Other forms of the Bianchi Identity

Sumanto Chanda
S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences
JD Block, Sector-3, Salt Lake, Calcutta-700098, INDIA.
March 25, 2014
1 Introduction : n-forms
Very often the same mathematical law, takes various forms when converted to other representations.
For students who start by studying these converted forms, it is sometimes dicult, and one has to
be lucky to notice the similarities.
We learn of the Bianchi identity when we study curvature, but a further exploration reveals
otherwise. There are identities we learn in vector analysis that can be considered another form of
the same property. This article reveals how in extensive detail.
We start by rst considering the theory of n-forms. Suppose that we have an object
n

2
...n
with n indices such that it exhibits anti-symmetry under permutation of any pair of indices. We
can therefore dene:

n
=
n
12...n
dx

1
dx

2
... dx
n
=
n
12...n
n

i=1
dx

i
where
n
1...i...j...n
=
n
1...j...i...n
(1.1)
Now, we can see that for a 2-form applying (1.1) shows us that:

2
=
2

dx

dx

=
1
2
_

dx

dx

+
2

dx

dx

_
=
1
2
_

dx

dx

dx

dx

_
=
1
2

_
dx

dx

dx

dx

_
=
1
2

dx

dx

2
=
2

dx

dx

=
1
2

dx

dx

(1.2)
Showing clearly that we have transmitted the anti-symmetry property of the object to the tensor
product. For a n-form, we can similarly use the anti-symmetry property to show:

n
=
1
p!

n
1...n
p

i=1
dx

i
n

j=p+1
dx

j
=
1
p!

n
1...n
_
1
p + 1
p

m=0
(1)
pm
_
m

i=1
dx

i
dx

p+1

j=m+1
dx

j
__
n

k=p+2
dx

k
=
1
(p + 1)!

n
1...n
p+1

i=1
dx

i
n

j=p+2
dx

j
1
2 EXTERIOR DERIVATIVES OF N-FORMS
where
p

m=0
(1)
pm
_
m

i=1
dx

i
dx

p+1

j=m+1
dx

j
_
=
p+1

i=1
dx

i
(1.3)
Thus, we can repeat the process through all iterations necessary, so that we can nally write:

n
=
1
n!

n
12...n
n

i=1
dx

i
(1.4)
Now we turn our attention to the exterior derivative.
2 Exterior derivatives of n-forms
We start by looking at the exterior derivative of a 1-form, described by:

1
= (
1

dx

) = (
1

)dx

+
1

(dx

)
=

dx

+
1

d(x

)
=

dx

d(
1

)x

+ d(
1

)
=

dx

dx

+ d(
1

)
=

_
x

dx

dx

_
+ d(
1

)
The rule followed here is that the derivative performed later must appear to the left in the tensor
product series, ie.:- always appears left of d. Writing as integrals between limits, we can say:

__
2
1

dx

_
=
_
2
1
_
b
a

_
x

dx

dx

_
. .
d
1
+ d
__
b
a

_
(2.1)

_
V

_
x

dx

dx

_
. .
d
1
+
_
V

(2.2)
=
_
V
d
1
+
_
V
(2.3)
where V spans the region d and V is the boundary of V spanning . We can also see Stokes
Theorem hidden within (2.3) as:

__
2
1

dx

_
=
_
2
1
_
b
a
_

_
x

dx

. .
d
1
+d
__
b
a

_
(2.4)
Henceforth, writing x

dx

we can write the volume integral part of (2.2) as one of the

following equivalent forms:
d
1
=

dx

dx

(2.5)
=
1
2
_

_
dx

dx

(2.6)
=
_

_
x

dx

(2.7)
Reference: Geometry Topology and Physics M. Nakahara
3 KNOWN FORMS IN VECTOR ANALYSIS
Thus, the exterior derivative of an n-form can be written as:
d
n
=
1
n!

1
1...n
_
dx

i=1
dx

i
_
=
1
(n + 1)!

