PHY-421A : Class Test - 2,

24/10/2019

24/10/2019

1. Tensor or not?! [ 5 points] [ from McGreevy] Identiy which of the

following can be a valid tensor equation. For the ones that can’t be,
say why not.
a
• Rman = Tmn Yes!
• ,a ωbc = /ab No! c is a free index on the L.H.S., thus some
transformations on both hand sides will not be consistent.
• Aℵaℵ = χa Yes!
• Fαβ + Gαγ = Dβγ No! α is a free index on the L.H.S.
• ,a -b = Kab Yes!
2. Conformal Transformation [ 5 pts ]
0
(a) Consider an infinitesimal coordinate transformation : xµ → xµ =
xµ + µ (x). Let µ run over d indices. Use the fact that even in the
new system, ds2 stays invariant to show, that till linear order in 
the change in the metric is given by [2 pts],
δgµν = −µ,ν − ν,µ .
• We let, gµ0 ν 0 = gµν + δgµν . From the invariance of the metric
we have:
0 0
ds2 = gµ0 ν 0 dxµ dxν = gµν dxµ dxν ,
or, ds2 = (gµν + δgµν )(dxµ + µ,α dxα )(dxν + ν,β dxβ ) = gµν dxµ dxν
or, ds2 = gµν dxµ dxν + δgµν dxµ dxν + gµν µ,α dxα dxν + gµν dxµ ν,β dxβ + O(2 )
= gµν dxµ dxν . (0.1)

1
 Thus we get,

δgµν dxµ dxν = −gµν µ,α dxα dxν − gµν ν,β dxβ dxµ
= −ν,α dxν dxα − µ,β dxµ dxβ
= −(ν,µ + µ,ν )dxµ dxν . (0.2)

Hence we have shown that,

δgµν = −ν,µ − µ,ν .

(b) Special coordinate transformations which do not change the an-

gle between two vectors are the conformal transformations. For
such transformations, δgµν = −f (x)gµν . Use the answer from the
previous part to show (for gµν = δµν , [3 pts]

2
f (x) = µ,µ .
d
• We have from the previous part:

ν,µ + µ,ν = f (x)δµν .

Now we can take the trace of the above equation to find,

δ µν (ν,µ + µ,ν ) = f (x)δ µν δµν .

Now the right hand side contraction gives, just the number of
indices = d, and while the left hand side gives, 2µ,µ . Hence
we have,
2
f (x) = µ,µ .
d