In this paper we consider conformal symmetry in the context of manifolds with general affine connection. We extend the conformal transformation law of the metric to a general metric compatible affine connection, and find that it is a symmetry of both the geodesic equation and the Riemann tensor. We derive the generalised Jacobi equation and Raychaudhuri equation and show that they are both conformally invariant. Using the geodesic deviation (Jacobi) equation we analyse the behaviour of geodesics in different conformal frames.Since we find that our version of conformal symmetry is exact in classical pure Einstein's gravity, we ask whether one can extend it to the standard model. We find that it is possible to write conformal invariant lagrangians in any dimensions for vector, fermion and scalar fields, but that such lagrangians are only gauge invariant in four dimensions. Provided one introduces a dilaton field, gravity can be conformally coupled to matter.

In this paper we study a novel realization of inflation, based on Weyl invariant gravity with torsion.We show that requiring the classical action for the scalar field to be Weyl invariant introduces a dilaton which induces a non trivial modification of the field space geometry of the scalar sector, which allows for inflationary phase that begins at the conformal point of the inflaton ψ, i.e. ψ = 0. Since the model is Weyl invariant, the inflaton condensation models a process of spontaneous Weyl symmetry breaking. For a wide range of parameters the spectral observables of the model are in good agreement with the CMB measurements, such that the scalar spectral index and the tensor-to-scalar ratio approximately agree with those of Starobinsky's inflation, i.e. n s 0.96 − 0.97 and r ≈ 3 × 10 −3 . The simplest version of our model contains two scalar degrees of freedom, one of them being an exactly flat direction. If that degree is excited early on in inflation and if inflation lasts for about 60 e-foldings, we find that the Unverse undergoes a short period of kination that predates inflation. Such a period strongly suppresses the amplitude of large scale CMB temperature fluctuations providing thus an elegant explanation for the lack of power in the lowest CMB multipoles.

We consider a generalized Einstein-Cartan theory, in which we add the unique covariant dimension four operators to general relativity that couples fermionic spin current to the torsion tensor (with an arbitrary strength). Since torsion is local and non-dynamical, when integrated out it yields an effective four-fermion interaction of the gravitational strength. We show how to renormalize the theory, in the one-loop perturbative expansion in generally curved space-times, obtaining the first order correction to the 2PI effective action in Schwinger-Keldysh (in-in) formalism. We then apply the renormalized theory to study the dynamics of a collapsing universe that begins in a thermal state and find that -instead of a big crunch singularity -the Universe with torsion undergoes a bounce. We solve the dynamical equations (a) classically (without particle production); (b) including the production of fermions in a fixed background in the Hartree-Fock approximation and (c) including the quantum backreaction of fermions onto the background space-time. In the first and last cases the Universe undergoes a bounce. The production of fermions due to the coupling to a contracting homogeneous background speeds up the bounce, implying that the quantum contributions from fermions is negative, presumably because fermion production contributes negatively to the energy-momentum tensor. When compared with former works on the subject, our treatment is fully microscopic (namely, we treat fermions by solving the corresponding Dirac equations) and quantum (in the sense that we include fermionic loop contributions).

We argue that, when a theory of gravity and matter is endowed with (classical) conformal symmetry, the fine tuning required to obtain the cosmological constant at its observed value can be significantly reduced. Once tuned, the cosmological constant is stable under a change of the scale at which it is measured.

The conformal anomaly (also known as the stress-energy trace anomaly) of an interacting quantum theory, associated with violation of Weyl (conformal) symmetry by quantum effects, can be amended if one endows the theory with a dilatation current coupled to a vector field that is the gauge connection of local Weyl symmetry transformations. The natural candidate for this Weyl connection is the trace of the geometric torsion tensor, especially if one recalls that pure (Cartan-Einstein) gravity with torsion is conformal. We first point out that both canonical and path integral quantisation respect Weyl symmetry. The only way quantum effects can violate conformal symmetry is by the process of regularization. However, if one calculates an effective action from a conformally invariant classical theory by using a regularisation procedure that is conform with Weyl symmetry, then the conformal Ward identities will be satisfied. In this sense Weyl symmetry is not broken by quantum effects. This work suggests that Weyl symmetry can be treated on equal footing with gauge symmetries and gravity, for which an infinite set of Ward identities guarantees that they remain unbroken by quantum effects.