1
1...n]
_
dx

i=1
dx

i
_
(2.8)
2.1 For at spaces
Now, we consider the 2nd order exterior derivative of an n-form
n
, we can write using (2.8) :
d
2

n
= d(d
n
) = dx

{dx

n
}
= dx

dx

n
=
1
2
_
(dx

dx

n
+ (dx

dx

n
_
=
1
2
(dx

dx

)
_

n
= 0
d
2

n
= 0 (2.9)
This is due to the property

. Such a property is easily valid on at manifolds where

the derivative operators commute as partial derivatives. It will also be valid on curved spaces where
we employ covariant derivatives as we shall see.
2.2 For curved spaces
In the case of curved spaces we use covariant derivatives, where
a

b
=
b

a
. However, we are
not just talking about the commuting property of the concerned derivative operators, but about the
resulting n + 2 forms. For this purpose, we must remember that for n-forms, the following holds:

n
=
n

2
....n
n

i=1
dx

i
=
n
a
1
a
2
....an
n

i=1
dy
a
i
(2.10)
where,
n
a
1
a
2
....an
is the equivalent at-space counterpart of
n

2
....n
, related via dieomorphism.
Thus, we can apply (2.10) for exterior derivatives too since they are also symplectic forms. ie.:-
D
n
= d
n
(2.11)
D
2

n
= d
2

n
= 0 (2.12)
This will eventually allow us to establish the Bianchi identity on curved spaces. The Darboux
Theorem states that at least locally such dieomorphic transformations are possible.
3 Known forms in vector analysis
While equation (2.2) and (2.3) may appear unfamiliar, most students will already have encountered
its form in vector analysis in Euclidean spaces:

= 0 (3.1)

V = 0 (3.2)
Reference: Geometry Topology and Physics M. Nakahara
4 THE BIANCHI IDENTITY
On a n-dimensional space, we can write (3.1) and (3.2) in tensor form in a manner of (2.5) as:

2
...n

2
= 0

2
...n

2
(g

V

) = 0 (3.3)
We will now proceed to examine more complex versions of these familiar equations.
4 The Bianchi identity
When dealing with electromagnetic eld tensor in Minkowski space-time, upon re-invoking (2.6),
the Bianchi identity is given by:
A = A

dx

(4.1)
dA =

dx

dx

=
1
2
_

_
dx

dx

=
1
2
F

dx

dx

= F
F = dA =
1
2
_

_
dx

dx

(4.2)
Invoking (2.8) and (2.9), we can therefore write:
dF = d
2
A = 0
1
2

dx

dx

dx

= 0
1
3!
_

dx

dx

dx

dx

dx

dx

dx

dx

dx

_
= 0
1
3!
_

_
dx

dx

dx

= 0
d
2
A = 0

= 0 (4.3)
But this identity is also known in Riemannian geometry in the study of the curvature tensor.
We know the formula for usage of the curvature tensor to be given by the exterior derivative of a
1-form in curved space by:
D
1
=

dx

dx

D
2

1
=

dx

dx

dx

=
1
2
_

dx

dx

dx

=
1
2

1

dx

dx

dx

Therefore, in accordance with (2.12), we have:

R

dx

dx

dx

= 0

1
3
_
R

dx

dx

dx

+ R

dx

dx

dx

+ R

dx

dx

dx

_
= 0

_
R

+ R

+ R

_
dx

dx

dx

= 0
Reference: Geometry Topology and Physics M. Nakahara
5 THE JACOBI IDENTITY
R

+ R

+ R

= 0 (4.4)
Now we look at the other form of the Bianchi identity with the Riemann tensor. For this, we
continue from the last steps that gave us (4.4) as shown below:
D
3

