SAINT VENANT COMPATIBILITY EQUATIONS IN

CURVILINEAR COORDINATES

PHILIPPE G. CIARLET, CRISTINEL MARDARE AND MING SHEN

Abstract. We first establish that the linearized strains in curvilinear

coordinates associated with a given displacement field necessarily satisfy
compatibility conditions that constitute the Saint Venant equations in
curvilinear coordinates. We then show that these equations are also
sufficient, in the following sense: If a symmetric matrix field defined
over a simply-connected open set satisfies the Saint Venant equations
in curvilinear coordinates, then its coefficients are the linearized strains
associated with a displacement field. In addition, our proof provides
an explicit algorithm for recovering such a displacement field from its
linearized strains in curvilinear coordinates. This algorithm may be
viewed as the linear counterpart of the reconstruction of an immersion
from a given flat Riemannian metric.

1. Introduction
All the notations used, but not defined, here are defined in the next
sections.
It is well known in differential geometry that a flat Riemannian space
can be isometrically immersed, at least locally, in the Euclidean space with
the same dimension. For instance, if R3 is a simply-connected domain
endowed with a flat Riemannian metric (gij ) of class C 2 in , then there
exists an immersion : R3 of class C 3 in such that
gij = i j in .
The assumption that the metric (gij ) is flat means that its Riemannian
curvature tensor vanishes in , i.e., that
 
Rtkij := gt` i `jk j `ik + tjk `it tik `jt = 0 in ,

where
1
`jk := g `t (j gtk + k gtj t gjk )
2
denote the Christoffel symbols associated with the metric (gij ).

Date: December 5, 2009.

2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary : 49N10. Secondary : 73K15.
Key words and phrases. Differential geometry, Saint Venant compatibility equations,
Three-dimensional linearized elasticity.
1
2 P.G. CIARLET, C. MARDARE AND M. SHEN

The above immersion is recovered from the metric (gij ) by first solving
the system
i gj = kij gk in ,
with unknowns gj C 2 (; R3 ), then by solving the system
i = gi in .
The mapping C 3 (; R3 ) found in this fashion is the sought immersion.
Note that the first system above has solutions because the Riemannian cur-
vature tensor vanishes in and that the second system above has solutions
because the Christoffel symbols satisfy `jk = `kj .
Our main objective here is to establish an infinitesimal version of this
result. More specifically, let there be given a simply-connected domain
R3 and let (eij ) : S3 be a symmetric matrix field of class C 2 in (this
regularity assumption, chosen here for simplicity, will be in fact substantially
weakened). Then we show in Theorem 4 that if the matrix field (eij ) satisfies
the Saint Venant equations in curvilinear coordinates, viz.,
lin
Rtkij := ekikjt + etjkik ekjkit etikjk = 0 in ,
then there exists a vector field v : R3 of class C 3 such that
1
eij = (i v gj + gi j v) in .
2
The notation ekikjt , as well as the notation ekjki below, respectively denote
second and first covariant derivatives of the matrix field (eij ) (see Section 3
for their explicit expressions).
The recovery of the vector field v from the matrix field (eij ) is obtained
by first solving the system
aijkk = ekjki ekikj in ,
where the unknown is an antisymmetric matrix field (aij ) C 2 (; A3 ), then
by solving the system
i v = (eij + aij )gj in .
The vector field v C 3 (; R3 ) found in this fashion has the desired prop-
erties. Note that the first system above has solutions because the Saint
Venant equations are satisfied and that the second system above has solu-
tions because the matrix fields (eij ) and (aij ) are respectively symmetric
and antisymmetric.
As shown in Theorem 7, this last result may be viewed as an infinitesimal
version of the recovery of an immersion from its associated metric (gij )
(see the begining of the introduction) because the left-hand side of the Saint
Venant equations is nothing but the linearized part with respect to v of the
Riemann curvature tensor associated with the immersion ( + v).
The Saint Venant equations derived here in curvilinear coordinates gener-
alize the classical Saint Venant equations in Cartesian coordinates (see, e.g.,
 SAINT VENANT COMPATIBILITY EQUATIONS IN CURVILINEAR COORDINATES 3

[2]). In this respect, note that these equations have been likewise extended
to Saint Venant equations on a surface; see [5].
The results of this paper have been announced in [4]

