IL NUOVO CIMENTO

VOL. 25B, N. 2

11 Febbraio 1975

Palatini Variational
J.R. l~hY

Principle.

Department o/ Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University - Clemson, S. C.

(ricevuto il 2 Aprile 1974; manoscritto revisionato ricevuto il 26 Giugno 1974)

Summary. - - A detailed discussion of the Palatini variational principle is presented. It is shown how the Palatini variational principle can be derived from the more general Hilbert variational principle. The main purpose of this paper is to explain the origin of the Palatini variational principle in a logical way instead of stating it as an ad hoc result as is usual.

1. -

In~oduefion.

The P a l a t i n i v a r i a t i o n a l principle consists of v a r y i n g the action for the free g r a v i t a t i o n a l field with respect to i n d e p e n d e n t variations of t h e metric g~k a n d affine connection F ~ (1). The field equations t h a t result f r o m v a r y i n g t h e m e t r i c are the v a c u u m Einstein equations
(1.1) R ~klY ~ k R = " 2 0
"

The field equations t h a t result f r o m v a r y i n g t h e affine connection i m p l y t h a t the affine connection m u s t be equal to the Christoffel symbols [ : / 1

(1.2)

f~=

z = 5 g, (g~.~+g'~.~-g~'~)"

The P a l a t i n i v a r i a t i o n a l principle has a r a t h e r interesting history starting f r o m t h e fact t h a t PALATINI did not present in his p a p e r what is n o w called (1) C. MISl~IER, K. THORNE and J. WHEELEI~: Gravitation (San Francisco, Cal., 1973). 706

PAL~TINI VARIATIONAL PRINCIPLE

707

the P a l a t i n i v a r i a t i o n a l principle (2). I n one well-known reference the Palatini variational principle is described in a footnote as a (~curious f a c t ~ (3). > The P a l a t i n i variational principle will also work for the n o n v a c u u m case if only the m e t r i c and not the affine connection appears in the m ~ t t e r Lagrangian. I n cases where the affine connection occurs in t h e m a t t e r L a g r a n g i a n (*) one uses t h e m o r e general H i l b e r t variational principle (5). I n the H i l b e r t variational principle one carries out variations with respect to the metric gJk assuming t h e affine connection is equal to t h e Christoffel symbols. The resulting field equations are the Einstein equations. The H i l b e r t variational principle works for a general m a t t e r L a g r a n g i a n . I n this p a p e r we shall present a detailed discussion of t h e P a l a t i n i variational principle and derive it f r o m the t t i l b e r t variational principle. Thus, we shah answer the questions: 1) W h e r e does the P a l a t i n i v a r i a t i o n a l principle come from? and 2) W h y does the P a l a t i n i v a r i a t i o n a l principle work?

2. - H i l b e r t v a r i a t i o n a l p r i n c i p l e .

The L a g r a n g i a n density for t h e free gravitational field is given b y (2.1)

L : c~ ~ / ~ ggr c~ : c3/16~k ,

where c is t h e speed of light, k t h e N e w t o n i a n g r a v i t a t i o n a l constant a n d R~k the Ricci tensor which is defined in t e r m s of the affine connection Fit b y

(2.2)
I n the H i l b e r t v a r i a t i o n a l principle we wish to v a r y t h e action associated with the L a g r a n g i a n density (2.1) with respect to independent variations of t h e metric tensor gCk. T h e metric tensor is s y m m e t r i c , hence in variations with respect to the metric tensor t h e resulting equations will be s y m m e t r i c . The simplest w a y to c a r r y this out is to s y m m e t r i z e t h e results after carrying out the variations. The H i l b e r t variational principle starts f r o m the s a m e L a g r a n g i a n density

(2.3)

.L ---- cl V ' ~ g gJkR ~ .

I n this v a r i a t i o n a l principle we assume t h e afflne connection is equal to the

(2) A. PALATINI: Rend. Circ. Math. Palermo, 43, 203 (1919). (3) L. LANDAU and E. LIFSHITZ: Classical Theory o] .Fields, 3rd edition {Reading, 1V~ass., 1971), p. 273. (~) One example where this occurs is for a perfect fluid, see for example J. RAY: Journ. Math. Phys., 13, 1453 {1972). (5) D. HILBERT: Gottinger IVachv. (1915).

708

~. g. ~AV

Christoffel symbols as given in eq. (1.2). The variational derivative with respect to the metric is defined b y (2.4)

~g~- ~

~Z

~L

[~Z~
~,~1.,.

