A Maxwellian Formulation by Cattaneo’s

Projection Technique

Ignazio Licata & Elmo Benedetto

International Journal of Theoretical

Physics

ISSN 0020-7748

Int J Theor Phys

DOI 10.1007/s10773-013-1858-y

1 23
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Int J Theor Phys
DOI 10.1007/s10773-013-1858-y

A Maxwellian Formulation by Cattaneo’s Projection

Technique

Ignazio Licata · Elmo Benedetto

Received: 24 June 2013 / Accepted: 1 October 2013

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

Abstract In this paper we make some remarks on an interesting mathematical method

which is, in our opinion, wrongfully undervalued. We mention its many applications an-
alyzing in particular Maxwell equations. Indeed, starting from the definition of an ordinary
frame of reference in General Relativity, we consider the Cattaneo’s projection technique to
write the intrinsic formulation of evolution equations of the electromagnetic matter.

Keywords Cattaneo’s projection technique · Maxwell equation · General relativity

1 Introduction

In the second half of the twentieth century, the Italian mathematician Cattaneo and the Rus-
sian scientist A.L. Zel’manov have introduced in General Relativity a decomposition method
of the spacetime tensors [1–6]. They observed that the absolute formulation of the physical
equations through tensors, is an exceptional result from the mathematical point of view but
the physicist, necessarily, has to translate every phenomenon in a particular system of refer-
ence; that is an observable physical quantity is in general frame-dependent, but its physical
meaning requires that it cannot depend on the particular parameterization of the physical
frame: in brief it cannot be gauge-dependent. In the mathematical model of General Rela-
tivity physical quantities are expressed by absolute entities and so, given a reference frame,
how do we relate these absolute quantities to the relative ones? Then there is the necessity
to relate the covariant mathematical equations with the relative physical quantity to be mea-
sured. For example, the physicist has to know as from the electromagnetic tensor, absolute
mathematical object, he can draw the electric field and the magnetic field to measure. Be-
sides he can wonder if the laws, of which he knows the absolute formulation, have a relative

I. Licata
ISEM, Inst. for Scientific Methodology, via Ugo La Malfa 153, Palermo, 90146, Italy

B
E. Benedetto ( )
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Salerno, via Ponte Don Melillo,
84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy
e-mail: elmobenedetto@libero.it
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formulation. Cattaneo, to do this, splits the tangent space, to the 4-dimensional spacetime
manifold, into the direct sum of two subspaces. Subsequently, different authors have ap-
plied this projection technique to solve several equations of the electrodynamic and General
Relativity [7–14]. In particular in [13], the author uses this technique in the context of de
Sitter relativity (DR). DR, was initially proposed by Fantappiè [15] obtaining as spacetime
symmetry group SO(5) that is the group of rotation of the Euclidean 5-dimensional space.
He introduced a new group of transformations which had as limit Poincarè group and he
was able also to demonstrate that his group was not able to be the limit of any continuous
group of 10 parameters. Fantappiè group is characterized by two constants: speed of light
and a radius of spacetime and it determines an Universe endowed with a perfect symmetry:
de Sitter’s Universe. The Fantappiè group generalizes Poincarè for long distance kinemat-
ics, meaning that when magnitudes of all translations are small compared to the de Sitter
radius, the Fantappiè group becomes the special relativistic group. Subsequently, this theory
has been developed by Arcidiacono [16, 17] and the discovery of the accelerating expansion
of the universe has led to a revival of interest in de Sitter invariant relativity, in conjunc-
tion with other speculative ideas like doubly special relativity [18–21]. DR consists of two
distinct theories: projective special relativity and projective general relativity and the re-
lationship between them is the same that exists between Einsteinian special relativity and
general relativity. To solve, in this context, the gravitational equations, in [13] the author
shows the usefulness of this mathematical technique devised by Cattaneo. Moreover, in the
recent papers [11, 12] the authors study the Ehrenfest’s paradox and the phase shift due to
the Sagnac effect using this Cattaneo’s splitting technique.
The paper is organized as follows: In Sect. 2 we introduce the Cattaneo’s projection
technique, while in Sect. 3 we analyze the projections of the Christoffel symbols; Sect. 4
is devoted to the Maxwell equations; in Sect. 5 we consider the anholonomic frames of
reference, while in Sect. 6 we give the conclusions.

