Problems on the metric, connection and curvature

Problem 1: The metric of the 2-sphere S 2 is ds2 = d2 + sin2 d2 (1)

Find all components of the Riemann curvature tensor, the Ricci tensor, and the Ricci scalar. We order the coordinates as {, }. We have gij = 1 0 0 sin2 , g ij = 1 0 0
1 sin2

(2)

1 1 1 1 g [g, + g, g, ] = g g, = (2 sin cos ) = sin cos = sin(2) 2 2 2 2 1 cos 1 1 = (2 sin cos ) = g [g, + g, g, ] = = cot 2 2 sin2 sin cos = = = cot (3) sin

The other components vanish. Let us rst look at the Riemann tensor with all components lowered; this makes the symmetries manifest, and we can raise the rst index later. Then we nd that the only component to compute is R . Raising the rst index shows that the only component will be (4) R = + f f f f , , Since there are no derivatives, the second term vanishes. Since = 0, the rst double f term vanishes. We get R = = cos(2) + cos 2 = (2 cos2 1) + cos2 = sin2 , Thus we get R = g R = sin2 R = sin2 R = g R = 1 The Ricci tensor is R = R = sin2 R = R = 1 1 (9) (10) (6) (7) (8) (5)

The Ricci scalar is g R + g R = 1 + 1 = 2 Note that the integral of R over the sphere gives 2 4 = 8, a fundamental result. Problem 2: (a) Show that for any matrix Mab (det M ) = (det M )Mab M 1ba where the sum over a, b is implied by the summation convention. We let a particular element Mab chage to Mab + Mab , while the other elements are held xed. We can compute det M by expanding in the row labelled a. The term multiplying Mab is given by the minor of Mab , together with its appropriate sign. But this same minor appears when computing the inverse of the matrix M ; The element M 1ba equals this minor divided by det M . Thus we get (det M ) = (det M )M 1ba Mab Summing over variations of all terms, we get the desired result. (b) Show that 1 g = gg ab gab 2 (13) (12) (11)

(14)

g is the determinant of gab , and g ab is the inverse matrix. We have 1 1 1 g = (g) = ()gg ab gab = gg ab gab 2 g 2 g 2 (15)

(c) Show that

1 ggab g ab g = 2
a g ac gcb = b

(16)

We have (17) (18) Thus g ac gcb + g ac gcb = 0 Multiplying through by gf a we get g ac gcb gf a + g ac gcb gf a = 0 2 (19)

which gives gf b = g ac gcb gf a Putting this in (14) we get 1 1 1 g = gg ab gab = gg ab g cd gac gbd = gg bd gbd 2 2 2 (21) (20)

Problem 3: Show that the dierence of two connections transforms like a tensor. Consider a manifold with coordinates . Let gab be one metric, giving the connection 1 a = g ad [gdb,c + gdc,b gbc,d ] bc 2 Let gab be another metric on the same manifold, with connection 1 g a = g ad [db,c + gdc,b gbc,d ] bc 2 (23) (22)

Suppose we use a new set of coordinates on the manifold. The metric gab changes to ga b = and the new connection becomes 1 bac = g a d [gd b ,c + gd c ,b gb c ,d ] 2
a a

a b gab a b

(24)

(25)

When we transform the connection, we get two kinds of terms. The transformation of
a tensor index brings in factor of the kind a or a . The problem is that we gave derivatives on the metric. If these derivatives act on the metric tensor obtained after transformation, we just reproduce the terms needed to get to transform like a tensor. But by the product rule, there will also be terms where the derivatives act on the factors of a the type a , and this produces terms that are second order derivatives of the coordinates. Such terms are nowhere in the tensor transformation law. Let us nd these terms. First looking at the terms where we do not get second derivatives of the coordinates, we nd a b c a bac (26) a b c bc

Now look at terms that do have second derivatives of the coordinates. We nd 1 ad g gd b ,c 2 = = = 1 ad 2 d b d 2 b g ( d + )gdb 2 c b d b c 1 a d af d 2 b 1 a d 2 d b + gdb g g 2 2 a f d c b d b c 1 a d 2 d b 1 a af 2 b gdb + g gf b g 2 2 a d c b b c 1 a 2 a 1 a d 2 d b gdb + g 2 2 a b c d c b

(27)

The second term in (25) is obtained from this one by interchanging b , c 1 1 ad 2 d b 1 a 2 a g gd c ,b g a d gdb + 2 2 2 a c b d b c (28)

Consider the rst terms in the results of (27),(28). Interchanging dummy indices b, d in the term from (28) and adding to the rst part of the result in (27) we nd 1 ad 2 d b 2d g [ d gdb + 2 c b d b 2 b d 2d 1 ad g [ d gdb + 2 c b d b b d 1 a d g [ ]gdb 2 d c b b gdb ] c b gdb ] c (29)

= =

This expression cancels the second derivatives of coordinates that arise from the last term in (25). The second terms in (27),(28) are equal. Thus we get bac = a 2 a a b c a bc + a b c a c b (30)

The last term here violates the tensor transformation law. But we note that it does not depend on the metric at all. Thus if we have two dierent metrics g, g , with connections then , , a b c a [ a ] (31) bac bac = bc a b c bc so the dierence of two connections does transform like a tensor.