Supergravity before and after 1976

Abstract

In review articles and monographs on supergravity, its discovery is usually dated as 1976. However, a number of papers on supergravity appeared before 1976, beginning from 1972 [1–5]. As has now been confirmed, those papers are directly related to the established version of supergravity [6,7] and in some sense were the starting points for later ones. In this paper, I will try to fill in the historical gap (1972–1976). Supergravity is the gauged version of global supersymmetry. Therefore I will begin by exposing briefly those elements of supersymmetry which are essential for the sequel.

1 D.V. Volkov (Kharkov, KIPT & CERN), CERN-TH-7226-94 (Unpublished), April 1994, 7pp. This is part of the lecture given at the TH Division of CERN and devoted to the 125th anniversary of the birthday of Elie Cartan (hep-th/9404153). See also the article ‘Volkov, Dmitrij Vasilievich’ in this volume.

* For English translation of D.V. Volkov scientific biography and his fundamental SUSY papers of 70th–80th see D.V. Volkov Memorial Page: http://www.math.uni-mannheim.de=/~duplij=volkov.