2. Notations and other preliminaries

Latin indices and exponents vary in the set {1, 2, 3} and the summation
convention with respect to repeated indices and exponents is systematically
used in conjunction with this rule.
All spaces, matrices, etc., are real. The Kronecker symbol is denoted ij .
The symbols M3 , A3 , S3 , and S3> respectively designate the sets of all square
matrices of order three, of all antisymmetric matrices of order three, of all
symmetric matrices of order three, and of all positive-definite symmetric
matrices of order three.
The Euclidean inner product of u, v R3 and the Euclidean norm of
u R3 are denoted by u v and |u|. The notation (tij ) designates the
matrix of M3 with tij as its elements, the first index i being the row
P index.
The inner product of two matrices (sij ) M3 and (tij ) M3 is ij sij tij .
The spectral norm of a matrix A M3 is
|A| := sup{|Av|; v Rn , |v| 1}.
The notation f |U designates the restriction to a set U of a function f , the
notation idU designates the identity mapping of the set U .
Let be an open subset of R3 . The coordinates of a point x are
denoted xi . Partial derivative operators of order m 1 are denoted
||
:=
x1 1 x2 2 x3 3
where = (i ) is a multi-index satisfying || := 1 + 2 + 3 = m. Partial
derivative operators of the first, second, and third order are also denoted
i := /xi , ij := 2 /xi xj , and ijk := 3 /xi xj xk .
The space of all continuous functions from a subset X R3 into a normed
space Y is denoted C 0 (X; Y ), or simply C 0 (X) if Y = R. For any integer
m 1, the space of all real-valued functions that are m times continuously
differentiable in is denoted C m ().
The space C m (), m 1, is defined as that consisting of all vector-valued
functions f C m () that, together with their partial derivatives of order
m, possess continuous extentions to the closure of . If is bounded,
then the space C m () equipped with the norm
 
kf kC m () := max sup | f (x)|
||m x

is a Banach space. Similar definitions hold for the spaces C m (; R3 ), C m (; S3 ),

etc.
4 P.G. CIARLET, C. MARDARE AND M. SHEN

The Lebesgue and Sobolev spaces Lp (; Y ) and W m,p (; Y ), where m 1

is an integer, p 1, and Y is one of the spaces R, R3 , or S3 , are respectively
equipped with the norms
Z 1/p
p
kf kLp (;Y ) := |f (x)| dx

and nZ X
o1/p
kf kW m,p (;Y ) := |f (x)|p + | f (x)|p dx .
||m

We also use the notations W m,p ()

:= W m,p (; R)
and H m (; Y ) := W m,2 (; Y ).
m,p
The space Wloc (; Y ) is the space of all mesurable functions such that
f W m,p (U ; Y ) for all bounded open sets U that satisfy U .
The space of all indefinitely differentiable functions : R with
compact support in is denoted D() and the space of all distributions
over is denoted D0 (). The closure of D() in H m () is denoted H0m ().
Similar definitions hold for the spaces H0m (; R3 ), H0m (; S3 ), etc. The
dual of the space H0m () is denoted H m () and the corresponding duality
pairing is denoted < , >.
We conclude this section with the following technical result.
Lemma 1. Let be an open subset of R3 . If f C 1 () and H 1 (),
then the mapping
H01 () 7< , f > R
belongs to H 1 () and is denoted f .
If f C 2 () and H 2 (), then the mapping
H02 () 7< , f > R
belongs to H 2 () and is denoted f .
Proof. We only need to prove the continuity of the mappings defined in the
lemma. If f C 1 () and H 1 (), then there exists a constant C1 such
that
| < , f > | kkH 1 () kf kH 1 () C1 kkH 1 () kf kC 1 () kkH 1 ()
for all H01 (). This means that f H 1 ().
Likewise, if f C 2 () and H 2 (), then there exists a constant C2
such that
| < , f > | kkH 2 () kf kH 2 () C2 kkH 2 () kf kC 2 () kkH 2 ()
for all H02 (). This means that f H 2 ().


Remark. In other words, Lemma 1 asserts that, if f C 1 () and

H 1 (), then the product f is well defined as an element of H 1 (); like-
wise, if f C 2 () and H 2 (), then the product f is well defined as
 SAINT VENANT COMPATIBILITY EQUATIONS IN CURVILINEAR COORDINATES 5

an element of H 2 (). 

3. Curvilinear coordinates and covariant derivatives

Let be an open subset of R3 . A mapping C 1 (; R3 ) is an immersion
if the vectors i (x) are linearly independent at all points x .
Let there be given an immersion C 3 (; R3 ). Then the invariance of
domain theorem shows that the image () is an open set, so that () is
a three-dimensional manifold immersed in R3 . For each x , the vectors
gi (x) := i (x)
form a basis in the tangent space, identified here with R3 , to the manifold
() at the point (x). The vector fields gj , defined by
gi (x) gj (x) = ij for all x ,
form the dual bases of the bases formed by the vector fields gi .
The manifold () being naturally endowed with the Euclidean met-
ric inherited from the surrounding space R3 , the immersion induces a
Riemannian metric on , defined by its covariant components
gij (x) = gi (x) gj (x) for all x .
The contravariant components of this metric are defined by
g k` (x) = gk (x) g` (x),
or equivalently, by (g k` (x) = (gij (x))1 for all x . This metric induces
the Levi-Civita connection in the manifold , defined by the Christoffel
symbols
1
kij := g k` (i gj` + j gi` ` gij ) in .
2
Note that the regularity assumption on the immersion implies that gij
C 2 (), g k` C 2 (), and that kij C 1 (). The definition of the Christoffel
symbols shows that they satisfy kij = kji and that the derivatives of the
vector fields gi and gj satisfy
k gi = `ki g` and k gj = jk` g` in .
The covariant derivatives of the covariant components ui H 1 () of a
vector field ui gi are defined by
ujki := i uj kij uk ,
or, equivalently, by
ujki gj = i (uj gj ).
The covariant derivatives of the covariant components Tij L2 () of a
second-order tensor field are defined by
Tijkk := k Tij `ki T`j `kj Ti` ,
6 P.G. CIARLET, C. MARDARE AND M. SHEN

