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Introduction to mathematics of general relativity 1
Vectors
and is invariant under coordinate transformations. Here we are using the Minkowski metric.
Coordinate transformations
Transformation of dx
If one defines a new coordinate system such that
then
where repeated indices are summed according to the Einstein summation convention.
The comma in the subscript of the last term indicates differentiation.
Introduction to mathematics of general relativity 2
Contravariant vectors
Quantities that transform in the same way as under a change of coordinates,
,
form a contravariant vector. The squared length of the vector is the invariant quantity
.
The term on the left is the notation for the inner product of A with itself.
Covariant vectors
A covariant vector is defined as
.
It transforms the same way as the gradient of a scalar:
.
Inner product
The inner product of two vectors is written
.
This quantity is also invariant under coordinate transformations.
Tensors
Definition
A rank-2 (or "order" 2) contravariant tensor can be constructed from the outer product of vectors as
.
Contravariant tensor
The components of a rank 2 contravariant tensor transform in the same way as the quantities ,
Oblique axes
where the coefficients , called the metric tensor depend on the system of oblique axes.
Inner product
The inner product of any two vectors
is invariant.
and
Nontensors
A nontensor is a tensor-like quantity that behaves like a tensor in the raising and lowering of indices,
and
,
but that does not transform like a tensor under a coordinate transformation.
Parallel transport
In the N dimensional flat space with coordinates the interval between neighboring points
is
where is the metric for the flat space. We do not assume the coordinates are orthogonal, only rectilinear. ---
where
where
Introduction to mathematics of general relativity 5
A contravariant vector at a point x in physical spacetime is related to the same contravariant vector at the same point
in N-dimensional space by the relation
or
where
is a nontensor called the Christoffel symbol of the first kind. It can be shown to be related to the metric tensor
through the relation
Since the Christoffel symbol can be written entirely in terms of the metric in physical spacetime, all reference to the
N-dimensional space has disappeared.
.
This operation is allowed for nontensors.
This allows us to write
and
.
The minus sign in the second expression can be seen from the invariance of an inner product of two vectors
.
Introduction to mathematics of general relativity 6
It is relatively easy to prove that the metric tensor is covariantly constant, i.e. for any choice of
.
The covariant derivative of a product is
that is, the covariant derivative satisfies the product rule (due to Gottfried Leibniz).
Geodesics
Suppose we have a point that moves along a track in physical spacetime. Suppose the track is parameterized with
the quantity . The "velocity" vector that points in the direction of motion in spacetime is
The variation of the velocity upon parallel displacement along the track is then
If there are no "forces" acting on the point, then the velocity is unchanged along the track and we have
Curvature tensor
Definition
The curvature K of a surface is simply the angle through which a vector is turned as we take it around an
infinitesimal closed path. For a two dimensional Euclidean surface we have
.
For a triangle on a spherical surface the angle is the excess (over 180 degrees) of the sum of the angles of the
triangle. For a spherical surface of radius r, the curvature is
where is an arbitrary vector transported around a closed loop of area along the and directions.
This expression can be reduced to the commutation relation
Introduction to mathematics of general relativity 7
where
.
In flat spacetime, the derivatives commute and the curvature is zero.
.
Also
and
.
A consequence of the symmetries is that the curvature tensor has only 20 independent components.
Bianchi identity
The following differential relation, known as the Bianchi identity is true.
.
A second contraction yields the scalar curvature
.
It can be shown that consequence of the Bianchi identity is
.
See also
• Differentiable manifold
• Christoffel symbol
• Riemannian geometry
• Differential geometry and topology
• List of differential geometry topics
• General Relativity
• Gauge gravitation theory
Introduction to mathematics of general relativity 8
References
• P. A. M. Dirac (1996). General Theory of Relativity. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-01146-X.
• Misner, Charles; Thorne, Kip S. & Wheeler, John Archibald (1973). Gravitation. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman.
ISBN 0-7167-0344-0.
• Landau, L. D. and Lifshitz, E. M. (1975). Classical Theory of Fields (Fourth Revised English Edition). Oxford:
Pergamon. ISBN 0-08-018176-7.
• R. P. Feynman, F. B. Moringo, and W. G. Wagner (1995). Feynman Lectures on Gravitation. Addison-Wesley.
ISBN 0-201-62734-5.
• Einstein, A. (1961). Relativity: The Special and General Theory. New York: Crown. ISBN 0-517-02961-8.
Article Sources and Contributors 9
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