The Form of the Inertia Tensor for a Rigid Body: The angular momentum is to be

represented as the matrix product of the moment of inertia and the angular velocity
G G 3
vector. That is: L = ω or, in terms of the elements and components. Li = ∑ IiA ωA .
A =1

With the target form identified, one begins with the general definition of the angular
G G G G G G
momentum of a particle: L = r × mv = m ⎡⎢ r × (ω × r ) ⎤⎥ . Each particle in a rigid body
⎣ ⎦
G
that has an angular velocity ω directed along a fixed axis is moving along a circular
G G G
path about that axis. The velocity relative to a point on that axis is ω × r where r is the
position of the particle relative to that axis point. The identification of the velocity as
G G
ω × r is valid for rigid body rotation, and the results that follow are valid for the limited
case of rigid bodies. The component form of the angular momentum equation is:
G G G
Li = m ⎡⎢ r × (ω × r )⎤⎥ .
⎣ ⎦i

G
Reviewing some notation, r = xiˆ + y ˆj + z kˆ = x1 iˆ + x2 ˆj + x3 kˆ , and the inner product
G G 3
G G 3
r ⋅ r = r 2 = ∑ xi xi or r ⋅ r = r 2 =
i =1
∑xxδ
i , j =1
i j ij . The cross products can be represented using the

G
permutation symbol and the components xi of r . In general, the x component of a
vector is to be identified as the 1 component, the y component as the 2 component and
the z component as the 3 component. For example,
G G 3
(ω × r )k = ∑ ε kAn ωA xn
An =1

Applying this notation to the angular momentum,

G G G 3 G G 3 ⎛ 3 ⎞
Li = m ⎡⎣ r × (ω × r ) ⎤⎦ = m ∑ ε i j k x j (ω × r ) k = m ∑ ε i j k x j ⎜⎜ A∑ ε k An ωA xn ⎟⎟ .
i j ,k =1 j ,k =1 ⎝ ,n =1 ⎠
Two interchanges convert ε i j k to ε k i j with no net sign change.
3
Li = m ∑
j k A n =1
ε k i j ε k A n x j ωA xn

This form is dramatically simplified by using the identities:

3 3 3
G G
∑ ε k i j ε k A n = δ i A δ j n − δ in δ j A and
k =1
∑ δ st xs xt =∑ xs xs = r ⋅ r = r 2
s ,t =1 s =1

Note that the first identity is easily established by computing the 81 possible outcomes
for each form and demonstrating that they agree. The second identity is established in
standard homework problems.
⎛ 3 ⎞
(δ i A δ j n − δ i n δ j A ) x j ωA xn
3 3 3
Li = m ∑ ε k i j ε k A n x j ωA xn = m ∑ ⎜ ∑ k i j k A n ⎟ j A n j∑
j A n =1 ⎝ k =1
ε ε x ω x = m
j k A n =1 ⎠ A n =1

∑ ( ) ∑ (δi A δ j n − δi n δ j A ) xn x j ωA
3 3
Li = m δ i A δ j n − δ i n δ j A x j ωA xn = m
j ,A ,n =1 j ,A ,n =1

∑ (δi A δ j n xn x j − δi n δ j A )
3
=m xn x j ωA
j ,A ,n =1

The ordering of the components of the vector was shuffled in the last step. They are
scalars so their multiplication is commutative. Next, the sum over j is executed. The
Kronecker delta picks out the one term with j = n in the first part and the term with j =
A in the second part.

( )
3
Li = m ∑ δ i A xn xn − δ i n xn xA ωA
A ,n =1

Finally, the sum over the index n is executed. In the first part, the sum of the squares
of the components of r is just r2, and the Kronecker delta picks out the one term with
n = i in the second part.

( ) ( )
3 3
Li = m ∑ r 2 δ i A − xi xA ωA = ∑ Ii A ωA
A =1 A =1
Comparison with the target form identifies the elements of the inertia tensor for a
particle as:

IiA = m (r2 δiA – xi xA)

leading to the form for a collection of particles:

Ii A = ∑ mα ( rα2 δ i A − xα i xα A )
particles α

Matrix Form:
⎡ r 2 − xx −x y −x z ⎤ ⎡ y2 + z2 −x y −x z ⎤
⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
= m⎢ −y x r − yy
2
−y z ⎥ = m⎢ −y x x2 + z 2 −y z ⎥
⎢ −z x −z y r 2 − zz ⎥⎦ ⎢ −z x −z y x 2 + y 2 ⎥⎦
⎣ ⎣

This truly ugly relation becomes more transparent in matrix form.

⎡ Lx ⎤ ⎡ r 2 − xx −x y − x z ⎤ ⎡ω x ⎤ ⎡ y2 + z2 −x y − x z ⎤ ⎡ω x ⎤
⎢L ⎥ = m ⎢ − y x r − yy
2 ⎥ ⎢
− y z ⎥ ⎢⎢ω y ⎥⎥ = m ⎢ − y x x2 + z 2
⎥
− y z ⎥ ⎢⎢ω y ⎥⎥
⎢ y⎥ ⎢
⎢⎣ Lz ⎥⎦ ⎢ −z x −z y r 2 − zz ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣ω z ⎥⎦ ⎢ −z x −z y x 2 + y 2 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣ωz ⎥⎦
⎣ ⎣