General Relativity: Assignment 1 (Due on 31-01-2018)

1. Consider the metric: ds2 = −Ω(W, R)dW dR, where each of W,R spans the full real
line.
a) Find out the null and timelike geodesic equations and solve them. Is this manifold
geodesically complete (null and timelike)?
b) Invent a new coordinate system related to (W,R) such that the new spacetime metric
looks similar to the flat metric upto a multiplicative factor.
c) If the range of either W or R is restricted to be only half the real line, then show
what happens to the completeness or incompleteness properties of the geodesics.
2. Check that the trajectory t2 − x2 = const in the t-x diagram implies constant 4-
acceleration. Is the acceleration 4-vector spacelike or timelike? Why?
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3. Consider the metric ds2 = − x2x+2α dt2 + 4[x2 + 2α]dx2 + (x2 + 2α)2 (dθ2 + sin2 θdφ2 ).
a) Find out the θ = constant = φ geodesics (null and timelike). What is the proper
time taken for a material particle to reach the surface u=0 from a surface of any finite
u?
b) Now apply a coordinate transformation x2 = u and find the new metric. Comment
on whether the two different metrics cover the same regions of a manifold or else (take
the maximum possible ranges of x and u)?
c) Is there a region in u which is not covered by the x coordinate?
4. In a frame (t,x,y,z) that is rotating abt z axis with the angular vel Ω with re-
spect to some inertial frame, the line element of the flat spacetime reads: ds2 =
−[1 − Ω2 (x2 + y 2 )]dt2 + 2Ω[ydx − xdy]dt + dx2 + dy 2 + dz 2 .
a) Verify this fact by going to polar coordinates and checking that the line element
becomes that of flat space in polar coordinates after the replacement φ → φ − Ωt
. b) Find the geodesic equations for x; y; z.
c) Analyse the nonrelativistic limit of these equations and show that these reproduce
the the centrifugal and coriolis force terms for a free Newtonian particle in a rotating
frame.
5. Consider the line element for curved spacetime around a source of gravitation as
discussed: ds2 = −c2 (1 + 2φ(x)
c2
)dt2 + (1 − 2φ(x)
c2
)dxi dxi .
a) Extremize the proper time corresponding to this line element and find out equation
of motion upto the linear order in φ.
b) Find out the effective Lagrangian for this motion upto the lowest order in c12 and
comment on any possible correspondence with the Newtonian physics of a system (what
is this system?).
6. Invent two steroegraphic charts or coordinate systems (which may overlap) to de-
scribethe surface of a sphere (S 2 ). Specify the relationship between these two in the

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overlapping regions and it is desirable that the two are related smoothly (the transition
function relating the two are infinitely differentiable). Outline the analogy between the
functions and definitions introduced at the lectures on manifolds.

7. Take the 1 + 1 dimensional line element of flat Minkowskian spacetime in (t,x).

Transform the coordinates to (ζ, τ ) as (assume c = 1): t = ζsinhτ, x = ζcoshτ .
a) Find out the ranges of the new coordinates and find the new line element.
b) In t − x plane, draw the ζ = constant lines.
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c) Consider the Jacobian of this transformation given by the matrix | ∂x
∂x
|. Find out the
point where this transformation is singular. What does this point look like in the t − x
diagram?
d) Now transform these coordinates to the Euclidean ones through the wick rotation
t → it and τ → iτ . How does this singularity look like in the Euclidean plane? What
is the effective manifold if we assume that singular points (where the coordinate trans-
formation is not well-defined) are not to be considered as a part of the manifold?

dr2
8. Consider the three-dimensional space with the line element ds2 = 1− 2M
+ r2 (dθ2 +
r
sin2 θdφ2 ).
a) Calculate the radial distance between the sphere r = 2M and the sphere r = 3M .
b) Calculate the area of the surface at r = 2M
c) Calculate the spatial volume between the two-spheres in part a).
9. How can you argue that R1 and R2 are not topologically/globally equivalent?
10. Are S 2 and R2 locally equivalent (or same) manifolds? Are they globally equivalent?