004 - s02 - the lorentz group: suppose a light flashes at

i
x , and then in a Galilee-boosted frame
i
x' ; then, the
constancy of the speed of light between these two frames tells us,

2 2 2 2 2 2 2
; 1 ;
i i i i i i
c c s x x c t x x s x x c t x x c x x t x x


' ' ' ' ' ' ' = = = = = = = = (1.1)

First, let the 0
th
coordinate be the time-coordinate, and second let 1 c = ; we then compactify the appearance of
any four-vector,

2 0 0
00 11 22 33
;
;
i i
ii
s x x x x x x x g x
g g g g g g g g
v
v
v v v v
o
= =
= = = = = = =
(1.2)

Problem: Show that x x x x g g
v v v
v v o v o
' ' = = A A , in which x x
v
v
' A .

The linear transform is
0
0
i
i
x x x x
v
v
' = A = A + A . This implies,

;
x x g x x g x x g x x g x x
g g g g x x x x
v v v v v v
v v v v v v
v v
v v v v
v v
v v
' ' ' ' ' '
' ' ' ' ' '
' ' '
' ' ' ' ' ' ' '
'
' ' ' ' = = A A = A A =
A A = A A =
(1.3)

Problem: Let L be the matrix of

v
A -values, and , g x be similarly defined. Show that the invariance of g
under Lorentz transform requires det 1 = L . Solution: denoting matrix-operators in boldface,

2 2
1 proper
[invariance] det det( ) (det ) det det 1
1 improper
T T T
s
+
= = = = =

x gx g L gL g L gL L g L (1.4)

Note that = L g is permissible by the definition of (1.4)--we are not talking about the familiar boost-transform
matrix just yet, but rather some general properties L must have.

Problem: Show that
0
0
1 A > .

0
0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0
0
1 ortho-chronous
1 ( ) ( ) 1
1 non-ortho-chronous
i
g
v
v
A >

= A A = A A = A A A >

A s

(1.5)

The two possibilities each in (1.4) and (1.5) constitute four possible types of Lorentz transforms.

Examples (all satisfy the criteria (1.3), (1.4), (1.5)): (a) rotations (
i ij j
x a x ' = ), (b) boosts x x ' = A , (c) time-
inversion
0 0
( , ) ( , )
i i
x x x x ' ' = , (d) full-inversion
0 0
( , ) ( , )
i i
x x x x x

' ' = = ; in matrix form, these appear as,

| |
1
; a 3 3 rotation-matrix ;
T
a

(
= = =
(

1 0
a a L a
0 a
(1.6)

0
0
2 2
cosh sinh 0 0
sinh cosh 0 0
1
; cosh 1; cosh ; sinh ;
0 0 1 0
1 1
0 0 0 1
b
q q
q q
|
q q q
| |
(
(

(
= A = > = = =
(

(

L (1.7)

1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
; ;
0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
c d
( (
( (

( (
= = =
( (
( (

L L 1 (1.8)

Problem: show that a lorentz transform with zero velocity is equal to a space-inversion transform. This result is
equivalent to the statement that physics should be the same, regardless of what you define as the + or
directions. Solution: write,

Problem
1
: An infinitesimal Lorentz transformation and its inverse can be written as,
( ) ( ) ; x g x x g x
o o| o| o o| o|
| |
c c ' ' ' = + = + (1.9)

(a) show, from the definition of the inverse, that
o| o|
c c ' = .

Inverting both sides of the definition of the inverse: The prime denotes inversion. Taking the inverse of both
sides of ( ) x g x
o o| o|
|
c ' = + from (1.9), and using the definition of the inverse provided, we use the obvious
Minkowski-metric inverse g g
o| o|
' = , and write
2
,

1 1
(( ) ) [( ) ] ( ) ( )
( ) ;
x x x g x g x g x
g x x g x g g g x
o o o o| o| o| o| o| o|
| | |
o| o| o| o| o o c
| | | | oc
c c c
c c c

'' ' ' ' ' ' ' = = = + = + = +
' ' ' ' ' = + = + +
(1.10)

Noting x x
o o c
c
o = , we massage (1.10) into obtaining a term that acts like the identity-operator
o
c
o ,
( ) [( ) ][( ) ] ; x x x g x g g g x g g g g x
o o c o o| o| o o c o| o| o o c
c | | oc | oc
o c c c c '' ' ' ' = = + + = + + (1.11)

By (1.11), we identify [( ) ][( ) ] g g g g
o o| o| o o
c | oc
o c c ' = + + . The implications
3
of this statement are,

( ) ( ) ( ( ) ( ))
( ) ( )
g g g g g g g g
g g g g
o o| o| o o o o o o| o o
c | oc | oc
oo oo oo o| o o oo oo o o o o o
| oc c oc c c c c c
o c c o c c c
c c c c o c c o c c c c
' ' = + + = + + +
' ' ' ' ' = + + + = + + = + + =
(1.12)

b) show from the preservation of the norm (e.g., x x x x
o o
o o
' ' = ) that
o| |o
c c .


