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mmp-2 Tensor Problems-1

Mathematical methods of Physics

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31 views8 pages

mmp-2 Tensor Problems-1

Mathematical methods of Physics

Uploaded by

Ammara AR
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Example 4.1.2 4.1 Tensor Analysis 939 Other cases may be teat does not necess indeterminate. ted similarly. One minor pitfall should be n ly apply if B is zero, The P noted: The quotient transformation properties of zero are EQUATIONS OF MOTION AND FiELD EQUATIONS. In classical mechanics, Newton's equations of motion mi = F Quotient rule that, if the mass is a scalar and the is a vector. In other words, the vector char: vector character on the acceleration, tell us on the basis of the force a vector, then the acceleration a acter of the force as the driving term imposes its oe provided the scale factor m is scalar. he wave equation of electrodynamics can be written in relativistic four-vector form as, Ee oe a [aware where J is the external charge/current density (a four-vector) and AM is the four- component vector potential. The second- 0, find the Jacobian au, v) (a) By direct computation, (b) By first computing J~! 4.5 DIFFERENTIAL FORMS Our study of tensors has indicated that significant complications arise when We leave Carte- sian coordinate systems, even in traditional contexts such as the introduction of spherical ‘or cylindrical coordinates. Much of the difficulty arises from the fact that the metric (a8 expressed in a coordinate system) becomes position-dependent, and that the lines or Sur faces of constant coordinate values become curved. Many of the most vexing problems can be avoided if we work in a geometry that deals with infinitesimal displacements, because the situations of most importance in physics then become locally similar to the simpler and ‘more familiar conditions based on Cartesian coordinates. “The calculus of differential forms, of which the leading developer was Elie Cartan, has ‘become recognized as a natural and very powerful tool for the treatment of curved coordi- ‘nates, both in classical settings and in contemporary studies of curved space-time, Cartan’s ‘aleulus leads to a remarkable unification of concepts and theorems of vector analysis that is worth pursuing, with the result that in differential geometry and in theoretical physics : the use of differential forms is now widespread. Differential forms provide an important entry to the role of geometry in physics, and the connectivity of the spaces under discussion (technically, referred to as their topology) has physical implications. Iustrations are provided already by situations as simple as the fact That a coordinate defined on a circle cannot be single-valued and continuous at all angles. More sophisticated consequences of topology in physics, largely beyond the scope of the Text include gauge transformations, flux quantization, the Bohm-Aharanoy effect, Emerging theories of elementary particles, and phenomena of general relativity. Introduction i For simplicity we bepin our discussion of ferential foms in a notation appropiate for : fordinary 3-D space, though the real power of the methods under study is that they are { ort tanned either by the dimensionaiy ofthe space or by is metic properties (and sre therefore also relevant to the curved space-time of general relativity). The basic quantities ander consideration ae te diferentals dx, dy, dz (identified with linearly independent vtneetions in the space), linear combinations thereof, and more complicated quantities built { fom these by combination rules we wil shortly discuss in deta Taking for example dx, ; rrneseental to understand that in our current context its not just infinitesimal number \ describing a change in the x coordinate, but is to be viewed as a mathematical object with { Gerain operational properties (which, admitely, may include its eventual use in contexts | carro. tne evaluation of line, surface, or volume integrals) ‘The rules by which dx and ‘Scanned with CamScanner

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