2 Cattaneo’s Projection Technique

First of all, let us choose a physical frame, which is represented in spacetime by a time-like
congruence Γ of world lines of the particles constituting the 3-dimensional physical frame
and the set of the world lines of the test-particles constituting the “reference fluid”. The
congruence Γ is identified by the field of unit vectors γ tangent to its world lines. Now, let
us choose a system of admissible coordinate so that the lines x 0 = var coincide with the lines
of Γ ; according to Cattaneo’s terminology, such coordinates are called to be ‘adapted to the
physical frame’ defined by the congruence Γ . Being gμν γ μ γ ν = −1, the controvariant and
covariant components of the γ -field are
 i
γ = 0, γ 4 = √−g1
44
(1)
γi = gi4 γ = √−g44
4 gi4

The physical spacetime is a pseudo Riemannian manifold M 4 that is a pair (M, g) where
g is the metric tensor. In each point p ∈ M 4 , the tangent space Tp can be split into the direct
sum of two subspaces: Θp spanned by γ α , which we shall call local time direction of the
given frame, and Σp the 3-dimensional subspace which is supplementary with respect to Tp .
Σp is called local space platform of the given frame. So, the tangent space can be written as
the direct sum
Tp = Θp ⊕ Σp (2)
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A vector V which belongs Tp can be projected onto Θp and Σp in the sum of two vectors
A = −(V · γ )γ and N = V + (V · γ )γ and that is

Ai = −γi γk V k
(3)
Ni = (gik + γi γk )V k = γik V k
with γik = gik + γi γk . The two vectors A and N are called, respectively, temporal projection
and spatial projection of V and we write PΘ (Vi ) = Ai and PΣ (Vi ) = Ni . The two tensors
−γi γk and γik are called, instead, time projector and space projector respectively. We define
the temporal norm and the spatial norm of vector V with the following relations

V Θ = gik Ai Ak = −γi γk V i V k = −(γi V i )2 < 0
(4)
V Σ = gik N i N k = γik V i V k
The two tensors −γi γk and γik are also called temporal metric tensor and spatial metric
tensor. The projection of tensors is a generalization of that of the vectors. In fact we have
Tp ⊗ Tp = Σp ⊗ Σp + Σp ⊗ Θp + Θp ⊗ Σp + Θp ⊗ Θp (5)
and therefore
⎧
⎪
⎪ PΣΣ (tij ) = γir γj s t rs
⎪
⎪
⎨ PΣΘ (tij ) = −γir γj γs t rs
(6)
⎪
⎪ PΘΣ (tij ) = −γi γr γj s t rs
⎪
⎪
⎩
PΘΘ (tij ) = γi γj γr γs t rs
To formulate the physical equations relative to the frame, we need the following differ-
ential operator

∂ i = ∂ i + γi γ 4 ∂ 4 (7)
which is called transverse partial derivative. Instead the following differential operator
∂ 4 ϕ = γ 4 ∂4 ϕ, (8)
is called local temporal derivative. It is easy to show that, for a generic scalar field ϕ(x) we
have
PΣ (∂μ ϕ) = 
∂μ ϕ (9)
so 
∂μ defines the transverse gradient and that is the space projection of the local gradient.

