiplets in D = 3, 4, 6. The missing entry in D = 10 is suggestive of an exotic theory with G/H duality structure F4(4)/Sp(3) x Sp(1).
We give a unified division algebraic description of (D=3, N=1,2,4,8), (D=4, N=1,2,4), (D=6, N=1,2) and (D=10, N=1) super Yang-Mills theories. A given (D=n+2, N) theory is completely specified by selecting a pair (A_n, A_{nN}) of division algebras, A_
n, A_{nN} = R, C, H, O, where the subscripts denote the dimension of the algebras. We present a master Lagrangian, defined over A_{nN}-valued fields, which encapsulates all cases. Each possibility is obtained from the unique (O, O) (D=10, N=1) theory by a combination of Cayley-Dickson halving, which amounts to dimensional reduction, and removing points, lines and quadrangles of the Fano plane, which amounts to consistent truncation. The so-called triality algebras associated with the division algebras allow for a novel formula for the overall (spacetime plus internal) symmetries of the on-shell degrees of freedom of the theories. We use imaginary A_{nN}-valued auxiliary fields to close the non-maximal supersymmetry algebra off-shell. The failure to close for maximally supersymmetric theories is attributed directly to the non-associativity of the octonions.
The global U-dualities of extended supergravity have played a central role in differentiating the distinct classes of extremal black hole solutions. When the U-duality group satisfies certain algebraic conditions, as is the case for a broad class of
supergravities, the extremal black holes enjoy a further symmetry known as Freudenthal duality (F-duality), which although distinct from U-duality preserves the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy. Here it is shown that, by adopting the doubled Lagrangian formalism, F-duality, defined on the doubled field strengths, is not only a symmetry of the black hole solutions, but also of the equations of motion themselves. A further role for F-duality is introduced in the context of world-sheet actions. The Nambu-Goto world-sheet action in any (t, s) signature spacetime can be written in terms of the F-dual. The corresponding field equations and Bianchi identities are then related by F-duality allowing for an F-dual formulation of Gaillard-Zumino duality on the world-sheet. An equivalent polynomial Polyakov- type action is introduced using the so-called black hole potential. Such a construction allows for actions invariant under all groups of type E7, including E7 itself, although in this case the stringy interpretation is less clear.
