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2 Tensors

Tensors are mathematical objects that describe quantities which require more than one direction, such as the Kronecker delta (δij) and alternating tensor (εijk). A scalar is a 0th order tensor with 1 element, a vector is a 1st order tensor with 3 elements, and δij is a 2nd order tensor with 9 elements. εijk is a 3rd order tensor with 27 elements. Tensors are useful for vector analysis, such as describing the "bac-cab" rule for the triple vector product.

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28 views2 pages

2 Tensors

Tensors are mathematical objects that describe quantities which require more than one direction, such as the Kronecker delta (δij) and alternating tensor (εijk). A scalar is a 0th order tensor with 1 element, a vector is a 1st order tensor with 3 elements, and δij is a 2nd order tensor with 9 elements. εijk is a 3rd order tensor with 27 elements. Tensors are useful for vector analysis, such as describing the "bac-cab" rule for the triple vector product.

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basketball297
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Tensors Tensors are extensions of vectors to handle quantities that require more than one direction for their

r specification. The quantities ij and ijk are examples of tensors. A scalar is a zeroth order tensor, containing 30 = 1 element. A vector has magnitude and direction. It is a first order tensor, containing 31 = 3 elements. The Kronecker delta ij requires two directions to specify it.
i j x i x j

or

11 21 31

12 22 32

13 23 33
=

1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1

ij is a 3 x 3 matrix of nine elements. It is a second order tensor, containing 32 = 9 elements.


In my notation the number of tildes/twiddles denotes the tensor order. The alternating tensor ijk is a 3 x 3 x 3 matrix of 27 elements. It is a third order tensor, containing 33 = 27 elements.
= xi x j x k

or
i j 1 =

0 0 0 0 0 1 0 -1 0

i j 2 =

0 0 -1 0 0 0 1 0 0

0 1 0 i j 3 = -1 0 0 0 0 0

and only six of the elements are nonzero. The alternating and Kronecker delta tensors are your friends. They are very convenient in vector analysis. The triple vector product produces a vector
A B C x i i j k A j B C k = x i i j k A j k l m Bl Cm = x i i j k k l m A j Bl Cm = x i k i j k l m A j Bl Cm

but the epsilon-delta relation says that


k i j k l m = il jm - im jl

Thus

A B C = x i il jm - im jl A j Bl Cm = x i A j Bi Cj - x i A j Bj Ci = x i Bi A j Cj - x i Ci A j Bj = B A C -C A B

This result is the bac-cab rule for the triple vector product.

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