and they belong to the space H 1 () (cf. Lemma 1). Since the matrix fields
gi gj := gi (gj )T
form a basis in the space C 2 (; M3 ) and since
k (gi gj ) = ik` g` gj jk` gi g` ,
the above definition of the covariant derivatives Tijkk shows that
Tijkk gi gj = k (Tij gi gj ). (1)
Note that such equations are to be understood in the distributional sense,
the functions Tij being only in L2 ().
Finally, for all third-order tensor fields with covariant components Tijk
H 1 (), we define the covariant derivatives
Tijkk` := ` Tijk t`i Ttjk t`j Titk t`k Tijt ,
which, in view of Lemma 1, are well defined as distributions in H 2 ().
If Tij L2 (), the second-order covariant derivatives Tijkk` are defined
by the relations
Tijkk` := ` Tijkk t`i Ttjkk t`j Titkk t`k Tijkt .
It is then easily seen, in view of relation (1), that these second-order covari-
ant derivatives satisfy
Tijkk` gi gj = (`k t`k t )(Tij gi gj ). (2)
Indeed, relation (1) implies that
`k (Tij gi gj ) = ` (Tijkk gi gj )
= (` Tijkk )gi gj (i`t Tijkk )gt gj (j`t Tijkk )gi gt
= (` Tijkk t`i Ttjkk t`j Titkk )gi gj
= (Tijkk` + t`k Tijkt )gi gj
= (Tijkk` )gi gj + t`k t (Tij gi gj ).
Note that relation (2) implies in particular that the second-order covariant
derivatives satisfy:
Tijkk` = Tijk`k .

4. Poincare Theorem in curvilinear coordinates

In what follows, a domain in R3 is a bounded and connected open set
with a Lipschitz-continuous boundary, the set being locally on the same
side of its boundary. The definition of such a boundary is the usual one, as
found for instance in Adams [1], Grisvard [6], or Necas [7].
Poincares theorem, which is classically proved only for continuously dif-
ferentiable functions, was generalized as follows by Ciarlet & Ciarlet, Jr.
[2]:
 SAINT VENANT COMPATIBILITY EQUATIONS IN CURVILINEAR COORDINATES 7

Theorem 1. Let be a simply-connected domain of R3 . Let hk H 1 ()

be distributions that satisfy
` hk = k h` in H 2 ().
Then there exists a function p L2 (), unique up to an additive constant,
such that
hk = k p in H 1 ().
Clearly, this theorem remains valid if the functions hk are replaced by
matrix fields Hk with components hijk in H 1 (), the function p being
then replaced by a matrix field P with components pij in L2 ().
We now show that a similar result holds in curvilinear coordinates.
Theorem 2. Let be a simply-connected domain of R3 and let
C 3 (; R3 ) be an immersion. Let Hk be matrix fields whose components
hijk H 1 () satisfy
hijkk` = hij`kk in H 2 (). (3)
Then there exists a matrix field P with components pij L2 (), unique up
to an additive constant matrix field, such that
hijk = pijkk in H 1 ().
Proof. Define the matrix fields
gi gj := gi (gj )T C 1 (; M3 ),
and note that {gi (x) gj (x)} form a basis in M3 for all x . Its dual
basis with respect to the matrix inner product is {gi (x) gj (x)}, where
gi gj := gi (gj )T in .
Let the matrix fields Hk be defined by
Hk := hijk gi gj .
The derivatives in the distributional sense of the fields Hk , which belong to
H 1 (; M3 ) by Lemma 1, are given by
` Hk = (` hijk )gi gj + hijk ` (gi gj )
= (` hijk )gi gj hijk (i`s gs gj + j`s gi gs )
= (` hijk s`i hsjk s`j hisk )gi gj in H 2 ().
Thanks to the definition of covariant derivatives, the above expressions read
` Hk = (hijkk` + s`k hijs )gi gj in H 2 ().
Hence assumption (3) shows that
` Hk = k H` in H 2 (; M3 ).
Then Theorem 1 shows that there exists a matrix field P L2 (; M3 ),
unique up to an additive constant matrix field, such that
Hk = k P in H 1 (; M3 ).
8 P.G. CIARLET, C. MARDARE AND M. SHEN

Since {gi (x) gj (x)} form a basis in M3 for all x , the matrix field P
can be expanded over this basis as
P = pij gi gj in ,
and since pij = tr(PT (gi gj )), we clearly have pij L2 ().
Hence the matrix fields Hk can be re-written as
Hk = hijk gi gj = k (pij gi gj ).
But the definition of the covariant derivative shows that
k (pij gi gj ) = pijkk gi gj .
Combining the last two equations, we finally find that
hijk = pijkk .
That the solution pij is unique up to additive constants is clear. 

