Paper detail

Extended Gravity

We shall show equivalence between Palatini-$f(\calR)$ theories and Brans-Dicke (BD) theories at the level of action principles in generic dimension with generic matter coupling. We do that by introducing the Helmholtz Lagrangian associated to Palatini-$f(\calR)$ theory and then performing frame transformations in order to recover Einstein frame and Brans-Dicke frame. This clarifies the relation among different formulations and the transformations among different frames. Additionally, it defines a formulation {\it a lá Palatini} for the Brans-Dicke theory which is dynamically equivalent to metric BD (unlike the standard Palatini-formulation of metric BD theory which are {\it not} dynamically equivalent). In conclusion we discuss interpretation of extended theories of gravitation and perspectives.