Finite mass corrections in orbifold gauge theories

The Standard Model Higgs boson can be identified with the extra dimensional component of a gauge boson in a higher dimensional theory where the gauge group is broken to the Standard Model group by the orbifold action. In that case the Standard Model symmetry can be radiatively broken by the Hosotani mechanism and the Higgs boson mass is protected from bulk quadratic divergences by the higher dimensional gauge theory without any need of supersymmetry. However the latter does not protect a priori the Higgs mass from brane quadratic divergences. We show by an explicit calculation in the orbifold $S^1/Z_2$ that such effects are absent at one-loop. Moreover we identify the symmetry that protects such brane mass terms to all orders in perturbation theory and thus guarantees the absence of a corresponding mass counterterm