1
= D
_
D
2

1
_
= 0

1
2
D
_

_
dx

dx

dx

= 0

_
dx

dx

dx

dx

= 0

dx

dx

dx

dx

. .
0
+
1

dx

dx

dx

dx

= 0

dx

dx

dx

dx

= 0
Thus, as before for (4.4), we get:
__

_
dx

dx

dx

_
dx

= 0 (4.5)
which is very much similar in appearance to the form obtained in (4.3).
5 The Jacobi identity
The Jacobi identity can be seen as another version of the Bianchi identity. Here, the indices are
cycled around in the form of a set of scalar or vector elds. It can also be seen to arise from the
same rule of (2.9), as shown below.
We begin by considering the wedge product of the rst order exterior derivatives of any two
arbitrary functions, and then we consider their mixed second order exterior derivative:
df dg =

g
_
dx

dx

_
=

g
_
dx

dx

dx

dx

_
=
_

g
_
dx

dx

_
f, g
_
df d
_
dg dh
_
= d
_
df dg dh
_ _
= 0
_
=

h
_
dx

dx

dx

dx

=
1
3

h
_
dx

_
dx

dx

dx

+ dx

dx

dx

+ dx

dx

dx

_
=
1
3

h+

f +

g
_
dx

dx

dx

dx

=
1
3
_

h
_
+

f
_
+

g
__
dx

dx

dx

dx

=
1
3
_
_
f,
_
g, h
__
+
_
g,
_
h, f
__
+
_
h,
_
f, g
__
_

_
f,
_
g, h
__
+
_
g,
_
h, f
__
+
_
h,
_
f, g
__
= 0 (5.1)
Reference: Geometry Topology and Physics M. Nakahara
6 CONCLUSION
Now, given a Poisson structure =
1
2

dened on the manifold, we can dene the

Poisson Bracket on the manifold as:
_
f, g
_

= (df dg) = (df, dg) (5.2)

So (5.1) for a specic Poisson structure becomes:

_
f,
_
g, h
__

+
_
g,
_
h, f
__

+
_
h,
_
f, g
__

= 0 (5.3)
Thus, we can see that the Jacobi identity is connected to the identity (2.9). If using the Poisson
structure we can dene vector elds connected to the functions f, g and h, as shown below:
V
f
=
_
df,
_
, V

f
=

f (5.4)
then the Poisson Brackets can be described as:
_
V
g
, V
h

= V
g
V
h
V
h
V
g
=
_
g,
_
h,
_

_
h,
_
g,
_

=
_
h,
_
, g
_

_
,
_
g, h
_

_
h,
_
g,
_

_
V
g
, V
h

=
__
g, h
_

,
_

(5.5)
_
V
f
,
_
V
g
, V
h

=
_
f,
__
g, h
_

,
_

__
g, h
_

,
_
f,
_

=
__
g, h
_

,
_
, f
_

_
,
_
f,
_
g, h
_

__
g, h
_

,
_
f,
_

_
V
f
,
_
V
g
, V
h

=
__
f,
_
g, h
_

,
_

(5.6)
Therefore, according to (5.6) for a specic Poisson structure, (5.3) becomes:
_
V
f
,
_
V
g
, V
h

B
+
_
V
g
,
_
V
h
, V
f

B
+
_
V
h
,
_
V
f
, V
g

B
= 0 (5.7)
6 Conclusion
Thus, we have seen that (4.6) has a similar form to the result of (4.1) and on looking closely, (3.2),
the property of exactness. The identity in (4.5) is analogous to (3.1). This can be conrmed on
looking at (3.3). In fact, we could say that (3.1) and (3.2) dier from (4.5) and (4.6) only in the
sense that the former start from scalar functions and proceed to its covariant derivative, while the
latter start with a vector and proceed to its covariant derivative.
In tabular form, we could write them as:
Property Vector Analysis Riemannian Geometry
Irrotational

= 0 R

+ R

+ R

= 0
Solenoidal

.

V = 0

= 0
Thus, we can suspect, and perhaps conclude that the various mathematical identities we use in
more elaborate geometry are already familiar to us in a simpler form we did not notice earlier.
Reference: Geometry Topology and Physics M. Nakahara