Sample Problems 5

5.1. Consider a Cartesian tensor in Euclidean 2-space with components Aij

(in a particular system of coordinates) given by the matrix
 
2 5
;
1 3

i.e., A11 = 2, A12 = 5, A21 = 1, and A22 = 3. Consider a rotation of the

′ ′
coordinate system through angle θ. What are the components Ai j in this
new system?

Solution:
 
2 5
Aij :
1 3

′ ′

cos θ sin θ
 p11 = cos θ p12 = sin θ
rotation matrix: ⇒
− sin θ cos θ ′ ′
p21 = − sin θ p22 = cos θ

2 X
X 2
′ ′
i′ j ′
pjj Aij pii pjj
′ ′
ij
A =A pii =
i=1 j=1

′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′
A1 1 = A11 p11 p11 + A12 p11 p12 + A21 p12 p11 + A22 p12 p12

= 2 cos2 θ + 5 cos θ sin θ + 1 cos θ sin θ + 3 sin2 θ

= 2 + sin2 θ + 6 sin θ cos θ

′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′
A1 2 = A11 p11 p21 + A12 p11 p22 + A21 p12 p21 + A22 p12 p22

= −2 cos θ sin θ + 5 cos2 θ − 1 sin2 θ + 3 sin θ cos θ

= −1 + 6 cos2 θ + sin θ cos θ

1
 ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′
A2 1 = A11 p21 p11 + A12 p21 p12 + A21 p22 p11 + A22 p22 p12

= −2 sin θ cos θ − 5 sin2 θ + 1 cos2 θ + 3 cos θ sin θ

= 1 − 6 sin2 θ + sin θ cos θ

′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′
A2 2 = A11 p21 p21 + A12 p21 p22 + A21 p22 p21 + A22 p22 p22

= 2 sin2 θ − 5 sin θ cos θ − 1 sin θ cos θ + 3 cos2 θ

= 2 + cos2 θ − 6 sin θ cos θ

Check: returns Aij when θ = 0.

5.2. Evaluate Aij Bij , where Aij is the tensor from problem 1 above and the
components of Bij are
 
4 0
.
2 7

Solution:
2 X
X 2
ij
A Bij = Aij Bij
i=1 j=1

= A11 B11 + A12 B12 + A21 B21 + A22 B22

= 8 + 0 + 2 + 21

= 31

5.3. Show that Aii = Aij δij .

2
Solution:

With the sums written out explicitly,

N
X
Aii = Aii
i=1

and
X N
N X N
X
Aij δij = Aij δij = Aii
i=1 j=1 i=1

In the last step, we made use of the fact that δij = 1 when i = j and is zero
when j 6= i. Thus, all but one of the terms in the sum over j vanish.

5.4. Suppose Aij j hj j

klm is a tensor and Bkm = Akhm . Show that Bkm is a tensor.

Solution:

Since Aij
klm is a tensor,
′ ′ ′
Aik′jl′ m′ = Aij i j k l m ′
klm pi pj pk ′ pl′ pm′

′ ′ ′ ′ ′
Bkj ′ m′ = Ahk′ hj ′ m′ = Aik′jl′ m′ δil′
′

′
= Aij i j k l m l ′ ′
klm pi pj pk ′ pl′ pm′ δi′

′
= Aij i j k l m ′
klm pi pj pk ′ pi′ pm′

′
= Aij j k m ′
l i
klm (pi′ pi ) pj pk ′ pm′

′
= Aij l j k m
klm δi pj pk ′ pm′

′
= Alj j k m
klm pj pk ′ pm′

′
j
= Bkm pjj pkk′ pm
m′

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5.5. Consider Euclidean 2-space and a rotation of the axes through angle θ.
Suppose Aij is a rank 2 tensor defined for this space and transformation and
that its components are given by Aij = i + j. Also define B = Aii . Verify
explicitly that B is a scalar.

Solution:

First, recall that

′ ′
p11 = cos θ = p11′ , p12 = sin θ = p21′

′ ′
p21 = − sin θ = p12′ , p22 = cos θ = p22′

B = Aii = A11 + A22 = 2 + 4 = 6

′ ′ ′
B ′ = Aii′ = A11′ + A22′

2 X
X 2
Aij p1i pj1′
′ ′
A11′ =
i=1 j=1

′ ′ ′ ′
= A11 p11 p11′ + A12 p11 p21′ + A21 p12 p11′ + A22 p12 p21′

= 2 cos2 θ + 3 cos θ sin θ + 3 sin θ cos θ + 4 sin2 θ

′ ′ ′ ′ ′
A22′ = A11 p21 p12′ + A12 p21 p22′ + A21 p22 p12′ + A22 p22 p22′

= 2(− sin θ)2 + 3(− sin θ) cos θ + 3 cos θ(− sin θ) + 4 cos2 θ

′ ′
B ′ = A11′ + A22′ = 2 + 0 + 0 + 4 = 6 = B

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5.6. What is the metric tensor for Euclidean 3-space?

Solution:
(
1 , i=j
d~s 2 = dx2 + dy 2 + dz 2 ⇒ gij = δij =
0 , i 6= j

5.7. Show that g i j = δ i j .

Solution:

g i j = g ik gkj = δ i j

In the first equality, g ik raises the index k on gkj (or, alternatively, gkj lowers
the index k on g ik ). The second equality follows from the definition of g ik .

