General Relativity Formula Sheet

Volker Hoffmann

December 19, 2009

1 General Formulae
Geodesic equation (p72)

d2 x
dx dx

+ =0 (1)
d 2 d d

Affine connection (symmetric in ) (p75)

1
() = g ( g + g g ) (2)
2

2 Covariant Derivatives
Scalar:

D = (3)

Covariant derivative (p103):

D V = V + V (4)

Contravariant derivative (lecture notes):

D V = Vmu V . (5)

Note that the order of differentiation DOES matter, i.e.

a b (. . . ) = b a (. . . ) , (6)

but

Da Db (. . . ) 6= Db Da (. . . ) . (7)

The metric is covariantly (and contravariantly) constant (p105), i.e.

D g = D g = 0, (8)

which means, for example, that

D (g V ) = g D V (9)

1
3 Transformations
Do x x0 .
Contravariant vector (p94):

x0
V 0 = V (10)
x

Covariant vector (p94):

x
V0 = V (11)
x0
Since products between vectors are tensors, this generalizes to

x0 x x0
T0 = T (12)
x x0 x

Scalar density (g = det g ) with weight 2 (p98):

 0 2
0
 x 
g =   g (13)
x 

More on tensor densities on p99+.

4 Symmetry and Antisymmetry

Write tensor as sum of symmetric and antisymmetric parts

1 1
Tab = (Tab + Tba ) + (Tab Tba ) , (14)
2 2
i.e.

1 1
Tab = T(ab) + T[ab] (15)
2 2
Symmetric part:

1
T(ab) = (Tab + Tba ) (16)
2
Antisymmetric part:

1
T[ab] = (Tab Tba ) (17)
2
This can be generalized to > 2 indices by summing over the permuatations.
Also, the product of a fully symmetric and antisymmetric tensors is = 0, i.e.

A(ab) B[mn] = 0 (18)

Symmetric: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/SymmetricTensor.html
Antisymmetric: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/AntisymmetricTensor.html.

2
5 Curvature
Riemann tensor (p131)

R = + (19)

Fully covariant Riemann tensor (p141)

R = g R , (20)

which is

1. Antisymmetric in [] and []
2. Symmetric in the PAIRS () ()
3. Cyclic in the last three indicates, i.e. R[] = 0

Ricci tensor (fully symmetric) (p142)

R = g R (21)

Ricci scalar

R = g R , (22)

which determines positive, zero, or negative curvature (NB: in Weinberg R > 0 corresponds to NEGATIVE
curvature).

6 Symmetric Spaces
Killing equation

D( ) = D + D = 0 (23)