9 ( ~.5

~)

sS*r

"

Carrying out the variation of the action associated with (2.3) with respect to gr we find the field equations

(2.5)

~-

~ / - ~ R,~--~r

= o.

3. -

Palatini

variational

principle.

I n the Falatini variational principle we wish to v a r y the action associated with (2.3) with respect to g,k and / ~ independently. IIence, we must add to (2.3) the connection between F~z and the Christoffel symbols { : / } a s acon-

straint. We shall assume the connection is symmetric. We then have the Lagrangian density (3.1) L2 = c~V-- gg~R~kq- ~
~--

We m u s t now vary the action associated with L~ with respect to g~k, F~ and Z~t. Carrying out the variations associated with F~ and X~t results in (3.2)

~Ig~ rY. + g~ C~ - g "~r;~ - g ~ r

~. -

(3.3)

= 0

Note t h a t one m a y symmetrize (3.2) with respect to k, l, but this will not change a n y of the final results. F r o m (3.3) it follows t h a t T~ is equal to the Christoffel symbol. Using this and the s y m m e t r y of the metric in (3.2) we find (3.4) ~---- 0.

Now carrying out the variations with respect to the metric using (3.4) we find (3.5) R~k _ ! , r 0

PALATINI

VAI~IATIONAL P R I N C I P L E

709

the v a c u u m Einstein equations. I f we use the result (3.4) in L2, t h e n the constraint t e r m vanishes. This m e a n s we can carry out t h e v a r i a t i o n neglecting the constraints a n d obtain the same results as with t h e constraints present. This is the s a m e t y p e of result we h a v e recently discussed w h e n we change from configuration-space variations to phase-space v a r i a t i o n s in classical mechanics (6). This means we can v a r y t h e action associated with (3.6)
.L = cl % / - - ~ g ~ R ~

with respect to i n d e p e n d e n t variations of g~ and F~ a n d obtain v a c u u m equations and t h e fact t h a t the affine connection m u s t be Christoffel symbols. Variation of t h e action associated with (3.6) to g~k yields t h e v a c u u m Einstein equations as before. Variation to _F~ yields (3.2) with ~ set to zero: (3.7)

the Einstein equal to the with respect with respect

Now if we use t h e fact t h a t g~ a n d F~ are s y m m e t r i c it follows f r o m (3.7) t h a t F ~ is equal to the Christoffel symbols.

4.

Conclusions.

We h a v e p r e s e n t e d a detailed discussion of the P a l a t i n i v a r i a t i o n a l principle which derives it f r o m the more general H i l b e r t v a r i a t i o n a l principle. W h a t we h a v e found is t h a t , if in the H i l b e r t principle we drop t h e a s s u m p t i o n t h a t the affine connection is equal to t h e Christoffel symbols a n d a d d this condition to the L a g r a n g i a n via Lagrange multipliers, t h e n f r o m the field equations we find t h a t the L a g r a n g e multipliers associated with the constraints are zero. This means t h a t t h e constraint does not need to be considered in carrying out the variations. H o w e v e r , if we drop t h e c o n s t r a i n t f r o m t h e L a g r a n g i a n a n d c a r r y out i n d e p e n d e n t variations with respect to t h e metric and the affine connection, this is e x a c t l y t h e P a l a t i n i variational principle as it is usually presented. The purpose of this p a p e r has b e e n to clarify the P a l a t i n i variational principle. We hope t h a t this discussion will m a k e it unnecessary to refer to t h e Palatini v a r i a t i o n a l principle as a (( curious fact ~>.

The a u t h o r t h a n k s Mr. W. T. AUTEN I I I for helping with t h e calculations.

(0) J. RAY: A m . Journ. Phys., 41, 1188 (1974).

710

J . R . RAY

RIASSUNTO

(*)

Si p r e s c n t a u n a discussione d e t t a g l i a t a del principio variazionale di Palatini. Si m e t r e in e v i d e n z a come si possa o t t e n e r e il principio variazionale di P a l a t i n i dal pifl generale prineipio variazionale di H i l b e r t . Ci5 che p r i n c i p a l m e n t e ci si p r o p o n e con questo articolo ~ spiegare l'origine del principio variazionale di P a l a t i n i in m a n i e r a logica piuttosto che emunciarlo c o m e un r i s u l t a t o ad hoc c o m e si fa di solito.

(*)

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