3 Projections of the Christoffel Symbols

The projections technique we have just outlined allows to calculate the projections of the
Christoffel symbols. We set
gij = γij + νij (νij = −γi γj ) (10)
and the first kind of the Christoffel symbols are written
Γij h = (Γij h )γ + (Γij h )ν (11)
with

(Γij h )γ = 12 (∂i γj h + ∂j γhi − ∂h γij )
(12)
(Γij h )ν = 12 (∂i νj h + ∂j νhi − ∂h νij )
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We call Γij∗h = 12 (
∂ i γj h + 
∂j γhi −  ij = ∂ 4 γij and the first of the previous
∂h γij ) and K
relations assumes the following form
1   
(Γij h )γ = Γij∗k − (γi K j h + γj Khi − γh Kij ). (13)
2
The second relation, instead, is written
1
(Γij h )ν = − (γi Ωj h + γj Ωih + γh Qij ) (14)
2
where Ωij = ∂i γj − ∂j γi and Qij = ∂i γj + ∂j γi and therefore we can write

Γij h = (Γij h )γ + (Γij h )ν

1 j h ) + γj (Ωih + K
ih ) + γh (Qij − K

ij ) .
= Γij∗k − γi (Ωj h + K (15)
2
γ
Besides, keeping in mind that γ 4 γ4 = γ r γr = −1, we have PΣ (∂i γj ) = γ4 ∂i ( γj4 ) and
PΘ (∂i γj ) = γj γ4 ∂i γ 4 . Therefore we can write


γj
∂ i γ j = γ4 ∂ i + γj γ4 ∂ i γ 4
γ4



γj γj
= γ4 ∂i − γi γ 4 γ4 ∂ 4 + γj γ4
∂ i γ 4 − γj γ 4 γ 4 γ i ∂ 4 γ 4 . (16)
γ4 γ4
In conclusion we have



γj γj
∂i γj = γ4
∂i + γi ∂ 4 + γj γ4
∂ i γ 4 + γi γ j ∂ 4 γ 4 . (17)
γ4 γ4
If we exchange the indices, we can write



γi γi
∂j γi = γ4
∂j + γj ∂ 4 + γi γ4
∂ j γ 4 + γi γ j ∂ 4 γ 4 . (18)
γ4 γ4
Therefore we have the following relations

Qij = Qij + Q j + 2γi γj ∂4 γ 4
i γj + γi Q
(19)
Ωij = Ωij + Ωi γj − γi Ω
j

with
⎧
Qij = γ4 [
∂i ( γj4 ) + 
γ
⎪
⎪ ∂j ( γγ4i )]
⎪
⎪
⎨Qi = −γ4 ∂i ( γ14 ) + ∂4 ( γγ4i )
(20)
⎪
⎪ ij = γ4 [
Ω ∂i ( γj4 ) − 
γ
∂j ( γγ4i )]
⎪
⎪
⎩
Ωi = −γ4 ∂i ( γ14 ) − ∂4 ( γγ4i )
i gives us the curvature vector of the line x 4 = var
It is easy to recognize that Ω
i = γ r ∇r γi = Ci
Ω (21)
and we have
ij + Ci γj , PΘ (Ωij ) = −γi Cj .
PΣ (Ωij ) = Ω (22)
ij is the space vortex tensor, which gives the local angular velocity of the reference fluid.
Ω
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Finally we obtain
⎧
∗  
⎪ PΣΣ (Γij h ) = Γij h − 2 γh (Qij − Kij )
1
⎪
⎪
⎪
⎨ PΣΘ (Γij h ) = − 1 γj (Ω
ih + Kih + 2γh γ4
∂i γ 4 )
2
(23)
⎪
⎪ PΘΣ (Γij h ) = − 12 γi (Ω j h + 2γh γ4
j h + K ∂j γ 4 )
⎪
⎪
⎩
PΘΘ (Γij h ) = γi γj (Ch − γh ∂4 γ )
4