Remark. Theorem 2 can also be established as a consequence of Theorem

A.4 of [10] establishing the existence of weak solutions to Pfaff systems, of
which the equations pijkk = hijk constitute a special case. 

5. Saint Venant equations in curvilinear coordinates

Let be a bounded open subset of R3 and let C 3 (; R3 ) be an
immersion. As in Section 3, let the vector fields gi C 2 (; R3 ) and gi
C 2 (; R3 ) be defined by
gi := i and gi gj = ij .
With every vector field u H 1 (; R3 ), we associate the covariant compo-
nents ij (u) L2 () of the linearized change of metric tensor, also known
as the linearized strains in curvilinear coordinates, defined by
1
ij (u) := (i u gj + gi j u) = ji (u).
2
The next theorem shows that the functions ij (u) necessarily satisfy com-
patibility relations, which we will call the Saint Venant equations in curvilin-
ear coordinates, since they generalize the well-known Saint Venant equations
in Cartesian coordinates (see Section 8).
Theorem 3. The linearized strains in curvilinear coordinates ij (u) L2 ()
associated with a vector field u H 1 (; R3 ) satisfy the relations
kikj` (u) + `jkik (u) kjki` (u) `ikjk (u) = 0 in H 2 (). (4)
Proof. Given a vector field u H 1 (; R3 ), let
eij := ij (u) L2 ()
and
1
aij := (i u gj gi j u) L2 (),
2
 SAINT VENANT COMPATIBILITY EQUATIONS IN CURVILINEAR COORDINATES 9

i.e., (eij ) and (aij ) are respectively the symmetric and the antisymmetric
parts of the tensor (uikj ). The derivatives i u L2 (; R3 ) of the vector
field u are then given by
i u = (i u gj )gj = (eij + aij )gj ,
which shows that these derivatives are completely determined by the sym-
metric tensor (eij ) and the antisymmetric tensor (aij ). In fact, they are
determined only by the tensor (eij ), as we now show. Since i gj = j gi , we
first have
2k aij = ki u gj + i u k gj kj u gi j u k gi
= i (2ekj j u gk ) j (2eki i u gk ) + i u k gj j u k gi
= 2(i ekj j eki + i u j gk j u i gk ),
all equalities being valid in the distributional sense. Combining this last
equality with the relations
i u j gk = `jk (i u g` ) = `jk (ei` + ai` ),
j u i gk = `ik (j u g` ) = `ik (ej` + aj` ),
we next deduce that
k aij `jk ai` + `ik aj` = (i ekj `ik ej` ) (j eki `jk ei` )
= ekjki ekikj .
But the first term is equal to the covariant derivative aijkk , since aj` = a`j .
Hence the previous equality becomes
aijkk = ekjki ekikj . (5)
Then the relations (see Section 3)
aijkk` = aijk`k in H 2 (), (6)
imply that
ekjki` ekikj` = e`jkik e`ikjk in H 2 ().
This means that the Saint Venant equations (4) are satisfied in the distri-
butional sense.


Remarks. (1) Equation (5) shows that the antisymmetric matrix field (aij )
is uniquely determined by the linear strains ij (u), up to an antisymmetric
matrix field that is constant in each connected component of .
(2) Equation (6) shows that the Saint Venant equations in curvilinear
coordinates simply express that uikjk` = uikj`k . To see this, we note that
uikj = eij + aij .
These relations combined with relations (5) show that
uikjk` = eijkk` + ekjki` ekikj` .
10 P.G. CIARLET, C. MARDARE AND M. SHEN

Hence the Saint Venant equations hold if and only if uikjk` = uikj`k . These
relations are also equivalent to the relations
i ukk` = i uk`k ,
where the second-order covariant derivatives of the vector fields i u
L2 (; R3 ) are defined by replacing Ti with i u in the definition of the second-
order covariant derivatives of a first-order tensor field with covariant com-
ponents Ti . More specifically, if v i := i u L2 (; R3 ), then
v i kk := k v i rki v r in H 1 (; R3 ),
v i kk` := (v i kk )k` = ` v i kk r`i v r kk r`k v i kr in H 2 (; R3 ).