5.8. Given that gµν = diag(-1, -1, -1, 1), show that g µν = gµν .

Solution:

We just need to find g µν such that g µν gνα = δ µ α .

µ=1 : g 11 g1α + g 12 g2α + g 13 g3α + g 14 g4α = δ 1 α

α = 1 ⇒ −g 11 = 1 ⇒ g 11 = −1

α = 2 ⇒ −g 12 = 0 ⇒ g 12 = 0

α = 3 ⇒ −g 13 = 0 ⇒ g 13 = 0

α = 4 ⇒ g 14 = 0

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Similarly when µ = 2, 3.

µ=4 : g 41 g1α + g 42 g2α + g 43 g3α + g 44 g4α = δ 4 α

α = 1 ⇒ −g 41 = 0 ⇒ g 41 = 0

α = 2 ⇒ −g 42 = 0 ⇒ g 42 = 0

α = 3 ⇒ −g 43 = 0 ⇒ g 43 = 0

α = 4 ⇒ g 44 = 1

We have specified all the components of g µν and found diag(-1, -1, -1, 1).

If the problem had said “verify” rather than “show”, then we could just treat
g µν gνα as a matrix multiplication and verify that we get the identity matrix
δij :
     
−1 0 0 0 −1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
 0 −1 0 0  0 −1 0 0 0 1 0 0
 0 0 −1 0 = 0 X
     
 0 0 −1 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1

5.9. Consider two frames S and S′ in standard configuration. Given a 4-

tensor Aij , find
(a) A13
(b) A24
′ ′
(c) A4 1

Solution:

For a standard Lorentz transformation,

′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′
p11 = p44 = γ , p14 = p41 = −γβ , p22 = p33 = 1

p11′ = p44′ = γ , p14′ = p41′ = γβ , p22′ = p33′ = 1

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The other transformation coefficients are all zero.

(a) A13 = g1µ g3ν Aµν

4
X
= g3ν [ g11 A1ν + g12 A2ν + g13 A3ν + g14 A4ν ]
|{z} |{z} |{z} |{z}
ν=1 −1 0 0 0

4
X
= − g3ν A1ν
ν=1

= −( g31 A11 + g32 A12 + g33 A13 + g34 A14 )

|{z} |{z} |{z} |{z}
0 0 −1 0

= −(−A13 ) = A13

(b) A24 = g2µ g4ν Aµν = (−1) (1) A24 = −A24

′ ′ ′ ′
(c) A4 1 = Aµν p4µ p1ν
4
X ′ ′ ′ ′ ′
= p1ν [A1ν p41 + A2ν p42 + A3ν p43 + A4ν p44 ]
ν=1

4
X ′
= p1ν [−γβ A1ν + γ A4ν ]
ν=1

′ ′
= p11 [−γβ A11 + γ A41 ] + p14 [−γβ A14 + γ A44 ]
|{z} |{z}
γ −γβ

= −γ 2 β A11 + γ 2 A41 + γ 2 β 2 A14 − γ 2 β A44

= γ 2 A41 + γ 2 β 2 A14 − γ 2 β (A11 + A44 )

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5.10. If T µν is a 4-tensor, show that under a spatial rotation T 44 remains
unchanged, T 4i and T i4 transform as 3-vectors, and T ij transforms as a 3-
tensor.

Solution:

Note: It’s not correct to multiply the transformation matrix times a tensor
to get the tensor in the new coordinate system. That only works for vectors.
We need 2 transformation matrices for a rank 2 tensor and it’s not just simple
multiplication.

The transformation matrix for a spatial rotation in Minkowski space is

R = the rotation matrix of Euclidean 3-space

′ ′ ′ ′ ′
pij = Ri j , p4i = pi4 = 0 , p44 = 1 (i, j = 1 to 3)

′ ′ ′ ′
T µ ν = pµµ pνν T µν

′ ′ ′ ′
T 4 4 = p4µ p4ν T µν = (1) (1) T 44 = T 44 X

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If it helps to see it written out in detail, here it is:
′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′
T4 4 = p41 p41 T 11 + p41 p42 T 12 + p41 p43 T 13 + p41 p44 T 14
′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′
+p42 p41 T 21 + p42 p42 T 22 + p42 p43 T 23 + p42 p44 T 24
′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′
+p43 p41 T 31 + p43 p42 T 32 + p43 p43 T 33 + p43 p44 T 34
′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′
+p44 p41 T 41 + p44 p42 T 42 + p44 p43 T 43 + p44 p44 T 44

The are 16 terms; all are zero except for the last one.

′
T 4 j = p4µ pjν T µν = pjν T 4ν = pji T 4i = Rj i T 4i
′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′
X
A B

′ ′
In step A, we made use of p4i = 0 and p44 = 1. In step B, we made use
′
of pj4 = 0. The final result is the rotation matrix acting on a 3-component
object since i = 1, 2, 3.
′
T j 4 = pjµ p4ν T µν = pjµ T µ4 = pji T i4 = Rj i T i4
′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′
X

′
T i j = piµ pjν T µν = pii pjj T ij = Ri i Rj j T ij
′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′ ′
X