Solved Exercises of chapter 5 from D’Inverno

MSc. Fernando Claudio Guesser

March 2, 2011

1. In Euclidean 3-space R3 :

(i) Write down the equation of a circle of radius a lying in the (x,y)-plane centred at the
origin in (a) parametric form and (b) constraint form.
Solution:
Circle equation: x2 + y 2 = a2
(
x=t
Parametric form: √
y = ± a 2 − t2
√
Constraint form: y = ± a2 − x2
(ii) Write down the equation of a hypersurface consisting of a sphere of radius a centred at
the origin in (a) parametric form and (b) constraint form. Eliminate the parameters in
form (a) to obtain form (b).
Solution:
Sphere equation: x2 + y 2 + z 2 = a2

x = t

Parametric form: y = u
 √
z = ± a 2 − t2 − u 2

p
Constraint form: z = ± a2 − x2 − y 2

2. Write down the change of coordinates from Cartesian coordinates (xa ) = (x, y, z) to spherical
′ ′
polar coordinates (x a ) = (r, θ, φ) in R3 . Obtain the transformation matrices [∂xa /∂x b ] and
′
[∂x a /∂xb ] expressing them both in terms of the primed coordinates. Obtain the Jacobians
J and J ′ . Where is J ′ zero or infinite?
Solution:
The spherical polar coordinates in terms of Cartesian ones:
p
r (x, y, z) := x2 + y 2 + z 2
p !
x2 + y 2
θ (x, y, z) := atan
z
y
φ (x, y, z) := atan
x
Producing the transformation matrix:
 √ 2 x2 2 √ 2 y2 2 √ 2 z 2 2
" ′ # z +y +x z +y +x z√+y +x
∂x a  y 2 +x2 

=  √ x z √ y z
−
∂xb  y2 +x2 (z2 +y2 +x2 ) y 2 +x2 (z 2 +y 2 +x2 )
2 2
z +y +x  2

y x
− y2 +x 2 y 2 +x2 0
and the Jacobian of the transformation is
 ′ 
 ∂x a  1 1
′
J = b= p = 2
 
p
 ∂x  2
y +x 2 2 2
z +y +x 2 r sin (θ)
And the Cartesian coordinates in terms of spherical polar ones:
x (r, θ, φ) := r sin (θ) cos (φ)
y (r, θ, φ) := r sin (θ) sin (φ)
z (r, θ, φ) := r cos (θ)
Producing the transformation matrix:
  
cos (φ) sin (θ) cos (φ) r cos (θ) −sin (φ) r sin (θ)
∂xa
 
′b =  sin (φ) sin (θ) sin (φ) r cos (θ) cos (φ) r sin (θ) 
∂x
cos (θ) −r sin (θ) 0
and the
 Jacobian of the transformation is
 ∂xa 

J =  ′ b  = r2 sin (θ)
∂x
Observe that J ′ → 0 when r → ∞ and it diverges when r → 0. But when θ → 0 or θ → nπ,
that is, on the poles, J ′ also diverges.
As we see, we confirm the product rule for the determinants that the Jacobian of the inverse
transformation where J = 1/J ′
3. Show by manipulating the dummy indices that

(Zabc + Zcab + Zbca ) X a X b X c = 3Zabc X a X b X c .

Solution:

(Zabc + Zcab + Zbca ) X a X b X c = Zabc X a X b X c + Zcab X a X b X c + Zbca X a X b X c (1)

= Zabc X a X b X c + Zcab X a X b X c + Zbca X a X b X c (2)
= Zabc X a X b X c + Zabc X a X b X c + Zabc X a X b X c (3)
= 3Zabc X a X b X c (4)

PS: From line 2 to 3 we switch in the second term c → a, a → b and b → c, in the third term
b → a, c → b and a → c.
4. Show that:
(i) δab X a = X b ,
Solution:
n
∂xb a X ∂xb a
δab X a = X = X = Xb
∂xa a=1
∂x a

because (
n
X ∂xb 0 when a 6= b
=
a=1
∂xa 1 when a = b

(ii) δab Xb = Xa ,
Solution:
n
∂xb X ∂xb
δab Xb = X b = Xb = Xa
∂xa ∂xa
b=1

because (
n
X ∂xb 0 when b 6= a
=
∂xa 1 when b = a
b=1

(iii) δab δbc δcd

= δad .
Solution:
n n n
∂xb ∂xc ∂xd X X ∂xb ∂xc ∂xd X ∂xb ∂xd ∂xd
δab δbc δcd = = = = = δad
∂xa ∂xb ∂xc c=1
∂xa ∂xb ∂xc ∂xa ∂xb ∂xa
b=1 b=1

because (
n
X ∂xc 0 when c 6= b
=
c=1
∂xb 1 when c = b

2
 and (
n
X ∂xb 0 when b 6= a
=
∂xa 1 when b = a
b=1

5. If Y a and Z a are contravariant vectors, then show that Y a Z b is a contravariant vector of

rank 2.
Solution:

′ ′ ′ ′
!
′
a ′
b ∂x a c ∂x b d ∂x a ∂x b
Y Z = Y Z = Y cZ d
∂xc ∂xd ∂xc ∂xd

then, as we see above, Y a Z b transform according to a contravariant tensor of rank 2.

PS: In term of components, we had have,

Y 1Z 1 Y 1Z 2 Y 1Z n
 
···
Y 2Z 1 Y 2Z 2 ··· Y 2Z n 
Y aZ b =  . .. .. 
 
 .. ..
. . . 
Y nZ 1 Y nZ 2 ··· Y nZ n
with n2 components, as expected.

6. Write down the change of coordinates from Cartesian coordinates (xa ) =

h (x, y) to iplane polar
′ ′
coordinates (x a ) = (R, φ) in R2 and obtain the transformation matrix ∂x a /∂xb expressed
as a function of the primed coordinates. Find the components of the tangent vector to the
curve consisting of a circle of radius a centred at origin with the standard parametrization (see
′ ′
exercise 5.1(i)) and use X a = ∂x a /∂xb X b to find its components in the primed coordinate
system.
Solution:
The change of coordinates are:
p
R= x2 + y 2 (5)
y
φ = atan (6)
x
The transformation matrix is
" ′ #
√ 2x 2 √ y !
∂x a
 
y +x y 2 +x2 cos φ sin φ
= = (7)
∂xb y
− y2 +x 2
x
y 2 +x2
− sinRφ cos φ
R

as a function of the primed coordinates.

To find the components of the tangent vector to the curve:
Circle equation: x2 + y 2 = a2
(
x=t
Parametric form: √
y = ± a2 − t2
thus x1 = x and x2 = y we represent the curve as xa (t). So, the tangent vector,
! 
dxa dx1
  
dt2
1 1
= dx = ∓√ t = x
dt 2
a −t 2 − y
dt

3
 ′ ′
a
Using X = (∂x a /∂xb ) X b :

√ x √ y !  
′
a y 2 +x2 y 2 +x2 1
X = · (8)
y
− y2 +x 2
x − xy
y 2 +x2
x
√ 2 2 − √ 2x 2
!
y +x y +x
= y 2 (9)
− y2 +x 2 − y(y2x+x2 )
!
0
= 2
x2 (10)
− y(y2y+x2 ) − y(y 2 +x2 )
 
0
= (11)
− y1
 
0
= 1 (12)
− a sin φ

that are the components of the tangent vector in primed coordinate system.