( )
( ) ( )
2
( ) ( ) ( )( )
[ ( )]
x x x x g x g g x g g g x x
g g x x x x g g x x
x x x x g x x x x x x x x x x
o o o| o| o o o| o| o o q
o o | o o o o oq |
| | o o| q | |o o| q
q oq oq | | oq oq |
o o |o o| q o |o o| |o o| |o o|
o o oq | o o | o | o |
c c c o c
o o c c c c c
c c c c c c c c
' ' = = + + = + +
= + + + = + +
= + + = + + = =
O (1.13)


Problem: Take the following as given:

3 4 2 3 1 3 2 3 1 3 1 2 1 4 2 4 1 4 2 4
3 4 2 3 1 3 2 3 1 3 1 2 1 4 2 4 1 4 2 4
[ , ] ( ); ( ) ;
[ , ] ( );
L L g L g L g L g L L x x L
S S g S g S g S g S

v v v v

+ c c =
+
i i
i
(1.14)

The (1.14) is the Lie algebra of the generator of rotations:
1
2
[1.2.26] x L x x
v
v
o c c
' ' '
' ' '
= = i . The
following is a consequence of (1.14); we write,

; ; [ , ] 0; M S L S S L S
v v v v v v v ' '
+ = = (1.15)


1
See, also: EM 04 - 570 - pr 09 - infintesimal generators of lorentz transforms.
2
In the 2
nd
to last step: ( ) ( [ ]) ( [( ) ]) ( ) x x g x g g x g g g x
o| o| o| o| o o o| o o c
| | | | o | oc
c c c c c c c ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' = = = + = + , by
definition of the inverse.
3
Using: ; ; 0; ; g g g g
o| o o o oo o| o oo o
| | oc c
o o c c c c c c ' = = = .
Consider spatial-indices only:
1 2 3 4
( , , , ) ( , , , ) (1, 2, 3) i j k = = . Show that direct calculation yields,
[ , ] ;
ij k ik j j ik jk i i jk
M M M M M M o o o o = + i i i i (1.16)


( )
[ , ] [ , ] [ , ] [ , ] [ , ] ;
jj j j jj j j
ij k ii i i ii ii i i i i ij i j i j i j
M M M M S L S L S S L L g g g g
' '' ''' ' '' '''
' '' ''' ' ' '' ''' '' ''' ' ' '' '' ''' '''
= = + + = + (1.17)

Putting (1.14) into (1.17) where there be spatial indices,

( )
( )
[ , ] ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ;
;
jj j j jj j j j j jj j j jj
ij k ij i j i j i j
jj j j jj j j j j jj j j jj ik j j ik jk i i jk
M M g L S g L S g L S g L S g g g g
M M M M M M M M o o o o o o o o
''' ' '' '' ' ''' ' '' ''' ' ''' ''
' ' '' '' ''' '''
''' ' '' '' ' ''' ' '' ''' ' ''' ''
= + + + + +
= = +
i
i i i i i
(1.18)

Introduce the following new operators:


1 1
0 0 2 2
; ; ( );
i ijk jk i i i i i i i i i
J M N N J K M M N J K c = + = = +i (1.19)

Derive the following commutation relations from (1.14) through (1.19),


[ , ] ; [ , ] ; [ , ] ;
[ , ] 0; [ , ] ; [ , ] ;
i j ijk k i j ijk k i j ijk k
i j i j ijk k i j ijk k
J J J K K J J K K
N N N N N N N N
c c c
c c
= = =
= = =
i i i
i i
(1.20)

Problem: compute expressions for
i i
N N and

i i
N N in terms of ,
i i
J K , using the algebra (1.20). solution: by
direct computation,

( ) ( ) ( )
2 2 2 2 2 2
1 1 1
4 4 4
( ) 2 2 ;
i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i
N N J K J K K J J K J K N N J K J K = + + = + = i i i (1.21)

Problem: re-write the expressions (1.21) in terms of M
v
. Solution: use the special cases of (1.19).

Interlude: The eigenvalues of
i i
N N are n(n+1) and those of

i i
N N are m(m+1), where
3 1
2 2
, 0, ,1, ,... m n = ; this
fact comes from well-known results from the representation-theory of SU(2) group. How to prove this might
be obvious later.

Problem: show that under the parity transform you have
i i
J J and
i i
K K . Solution: you have,

???

1 1
2 2
( ) ... ;
i i i ijk jk ijk jk jk i i i
J J J M S L J J J c c ' ' = H H = H H = H + H = = = (1.22)


0 0 0 0 0
( ) ;
i i i i i i i i i i i
K K K M S L S L K K K ' ' = H H= H H= H + H= = = (1.23)

Problem: furnish three examples among the possibilities
3 1
2 2
, 0, ,1, ,... m n = , and give physical interpretations of
them. Solution: Case (a) is that of ( , ) (0, 0) m n = , that of a scalar of momentum
1
( , )
c
p E

= p ,
(1.24)

The next up is a spinor of momentum
1
( , )
c
p E

= p ; however, the following are in helicity eigenstates (

o E - p ), not spin eigenstates (o ), the former being parity-invariant, and the latter being parity-variant,
(1.25)
(1.26)

Cases (1.25) and (1.26) are examples of Weyl-spinors: spin-up vs. spin-down. This is in contrast to Dirac
spinors, which have well-defined spin, and thus eigen-parities.

Problem: construct Dirac spinors, given they are eigenstates of parity. Solution: Add opposite helicities so
they cancel, as,
(1.27)

Problem: one can generate any other representation by multiplying together
4
spinor-representation ( , ) m n
using the direct-product operation . Furnish examples of this. Solution: write,

1 1 1 1
1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2 2 2 2
( , 0) (0, ) ( , ) ; _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
+ + + +
( ( ( = = =

(1.28)

There exists a 4-vector representation of (1.28). See QFT 00 - 235 - Bilinear Covariants.

1 1
2 2
( , 0) ( , 0) (0, 0) (1, 0) [scalar representation]; = = (1.29)

The new representation (1.29) is given by an antisymmetric
5
product; specifically, an antisymmetric, self-dual,
2
nd
rank tensor B
v
(a.k.a., antiself-dual),
Antiself-dual tensor representing (0,1) = (1.30)


(1.31)




4
This procedure is equivalent to forming higher spin-states by taking the Kronecker product of many spin-1/2 states.
5