We derive rigorous bounds on corrections to Einstein gravity using unitarity and analyticity of graviton scattering amplitudes. In $D\ge 4$ spacetime dimensions, these consistency conditions mandate positive coefficients for certain quartic curvature operators. We systematically enumerate all such positivity bounds in $D=4$ and $D=5$ before extending to $D\ge 6$. Afterwards, we derive positivity bounds for supersymmetric operators and verify that all of our constraints are satisfied by weakly coupled string theories. Among quadratic curvature operators, we find that the Gauss-Bonnet term in $D\ge 5$ is inconsistent unless new degrees of freedom enter at the natural cutoff scale defined by the effective theory. Our bounds apply to perturbative ultraviolet completions of gravity.

• Received 5 January 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.93.064076