From the previous relations easily we get the total space projections

PΣΣΣ (Γij h ) = Γij∗h
(24)
PΣΣΣ (Γijk ) = Γij∗h γ hk

4 Maxwell Equations

In M 4 , the tensorial equations of the electrodynamics, in the isotropic, homogeneous and

linear material, can be written

ε sikh ∇i Fkh = 0
(25)
∇i f ki = 1c j k

fik v k = Fik v k
(26)
Fik∗ v k = μfik∗ v k
We consider a non polarized conductor which undergoes the generalized Ohm law
σ jk v k
ji = Fik v k − 2 vi (27)
c c
In the previous relations ε sikh is the Ricci-Levi Civita pseudotensor, Fkh and fkh are the
antisymmetric tensors of the electromagnetic field, ji is the quadrivector current density-
charge density, v k is the quadrivelocity, Fik∗ and fik∗ are the dual tensors and , μ, σ are di-
electric constant, magnetic permeability and electrical conductivity of material respectively.
For the antisymmetry of the electromagnetic tensors, the first system can be written
 sikh
ε ∂i Fkh = 0
√ (28)
√1 ∂i ( |g|f ki ) = 1 j k
|g| c

The projections of the first equation of the previous system on space platform and on
time direction are
 βαρ √
ε ∂α Eρ + √1γ ∂4 ( γ B β ) = 0
√ (29)
√1 ∂α ( γ B α ) = 0
γ

where ε βαρ is the Ricci-Levi Civita pseudotensor on the space platform with metric ds 2 =
γαβ dx α dx β and γ = det(γαβ ). The 3-dimensional vector Eρ = Fρ4 and the 3-dimensional
pseudovector B β = 12 ε βρμ Fρμ are, on the space platform, the electric intensity and mag-
netic field induction respectively. The previous system can be written in the 3-dimensional
vectorial form
 √
rot E = − c√1 γ ∂t ( γ B)
(30)
div B = 0
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By introducing the standard relative time dT = − 1c γi dx i we get

∂ √ ∂
= −g44 (31)
∂t ∂T
and therefore we have
√
−g44 √
rot E = − √ ∂T ( γ B) (32)
c γ
√
The second equation √1 ∂i ( |g|f ki ) = 1c j k on the space platform becomes
|g|

1   1
√ γαk ∂i |g|f αi = γαk j α (33)
|g| c
By observing that γαβ = δαβ and γα4 = γα γ 4 , the last equation can be decomposed on the
following two equations
 1 √
√ ∂i ( |g|f βi ) = 1 j β
|g| c
√ (34)
√1 γα ∂i ( |g|f αi ) = 1 γα j α
|g| c
√ √ √ √
We have that |g| = −g44 γ and γ4 = − −g44 and the first equations of the previ-
ous system can be written
√
1  √ βα  1  √  −g44 β
√ ∂α −γ4 γ f + √ ∂4 −γ4 γ f β4 = j (35)
γ γ c
It is easy to show that f αβ and f β4 are, on the space platform, two tensors of rank two
and one respectively. Besides also the products −γ4 f βα and γ4 f β4 are two tensors of rank
two and one because γ4 is a scalar.
By setting

−γ4 f βα = ε νβα Hν
(36)
γ4 f β4 = D β
finally we can write
√
1 √ νβα  1  √  −g44 β
√ ∂α γ ε H ν + √ ∂4 − γ D =
β
j (37)
γ γ c
√
By remembering that γ ε νβα = ενβα , where ενβα is the three-index Kronecker delta, we
deduce
√
1 √  −g44 β
ε νβα ∂α Hν − √ ∂4 γ D β = j (38)
γ c
In the time direction, instead, we have
1   1
√ γ k γr ∂i |g|f ri = γ k γr j r (39)
|g| c

5 Anholonomic Decomposition

In this section Greek indexes are running over 0, 1, 2, 3 while Latin indexes run over 1, 2, 3.
Let us consider a differential manifold Vn provided with two fields of vectorial subspaces
Vp and Wq respectively of dimension 1 ≤ p ≤ n and q = n − p. Since the distribution of
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slices Σ is not generally integrable, we are obliged to use adapted anholonomic reference
frames that is regular distributions of bases locally defined, in each point of V4 , made by a
vector parallel to γ and by three independent vectors of Σ . Thus we assume the following
anholonomic reference frame
γi
e0 = γ ,
 ei = ei − e0 (40)
γ0
From this anholonomic frame of reference follow the anholonomic derivatives 
∂α :
∂  ∂ γi ∂
∂ =γ0 , ∂i = i − (41)
∂y 0 ∂y γ0 ∂y 0
These derivatives do not commute
[
∂α ,  ραβ
∂β ] = A ∂ρ = 0 (42)
and we have
[∂,  i ∂,
∂i ] = C [
∂i ,  ik ∂
∂k ] = Ω (43)
being
00i = C
A i , j0i = Γij ,
A 0ik = 2Ω
A ik , jik = −2Ω
A ik γ j (44)
where
 