6. Recovery of a vector field from the associated linearized

change of metric tensor
Let be a bounded open subset of R3 and let C 3 (; R3 ) be an
immersion. As in Section 3, the vectors fields gi and gj are defined by
gi (x) := i (x) and gi (x) gj (x) = ij for all x ,
the covariant components of the Riemannian metric induced in by the
immersion are defined by
gij (x) = gi (x) gj (x),
the contravariant components of the same metric are defined by
g ij (x) = gi (x) gj (x),
and the Christoffel symbols associated with the metric (gij ) are defined by
1
kij := g k` (i gj` + j gi` ` gij ) .
2
Finally, the second-order covariant derivatives eijkk` H 2 () of a matrix
field eij gi gj with components eij L2 () are defined by
eijkk` := ` eijkk t`i etjkk t`j eitkk t`k eijkt ,
where
eijkk := k eij tki etj tkj eit
are the first-order covariant derivatives of the same matrix field.
We are now in a position to characterize the space of all symmetric matrix
fields that satisfy the Saint Venant equations in curvilinear coordinates:
Theorem 4. Let be a simply-connected domain in R3 and let
C 3 (; R3 ) be an immersion. Let there be given a symmetric matrix field
(eij ) L2 (; S3 ) that satisfies the Saint Venant equations in curvilinear
coordinates, viz.,
ekikj` + e`jkik ekjki` e`ikjk = 0 in H 2 (). (7)
 SAINT VENANT COMPATIBILITY EQUATIONS IN CURVILINEAR COORDINATES11

Then there exists a vector field v H 1 (; R3 ) such that

1
eij = (i v gj + gi j v) in L2 (; S3 ).
2
Proof. The proof consists in first finding an antisymmetric matrix field
(aij ) L2 (; A3 ) that satisfies the equations
aijkk = ekjki ekikj in H 1 (),
then in solving in H 1 (; R3 ) the system
i v = (eij + aij )gj in L2 (; R3 ).
The field v is then that announced in the statement of the theorem.
We now begin the detailed proof. Since the equations (7) are satisfied,
Theorem 2 shows that there exist functions aij L2 (), unique up to addi-
tive constants, such that
aijkk = ekjki ekikj in H 1 ().
Noting that the right-hand side of this equation is antisymmetric in (i, j),
we deduce that
aijkk + ajikk = 0 in H 1 ().
Therefore, again by Theorem 2, there exist constants cij such that
aij (x) + aji (x) = cij for almost all x .
Noting that the constants cij must be symmetric in (i, j), we deduce that
the functions
1
aij := aij + cij
2
are antisymmetric in (i, j), belong to the space L2 (), and satisfy the equa-
tions
aijkk = ekjki ekikj . (8)
Let us now prove that there exists a solution v H 1 (; R3 ) to the system
i v = (eij + aij )gj .
To this end, we need to prove (by Theorem 1) that
k ((eij + aij )gj ) = i ((ekj + akj )gj ).
Since
k ((eij + aij )gj ) = k (eij + aij )gj (eij + aij )jk` g`
= (k ei` jk` eij )g` + (k ai` jk` aij )g`
= (ei`kk + jki ej` )g` + (ai`kk + jki aj` )g` ,
it thus suffices to prove the equality
(ei`kk + jki ej` ) + (ai`kk + jki aj` ) = (ek`ki + jik ej` ) + (ak`ki + jik aj` ).
Since jki = jik , this equality becomes
ei`kk + ai`kk = ek`ki + ak`ki ,
12 P.G. CIARLET, C. MARDARE AND M. SHEN

which, in view of (8), is equivalent with

ei`kk + ek`ki ekik` = ek`ki + ei`kk eikk` .
But this last equation is clearly satisfied, since the matrix field (eij ) is sym-
metric. Hence Theorem 1 shows that there exists a field v L2 (; R3 ),
unique up to an additive constant vector field, that satisfies the system
i v = (eij + aij )gj .
Since the right-hand side of this system belongs in fact to L2 (; R3 ), the
field v belongs to the space H 1 (; R3 ).
That the vector field v does indeed satisfy the required equations is a con-
sequence of the symmetry of the matrix field (eij ) and of the antisymmetry
of the matrix field (aij ), which together show that
1 1
(i v gj + gi j v) = (eij + aij + eji + aji ) = eij .
2 2


Remark. Theorem 3 of Ciarlet & C. Mardare [3] shows that, if the open
set is connected, any vector field v H 1 (; R3 ) that satisfies
1
eij = (i v gj + gi j v) in L2 (; S3 )
2
is necessarily of the form
v(x) = v(x) + (a + b (x)) for almost all x ,
where a and b are vectors in R3 . 

7. The Riemann curvature tensor and the Saint Venant

equations in curvilinear coordinates
The objective of this Section is to show that the Saint Venant equations
in curvilinear coordinates are nothing but an infinitesimal version of the
compatibility conditions that a three-dimensional Riemannian space must
satisfy in order to be isometrically immersed in the three-dimensional Eu-
clidean space. These compatibility conditions are recalled in the next theo-
rem, which is a straighforward extension of a well-known result in differential
geometry, classically established only for smooth immersions C 3 (; R3 ).
Theorem 5. Let be an open subset of R3 and let p > 3. Given any
2,p 1,p
immersion Wloc (; R3 ), let the matrix field (gij ) Wloc (; S3> ) be
defined by
gij = i j in . (9)
Then the Riemann curvature tensor associated with the matrix field (gij )
vanishes in the distributional sense, i.e.,
 
