Cartesian Tensors
Cartesian Tensors
z = x3
e3
y = x2
e2
e1
x = x1
x1 = x x2 = y x3 = z (1)
Unit vectors
ei i = 1, 2, 3
e1 = e x = i e2 = e y = j e3 = ez = k (2)
x1
Kronecker Delta
δ ij = 1 if i = j
= 0 otherwise
In matrix form
1 0 0
δ ij = 0 1 0 (8)
0 0 1
In the summation over j the only term of the sum that makes any
contribution is that for which j = i .
= a ki a lj e k′ ⋅ e l′
(11)
= a ki a lj δ kl
= a ki a kj
NB the last operation is an example of the substitution property
of the Kronecker Delta.
Since e i ⋅ e j = δ ij , then the orthonormal condition on a ij is
a ki a kj = δ ij (12)
∴x k = a ik x i′ ⇒ x i = a ji x ′j
i.e. the reverse transformation is simply determined by the trans-
pose.
Similarly, following from
e j = a ij e i ′ (16)
we have
e i′ = a ij e j (17)
then the a ij are the components of e i′ wrt the unit vectors in the
original system.e.g.
e 1 ′ = a 11 e 1 + a 12 e 2 + a 13 e 3 (19)
x′ cos θ sin θ 0 x
y′ = – sin θ cos θ 0 y (22)
z′ 0 0 1 z
∂f ∂ f ∂x j
= (26)
∂ x i′ ∂ x j∂ x ′
i
Since,
x j = a kj x k′ (27)
3.4 Tensor
Prototype second rank tensor x i x j
General definition by transformation of components:
′ = a a T
T ij (30)
ik jl kl
Exercise:
Show that u i v j is a second rank tensor if u i and v j are vectors.
3.5 Divergence
Exercise:
Show that the quantity
∂v i
∇ ⋅ v = div v = (31)
∂ xi
vi
Is ε ijk a tensor?
a i1 a i2 a i3
= a j1 a j2 a j3
a k1 a k2 a k3
then
c 1 = ε 123 a 2 b 3 + ε 132 a 3 b 2 = a 2 b 3 – a 3 b 2
c 2 = ε 231 a 3 b 1 + ε 213 a 1 b 3 = a 3 b 1 – a 1 b 3 (37)
c 3 = ε 312 a 1 b 2 + ε 321 a 2 b 1 = a 1 b 2 – a 2 b 1
6.3 Curl
∂u k
( curl u ) i = ε ijk (40)
∂x j
Properties:
• If i = k or m = p then T ikmp = 0 .
Cartesian tensors 29/35
• If i = m we only get a contribution from the terms s ≠ i and
k ≠ i, s . Consequently k = p . Thus ε iks = ± 1 and
ε mps = ε iks = ± 1 and the product ε iks ε iks = ( ± 1 ) 2 = 1 .
• If i = p , similar argument tells us that we must have s ≠ i and
k = m ≠ i . Hence, ε iks = ± 1 , ε mps = −+ 1 ⇒ ε iks ε mps = – 1 .
So,
i = m, k = p ⇒ 1 unless i = k ⇒ 0
i = p, k = m ⇒ – 1 unless i = k ⇒ 0
These are the components of the tensor δ im δ kp – δ ip δ km .
∂u l ∂v m
= ( δ il δ jm – δ im δ jl ) vm + ul
∂x j ∂x j
∂u i ∂u j ∂v m ∂v i
[ curl ( u × v ) ] i = vm – vi + ui – uj
∂ xm ∂x j ∂ xm ∂x j
∂u i ∂v i ∂v j ∂u j (45)
= vj – uj + ui – vi
∂x j ∂x j ∂x j ∂x j
= ( v ⋅ ∇u – u ⋅ ∇v + u∇ ⋅ v – v∇ ⋅ u ) i
The Laplacean
2 2 2
∂ φ ∂ φ ∂ φ ∂ 2φ
∇2φ = + + = ---------------- (46)
∂ x 12 ∂ x 22 ∂ x 32 ∂x i ∂x i
S ∫ ( curl u ) ⋅ n dS = ∫ u ⋅ t ds (50)
S C
In tensor form:
∂u k
∫ ε ijk
∂x j
n i dS = ∫ u i t i ds (51)
S C