Hodges' formula expresses the tree-level all-multiplicity Einstein gravity MHV amplitude as a matrix determinant. In this work, we prove that Hodges' determinant is generated by an $Lw_{ 1+\infty}$ Ward identity on the celestial sphere. The Ward identity takes the form of a recursion relation that has not previously appeared in the literature and is unrelated to BCFW. The proof makes use of the matrix-tree theorem.
Categories: hep-th