W2019 Eduardo Martı́n-Martı́nez AMATH 475/AMATH 675/PHYS 476

Tensors - review problem 1

The task is to perform tensor index manipulation correctly. Since index manipulation is
independent of curvature or the metric, for this practice we consider the metric is Minkowski
metric (i.e. in flat space).

Problem 1
(Level: A mix of preliminary material, block 1 and Block 2)

Let M be a manifold and p ∈ M be a point in the manifold. Suppose we have ten-

sors u, v, a, b, M, N whose components at point p are given by the following expressions in
Cartesian coordinate basis Υµ = ∂µ , Υµ = dxµ : 1

(uµ ) = (1, 2, 3, 4) , (vµ ) = (1, −2, 3, −4) , (1)

   
1 0
0 1
(aµ ) =  (bµ ) = 
 
1 , 0 , (2)
 

0 2
   
1 0 0 0 0 1 2 −1
0 2 0 0 −1 0 −1 2 
(M µν ) = 

, (Nµν ) =  . (3)
0 0 3 0 −2 1 0 1
0 0 0 4 1 −2 −1 0

Calculate:

(a) hu, ai, uµ aµ and uµ aµ

(b) Assuming we have a Minkowski metric ν, compute M µν and Mµ ν

1
Notice that here we are deciding to represent contravariant vectors as columns and covariant vectors
(one-forms) as rows, however this this is completely arbitrary and we could have represented them both
as columns/rows without any problem.

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(c) Assuming we have a Minkowski metric ν, compute Mµ µ , Nµ µ

(d) Assuming we have a Minkowski metric ν, compute Mµν N ρν

(e) Assuming we have a Minkowski metric ν, compute Mµν N µν (there is a shortcut for
this one)

Note: most of these can be solved with index notation without using column/row vectors
and matrices explicitly, though for part (f) it may be useful to use matrix representation.

Solution:

(a) These three mean the same thing, since

hu, vi = uµ aν hΥµ , Υν i = uµ aν δνµ = uµ aµ = ηµν uν aµ = uν aν = uµ aµ (4)

where in the last equality we have relabelled the dummy indices. The result is
equal to 4.

(b) M µν = M µρ ηρν . Therefore,

 
−1 0 0 0
0 2 0 0
(M µν ) = 

0
 (5)
0 3 0
0 0 0 4

You should note that if you were to view Mµν as a matrix, the first index labels
“rows” and the second index labels “columns”. Also, recall in linear algebra that
matrix multiplication always takes the form
X
(AB)ij = Aik Bkj (6)
k

so one can only compute M µρ ηρν as matrix product only if the contracted indices
are “inside” (i.e. not Mµσ η νσ ). In this case, the matrix product will look like:
  
1 0 0 0 −1 0 0 0
0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0
(M µν ) = 

 . (7)
0 0 3 0  0 0 1 0
0 0 0 4 0 0 0 1

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Otherwise, you can always compute components by components and then re-
assemble the result as a matrix; this will save the trouble of multiplying matrices
from the wrong side. Finally, Mµ ν = ηµσ M σν so matrix-wise this is
    
−1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 −1 0 0 0
 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0  0 2 0 0
(Mµ ν ) = 
 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 =  0 0 3 0 .
    (8)
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 4
The answer happens to be the same as M µν just because Mµν and ηµν are both
diagonal.
(c) This is just summing the diagonal of Mµ ν and M µν in part (b). This is equal to
8.
(d) You can find this component by component using tensor indices. For example, if
we define Aµρ := Mµν N ρν , then A00 = M0ν N 0ν = M00 N 00 + ... + M03 N 03 . Note
that if you want to do this as a matrix product, you have to take the transpose
of N :
Mµν N ρν = Mµν (N T )νρ (9)
since otherwise the matrix product does not work (the summed indices must be
“inside”). You can obtain Mµν by lowering indices and N µν by raising indices,
which gives
   
