Home work set I for PHY 660A: GR & Cosmology

Date: 10th January, 2020

Instructor: Kaushik Bhattacharya1
Office: FB-387, Phone: 7306

1. Show that under a general coordinate transformation x′µ = x′µ (xν ), the affine connection
coefficients transform as
∂x′µ ∂xη ∂xν σ ∂ 2 x′µ ∂xη ∂xν
Γ′µ
αβ = Γ + .
∂xσ ∂x′α ∂x′β ην ∂xν ∂xη ∂x′α ∂x′β
The second term on the right hand side of the above equation shows that the affine
connections do not transform as mixed tensors.

2. Suppose there exists a 2-dim. spherical surface (S2 ) where the radius of the sphere is R.

(a) Write down the square of the infinitesimal line element on the spherical surface using
coordinates θ and φ.
(b) From the metric on S2 calculate the affine connection coefficients.
(c) Calculate the Riemann tensor components on S2 .
(d) From the Riemann tensor calculate the Ricci tensor and Ricci scalar on S2 .

3. The FLRW metric is given by the following squared line element

dr2
" #
2 2 2
ds = dt − a (t) 2
+ r2 (dθ2 + sin2 θdφ2 ) ,
1 − kr
where k can be 1 for the closed and bounded spatial 3-dim. hyperspace, k is zero for
flat spatial 3-dim. hyperspace, and k can be −1 for the open, hyperbolic spatial 3-dim.
hyperspace.

(a) Calculate all the non-zero affine connection coefficients in this case.
(b) Calculate the components of the non-zero Riemann curvature tensor in this case. In
this case you have to use the symmetry properties of the Riemann tensor.
(c) From the above result calculate the Ricci tensor and the Ricci scalar for the FLRW
spacetime.

4. Write down the square of the line element for a flat 2-dimensional plane in plane polar
coordinates (r, θ). From the resulting metric calculate the affine connections and show
that the affine connections are non-zero in the present case.

5. Suppose the energy-momentum tensor of a perfect fluid is given by

Tαβ = (ρ + P )uα uβ − P gαβ ,

where the metric gαβ is that of FLRW spacetime. Here ρ and P are scalar functions
specifying the energy-density and pressure of the fluid and uµ is the 4-velocity of the
1
Email: kaushikb@iitk.ac.in

1
 fluid element which satisfies uµ uµ = 1. You can take uµ = (1, 0). More over it is given
that Dµ T µν = 0. Calculate the covariant derivative in the last case in details and show
Dµ T µ0 = 0 implies ρ̇ + 3H(ρ + P ) = 0 where H = ȧ/a. For this calculation you require to
know the affine connection coefficients in FLRW spacetime. Also show that Dµ T µi = 0
where i runs from 1 to 3 is identically zero.

6. The geodesic equation for a massive particle in general relativity is

d 2 xα µ
α dx dx
ν
− Γ µν = 0,
dτ 2 dτ dτ
where τ is the proper time of the particle in motion. In FLRW spacetime the proper
time is equivalent to the coordinate time. In FLRW space time the comoving observers
have x1 = constant, x2 = constant and x3 = constant. As a consequence at any time
2 i
dxi /dτ = 0 where i runs from 1 to 3. Show from the geodesic equation that ddτx2 is also
identically zero in the present case. Convince yourself from the result that each comoving
observer at rest in FLRW spacetime is actually following geodesic motion. In physical
coordinates these observers are moving away from each other in time. Also calculate the
zeroth component of the geodesic equation (where α = 0) and interpret the result.