Rskij := gs` i `jk j `ik + rjk `ir rik `jr = 0 in D0 (). (10)
 SAINT VENANT COMPATIBILITY EQUATIONS IN CURVILINEAR COORDINATES13

1,p
Proof. Since Wloc () C 0 () by the Sobolev embedding theorem and
since det(gij ) > 0 in (the matrix (gij (x)) being positive definite for all
x by assumption), the definition of the inverse of a matrix shows that
1,p
(g k` ) = (gij )1 Wloc (; S3> ). Hence the Christoffel symbols
1
`jk := g `r (j grk + k grj r gjk )
2
p
belong to the space Lloc ().
Let the vectors fields gi and gj by defined by
gi := i and gi gj = ij in .
Then we deduce from relations (9) that
j grk = j gr gk + gr j gk .
This relation combined with the above definition of the Christoffel symbols
implies that
`jk = g `r (gr j gk ).
Since g` = g `k gk and since the vectors {gi (x)} form a basis in R3 for all
x , we next deduce that
p
j gk = `jk g` in Lloc (; R3 ).
Using now Schwarz lemma applied to the second derivatives of gk in the
space of distributions, we next infer from the above relation that
i (`jk g` ) = j (`ik g` )
for all i, j, k, ` in the distributional sense. Combining the last two relations
then shows that
i `jk j `ik + rjk `ir rik `jr = 0
in the distributional sense, which means that the Riemann curvature tensor
of the metric gij vanishes in . 

Remarkably, the converse of Theorem 5 is also true:

Theorem 6. Let be a connected and simply-connected open subset of R3
1,
and let there be given a matrix field (gij ) Wloc (; S3> ).
If the Riemann curvature tensor associated with the matrix field (gij )
vanishes in the distributional sense, i.e., if
 
Rskij := gs` i `jk j `ik + rjk `ir rik `jr = 0 in D0 (), (11)
2,
then there exists an immersion Wloc (; R3 ) such that
gij = i j in . (12)
Proof. See the proof of Theorem 4.4 in S. Mardare [9]. 
14 P.G. CIARLET, C. MARDARE AND M. SHEN

Our objective is to show that Theorems 3 and 4 are nothing but the
infinitesimal versions of Theorems 5 and 6, respectively. To this end, we
will show that the left-hand side of the Saint Venant equations is in a specific
sense the linear part of the Riemann curvature tensor.
Theorem 7. Let be a bounded open subset in R3 and let there be given
a matrix field (gij ) C 2 (; S3> ) whose associated Riemann curvature tensor
field vanishes in .
Then, for all increment symmetric matrix fields (eij ) W 1,p (; S3 ),
p > 3, the linear part with respect to (eij ) of the covariant components of
the Riemann curvature tensor associated with the metric (gij +eij ) are given
by
lin
Rskij (eij ) = ekikjs + esjkik ekjkis esikjk , (13)
where ekikjs denote the second-order covariant derivatives of eki (cf. Section
3).
Proof. For all , define the matrix field
(gij ()) := (gij ) + (eij ) W 1,p (; S3 ).
Since W 1,p () C 0 () by the Sobolev embedding theorem, there exists a
number 0 > 0 such that, for all || < 0 , the matrix field (gij ()) is positive
definite in . As in the proof Theorem 5, this implies that g k` () W 1,p (),
where (g k` ()) = (gij ())1 is the inverse of the matrix field (gij ()). Hence
the Christoffel symbols
1
rjk () := {j grk () + k gjr () r gjk ()} and `jk () := g `r ()rjk ()
2
belong to the space Lp (). Consequently, the Riemann curvature tensor
associated with the metric (gij ()) is well defined in the sense of distributions
by its mixed components
`
Rkij () := i `jk () j `ik () + rjk ()`ir () rik ()`jr (),
or by its covariant components
`
Rskij () = gs` ()Rkij ().
The linear part with respect to (eij ) of each covariant component of the
Riemann curvature tensor associated with the metric (gij + eij ) is then
defined by the limit
lin Rskij ()
Rskij := lim ,
0
6=0
since the Riemann curvature tensor of the metric (gij ), whose covariant
components are defined by
 
Rskij := gs` i `jk j `ik + rjk `ir rik `jr ,
vanishes in by assumption.
 SAINT VENANT COMPATIBILITY EQUATIONS IN CURVILINEAR COORDINATES15

In order to compute this linear part, we expand all the above functions
as power series in . Using the notation O(2 ) for any function f such that
(2 f ) is bounded in spaces that will be specified at each occurence, we have

gij () = gij + 2eij + O(2 ) in W 1,p (),

which next implies that

g ij () = g ij 2g ir erq g qj + O(2 ) in W 1,p ().

Consequently,
1
kij () = kij + {i (gkj () gkj ) + j (gki () gki ) k (gij () gij )}
2
= kij + (i ekj + j eki k eij ) + O(2 ) in Lp ().