1 0 0 0 0 −1 −2 1
0 2 0 0
 , (N µν ) =  1
 0 −1 2 
(Mµν ) = 
0 0 3 0  2
 (10)
1 0 1 
0 0 0 4 −1 −2 −1 0
Finally, we multiply the first with the second matrix but after taking transpose:
  T  
1 0 0 0 0 −1 −2 1 0 1 2 −1
0 2 0 0 1 0 −1 2  −2 0 2 −4 
Mµν N ρν = 

  = .
0 0 3 0  2 1 0 1  −6 −3 0 −3 
0 0 0 4 −1 −2 −1 0 4 8 4 0
(11)

(e) You can do similar brute force approach as before, but there is a shortcut: since
M is symmetric but N is antisymmetric, the entire contraction is zero:
Mµν N µν = Mνµ (−N νµ ) (by symmetry and antisymmetry) (12)
µν
= −Mµν N (relabel dummy indices) (13)

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which implies 2Mµν N µν = 0 and hence Mµν N µν = 0. Note that Mµν N µν is a

real number, not a matrix.

Problem 2 (Level: Block 1)

Let B be a vector field on the flat spacetime M and B µ its components in a coordinate basis.
Let xµ (τ ) be a trajectory of a particle2 with τ its proper time. Let U µ be components
of its 4-velocity. Note that along the trajectory of the particle, the components B µ =
B µ (x0 (τ ), ..., x3 (τ )) ≡ B µ (τ ), as you may have known from calculus.
For this exercise, start from the left hand side of the equations.

(a) Fill in the steps leading to

dB µ ∂B µ
= Uν ν . (14)
dτ ∂x

Solution:
dB µ dxν ∂B µ ν ∂B
µ
= = U .
dτ dτ ∂xν ∂xν

(b) Fill in the steps leading to

d(B µ xµ ) ∂B µ
= xµ U ν ν + Bµ U µ . (15)
dτ ∂x

2
Note that to be very pedantic, we should really write xµ (γ(τ )) where γ : R → M is a worldline
of the particle (hence a curve), and thus xµ (γ(τ )) give the coordinates along the curve. The shorthand
xµ (τ ) is standard unless the specific details of the trajectory is needed (e.g. when there are two particle
trajectories and it is necessary to distinguish them).

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Solution:
dB µ xµ dxν ∂B µ dxµ
= xµ + Bµ
dτ dτ ∂xν dτ
∂B µ dxν
= xµ U ν ν + B µ ηµν
∂x dτ
∂B µ
= xµ U ν ν + Bµ U µ .
∂x
Note that we have relabelled dummy indices in the last equality. We also pulled
out ηµν from the proper time derivative (since ηµν is constant everywhere). This
will not work in general curved spacetimes.

(c) Fill in the steps leading to

∂ν (Bµ xµ ) = xµ ∂ν B µ + Bν . (16)

Solution:

∂ν (Bµ xµ ) = ∂ν (Bµ xµ ) = xµ ∂ν B µ + Bµ δνµ = xµ ∂ν B µ + Bν .

Here we used the fact that ∂xµ /∂xν = δνµ .

(d) Fill in the steps leading to

∂ν (U µ Uµ B ν ) = −∂ν B ν . (17)

Solution: There are a few ways to do this, all are simple, but one nice method
is recognizing that U µ Uµ = −1 (set c = 1):

∂ν (U µ Uµ B ν ) = B ν ∂ν (U µ Uµ ) + U µ Uµ ∂ν B ν
= B ν ∂ν (−1) − ∂ν B ν
= −∂ν B ν .

(e) Fill in the steps leading to

d
(U µ Uµ B ν ) = −U ρ ∂ρ B ν . (18)
dτ

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W2019 Eduardo Martı́n-Martı́nez AMATH 475/AMATH 675/PHYS 476

Solution:
d ∂
(U µ Uµ B ν ) = U ρ ρ (U µ Uµ B ν )
dτ ∂x
∂ ∂B ν
= B ν U ρ ρ (U µ Uµ ) + U ρ U µ Uµ ρ
∂x ∂x
∂ ∂B ν
= B ν U ρ ρ (−1) − U ρ ρ
∂x ∂x
= −U ρ ∂ρ B ν .

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