The Covariant Derivative

Notes for GR-I - CCD

Dening the Covariant Derivative

Consider the vector eld with covariant components Ba (xc ) and compute the partial derivative: Ba Ba|b = , (1) xb where the | denotes partial dierentiation. Let xa (xc ) be a new set of coordinates, expressed as functions of the original coordinates, xc . In these new coordinates, B has components: Ba = so the partial derivative Ba |b is: Ba |b = xb xc 2 xc xc xb B = B B + c c xa xb xa xa xb c|b (3) xc Bc xa (2)

We can re-write this in the form: Ba |b 2 xc xc xc xb B = B , c xb xa xc xa xb c|b (4)

where we have written all references to B on the left hand side in terms of the xc coordinates.

c Charles C. Dyer

The right hand side of equation (4) has the appropriate form for the transformation of coordinates on a rank-2 covariant tensor. Lets suppose that we dene a tensor Gab whose components in the coordinate system xc are just Ba|b . Then in the coordinate system xb we have that Ga b has components:
c Ga b = Ba |b a b Bc

(5)

xc 2 xc . xc xb xa are called the connection coecients or simply the connections.

c a b =

where

(6)

c B that does so, Thus in general it is not Ba|b that transforms as a tensor, but Ba|b ab c c where ab are functions of the coordinates, but not of the components of B . We can then write that: xa xb c c Ba |b a B = Ba|b ab Bc . (7) c b xa xb Using our previously derived expression for Ba |b , we can write this as:

0 = Ba

a b c

xa 2 xe xa xb xc a bc xa xb xc xe xb xc

(8)

Since this must be true for a general choice of Ba , we have:

a b c =

xa 2 xe xa xb xc a + . bc xa xb xc xe xb xc

(9)

These are consistent with the transformation law of the Christoel symbols dened earlier when considering geodesic curves as extremal curves. While other choices are possible, we a to be the Christoel symbols, a , as dened earlier. will now choose the bc bc Since Ba|b c ab Bc transforms as a tensor, and reduces to the partial derivative Ba|b in geodesic coordinates at a point, we will dene: Ba||b = Ba|b c ab Bc (10)

to be the covariant derivative, and we now have that Ba||b is a tensor. We will use the notation of Ba||b to denote the covariant derivative, and Ba|b to denote the partial derivative. Some authors use the notation Ba;b and Ba,b to denote these two derivatives, while others use the notation b Ba and b Ba . Since the covariant derivative should satisfy the normal properties of a derivative, including linearity and the Leibnitz rule, we can consider the covariant derivative of the scalar product 2

of two vectors, Ba and C a . The covariant derivative of this scalar reduces to the partial derivative, and since this must be the case, we have for the covariant derivative of a vector expressed in contravariant components:
a c B a||b = B|a b + cb B

(11)

Having dened covariant dierentiation for vectors, it is useful to extend the denition to tensors of higher rank. We begin by considering the special case of the rank 2 tensor Tab = Va Ub where V a and Ub are two arbitrary vectors: (Va Ub )||c = Va||c Ub + Va Ub||c
n = (Va|c k ac Vk )Ub + Va (Ub|c bc Un ) n = Va|c Ub + Va Ub|c k ac Vk Ub bc Va Un n = (Va Ub )|c k ac Vk Ub bc Va Un

(12)

Now using Tab = Va Ub we can re-write this as:

n Tab||c = Tab|c k ac Tkb bc Tan

(13)

Thus if we consider the more general Tab , where it is no longer the outer product of two vectors, then this looks like a pretty good choice of the denition, and we are pretty much constrained to adopt it if we want the special case Tab = Va Ub to be handled in a natural way. Thus we can extend the denition of covariant derivative to higher rank tensors in a natural way and we adopt the denition:
e Tab||c = Tab|c e ac Teb bc Tae .

(14)

and we can then see how to extend our denition to tensors of arbitrary rank. Of course the covariant derivative of a scalar f is just its partial derivative, so that f||a = f|a , so that these denitions are all consistent. With the denition of a bc given above, we have the important result that gab||c = 0. With these choices, we refer to a bc as a metric compatible connection. One important consequence of these choices is that covariant dierentiation commutes with the raising and lowering of indices with the metric tensor, gab .

Some useful relations for the Covariant Derivative

The explicit expression for the Christoel symbols or the metric compatible connection is:
1 ae a geb|c + gec|b gbc|e bc = 2 g

(15)

Gathering together the most useful relations for covariant derivatives, we have:
e B a||b = B a|b + a be B

(16) (17) (18) (19) (20)

Ba||b = Ba|b e ab Be
eb b ae B ab ||c = B ab |c + a ec B + ec B e Bab||c = Bab|c e ac Beb bc Bae e e a B ab||c = B ab|c + a ec B b bc B e