Likewise,

kij () = (g k` 2g kr ers g s` + O(2 ))(`ij + (i e`j + j e`i ` eij ) + O(2 ))

= g k` `ij + g k` (i e`j + j e`i ` eij ) 2g kr ers g s` `ij + O(2 )
= kij + g k` (i e`j + j e`i ` eij 2sij e`s ) + O(2 )
= kij + g k` (e`jki + e`ikj eijk` ) + O(2 ) in Lp ().

Letting
X`ij := e`jki + e`ikj eijk` and Xijk = g k` X`ij ,
we thus have the following relations in Lp ():

kij () = kij + Xijk + O(2 )

kij () = kij + Xkij + O(2 ).
`
Using these relations and the relations Rkij = 0 in the definition of
Rskij (), we next deduce that the relations
` ` `
Rkij () = (i Xjk j Xik + rjk Xir
` r `
+ Xjk `
ir rik Xjr r `
Xik jr ) + O(2 )

hold in the space W 1,p (), hence also in the space H 1 ().
Note that the covariant derivatives
` `
Xjk ki := i Xjk rij Xrk
`
rik Xjr
`
+ `ir Xjk
r
,
X`jkki := i X`jk rij X`rk rik X`jr ri` Xrjk ,
g k` ki := i g k` + kir g r` + `ir g kr ,

satisfy
`
Xjk ki = g `r Xrjkki + g `r ki Xrjk in H 1 ().
16 P.G. CIARLET, C. MARDARE AND M. SHEN

Moreover, the definition of the Christoffel symbols associated with the metric
(gij ) shows that
1
g k` ki = i g k` + (g ks g r` + g kr g s` )sir
2
1
k`
= i g + {g ks (g r` i gsr ) + g kr (g s` i gsr ) + (g ks g r` + g kr g s` )(r gis s gir )}
2
1
= i g k` {g ks (i g r` )gsr + g kr (i g s` )i gsr }
2
= 0 in Lp (),
which, combined with the previous relations, implies that
`
Xjk ki = g `r Xrjkki in H 1 ().
` (), we thus obtain
Using this relation in the previous expression of Rkij
the following relations in H 1 ():
` ` `
Rkij () = (Xjk ki Xik kj ) + O(2 )
= g `r (Xrjkki Xrikkj ) + O(2 )
= g `r (erjkki ejkkri erikkj + eikkrj ) + O(2 )
and
R`kij () = g`r g rs (esjkki ejkksi esikkj + eikksj ) + O(2 )
= e`jkki ejkk`i e`ikkj + eikk`j + O(2 ).
This completes the proof of the theorem. 

Remark. The matrix field (eij ) is assumed in Theorem 7 to be in the space

W 1,p (; S3 ) for some p > 3, in order to have (gij ()) W 1,p (; S3 ), which
is the minimal regularity assumption under which the components R`kij ()
of the Riemannian curvature tensor are well defined in the sense of distribu-
tions. By contrast, the right hand side of equation (13) can be extended by
continuity to matrix fields (eij ) that belong only to the space L2 (; S3 ). 

8. Comparison with the Saint Venant equations in Cartesian

coordinates
Let be an open subset of R3 . The Cartesian coordinates of a point x
are denoted xi and the partial derivative operators of the first, second, and
third order of functions defined over are denoted i := / xi , ij :=
2 / xi xj , and ijk := 3 / xi xj xk .
With these notations, the following theorem was proved by Ciarlet &
Ciarlet, Jr. [2].
 SAINT VENANT COMPATIBILITY EQUATIONS IN CURVILINEAR COORDINATES17

Theorem 8. Let be a simply-connected domain of R3 and let (eij )

L2 (; S3 ) be a symmetric matrix field that satisfies the following compatibil-
ity conditions
`j eik + ki ej` `i ejk kj ei` = 0 in H 2 ().
Then there exists a vector field v = (vi ) H 1 (; R3 ) such that
1
eij = (j vi + i vj ).
2
The compatibility relations in Theorem 8 are the well-known Saint Venant
equations in Cartesian coordinates. Note that the Saint Venant equations in
curvilinear coordinates established in Section 5 correspond to the particular
case where = id , which thus justifies their name. Therefore, Theorem
4 implies Theorem 8. Remarkably, the converse is also true, at least for
one-to-one immersions, as we now show:
Theorem 9. Theorem 4, with the additional assumption that the immersion
: R3 is one-to-one, is a consequence of Theorem 8.
Proof. As in Theorem 4, let be a simply-connected domain in R3 , let
C 3 (; R3 ) be an immersion, and let (eij ) L2 (; S3 ) be a symmetric matrix
field that satisfies the Saint Venant equations in curvilinear coordinates, viz.,
lin
Rskij := ekikjs + esjkik ekjkis esikjk = 0 (14)
in the distributional sense.
Since the mapping is one-to-one, the inverse function theorem shows
that is in fact a C 3 -diffeomorphism from onto := (). The set
is an open subset of R3 by the invariance of domain theorem, and it
is also bounded, connected, simply-connected, with a Lipschitz-continuous
boundary. This means that the set is a simply-connected domain, as in
Theorem 8.
Let the vector fields gi and gj and the Christoffel symbols kij be defined
as in Section 3 in terms of the immersion and let = (k ) denote the
inverse mapping of the mapping = (k ), i.e., ((x)) = x for all x .
It thus follow that
(k i )(x)(j k )(x) = ji for all x , where x := (x),
or equivalently, that
wi (x) gj (x) = ji for all x ,

where wi (x) denotes the vector in R3 whose components are (k i )(x). This
implies that wi (x) = gi (x) for all x , or equivalently, that
(k i ) = [gi ]k in ,
where [gi ]k denotes the k-th component of the vector field gi .
18 P.G. CIARLET, C. MARDARE AND M. SHEN