j
Γi = − Ci γ j + 
∂i γ j (45)
is the connection for the Lie derivative along Γ and C = C i
ei is the local curvature vector
of Γ . According to previous relations we obtain the following set of fundamental equations
⎧
i ei
⎪ ∂γ = C 
⎪
⎪
⎪
⎨ ∂ei = Hik i γ
ek + C
(46)
⎪
⎪
⎪ ∂i γ = Hik ek
⎪
⎩
∂i ik γ
ek = Γikh eh + H
where appears the spatial tensor Hik = Ω
ik + Kik .
The general relation for the explicit calculation of the anholonomic components of the
curvature tensor is [8]
⎧ j
⎪  j  j  j  j
⎨ Rikh = Pikh + Hkh Hi − Hih Hk − 2Ωik Hh
⎪
ikh
R 0
=∇ kh − ∇
i H ih − 2Ω
k H h
ik C (47)
⎪
⎪
⎩      j 
R0i0k = ∂ Hih − (∇i + Ci )Ck − Hi Hkj

where Pikh
j i might be con-
is the spatial curvature tensor and the differential operator ∇

sidered the covariant extension in Σ of the partial derivative ∂i obtained with the spatial
Christoffel symbols. Now let us consider a charged disgregate continuum with the energy
tensor
Lαβ = Θ αβ + T αβ + E αβ (48)
with
⎧ αβ
⎪ Θ = μ0 V α V β
⎨
T αβ = X αβ + c12 (Qα V β + Qβ V α ) + ε
V αV β (49)
⎪
⎩ αβ
c2
E = 4π 1
(Fρα F βρ − 14 g αβ Fρσ F ρσ )
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where X αβ is the proper mechanical stress, Qα is the spatial thermic proper flow, ε is the
proper internal energy and Fρα is the tensor of the electromagnetic field. The anholonomic
decomposition of tensor E αβ is given by [10]
4πE αβ = M αβ + γ α P β + γ β P α + W γ α γ β (50)
αβ α
where M is the Maxwell’s stress tensor, P is the Poynting 4-vector and W the electro-
α Lαβ = 0 are split
magnetic energy. The evolution equations of the electromagnetic matter ∇
into two sets of equations

α Lkα = 0
∇
(51)
α L0α = 0
∇
ρ
and by using the expression of Rαβ [8], there follows the anholonomic decomposition of the
first equation of the previous system

 



  M ik Qi Pi  i Qk Pk Qi Pi
(∇k + Ck ) X +ik
+ ∂ + + 2H k + +K +
4π c 4π c 4π c 4π


W i
+ ρ0 c 2 + C =0 (52)
4π
and analogously from the second equation of the system we get

k k

ik 

k ) Q + P
k + C
(∇ + ∂ ρ0 c 2 +
W
+H ki X ik + M i Qi + Pi
+C
c 4π 4π 4π c 4π


W
+ K ρ0 c 2 + =0 (53)
4π

6 Conclusion

In this paper, by choosing a physical frame, which is represented in spacetime by a time-like

congruence of world lines of the particles constituting the 3-dimensional physical frame,
we have introduced the so called Cattaneo’s projection technique. Besides we have written
the intrinsic formulation of evolution equations of the electromagnetic matter in General
Relativity using this splitting technique. Since the distribution of slices Σ is not generally
integrable, we have used adapted anholonomic reference frames.

Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank Prof. A. Greco and Prof. E. Laserra for comments and
discussions.

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