Let the matrix field (epq ) L2 (; S3 ) be defined by

epq := [gi ]p [gj ]q eij in L2 (),
and let
lin
Rsrpq := sq epr + rp eqs sp eqr rq eps in H 2 ().
lin = 0 in H 2 (). Noting that
We wish to prove that Rsrpq
i gk = kij gj ,
and using the definition of the covariant derivatives eijkk (see Section 3), we
first obtain the relations
(r epq ) = [gk ]r k ([gi ]p [gj ]q eij )
= [gk ]r [gi ]p [gj ]q eijkk
in H 1 (). Using the definition of the second-order covariant derivatives
eijkk` (see Section 3), we next obtain the relations
(sr epq ) = [g` ]s ` ([gk ]r [gi ]p [gj ]q eijkk )
= [g` ]s [gk ]r [gi ]p [gj ]q eijkk`
in H 2 (). Using these relations in the definition of Rsrpq lin , we finally obtain

lin
= [g` ]s [gk ]r [gi ]p [gj ]q ekikj` + e`jkik ekjki` e`ikjk


Rsrpq
= [g` ]s [gk ]r [gi ]p [gj ]q R`kij
lin

in H 2 (), which shows that Rsrpq lin = 0 in H 2 ().

Since the assumptions of Theorem 8 are therefore satisfied, there exists a

field v = (vi ) H 1 (; R3 ) such that
1
eij = (i vj + j vi ) in L2 ().
2
Consequently, the vector field
v := v
belongs to the space H 1 (; R3 )and satisfies the relations
1 (p v q id + q v p id )
(i v gj + gi j v) = i p j q
2 2

(p vq + q vp )
= [gi ]p [gj ]q
2
= [gi ] [gj ] (epq ) in L2 (),
p q

where [gi ]p denotes the p-th component of the vector field gi . Then the
definition of the functions epq shows that
1
(i v gj + gi j v) = [gi ]p [gj ]q [gk ]p [g` ]q ek` = eij
2
in L2 (). This completes the proof. 
 SAINT VENANT COMPATIBILITY EQUATIONS IN CURVILINEAR COORDINATES19

Remark. If C 3 (; R3 ) is an immersion, but is not necessarily one-to-

one, then the inverse function theorem shows that the mapping is locally
one-to-one, that is, for all x , there exists an open ball B(x, rx ) with
rx > 0 such that the set x := B(x, rx ) is simply-connected and the
mapping |x : x R3 is one-to-one.
Since the set is compact, there exists a finite covering of with simply-
connected domains n , 1 n N , such that the mappings
n := |n : n R3
are one-to-one.
Let (eij ) L2 (; S3 ) be a matrix field that satisfies the Saint Venant equa-
tions in curvilinear coordinates and let enij := eij | . Then Theorem 9 shows
n
that, for all n {1, 2, ..., N }, there exists a vector field v n H 1 (n ; R3 )
such that
1
enij = ij (v n ) := (i v n gj + gi j v n ) in L2 (n ; S3 ).
2
On the other hand, the uniqueness result furnished by Theorem 3 of
Ciarlet & C. Mardare [3] (see also the Remark at the end of Section 6)
shows that if two vector fields u, v H 1 (U ; R3 ) satisfy ij (u) = ij (v) in a
connected open set U , then there exist vectors a, b R3 such that
v(x) = u(x) + (a + b (x)) for almost all x U.
If the open set is connected, these two results allow to establish Theorem
4 as a consequence of Theorem 8 without assuming that the immersion
: R3 is one-to-one by following the proof of Theorem 7 from S.
Mardare [8]. 

Acknowledgements. The work described in this paper was substan-

tially supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region, China [Project No. 9041076, CityU
100105].

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[7] Necas, J.: Les Methodes Directes en Theorie des Equations Elliptiques, Masson, Paris,
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Philippe G. Ciarlet, Department of Mathematics, City University of Hong Kong,

83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, E-mail address: mapgc@cityu.edu.hk

Cristinel Mardare, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris6, UMR 7598 Laboratoire

Jacques-Louis Lions, Paris, F-75005 France, E-mail address: mardare@ann.jussieu.fr

Ming Shen, Department of Mathematics, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee
Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, E-mail address: geoffrey.shen@student.cityu.edu.hk