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© The scientific sentence. 2010

Relativity: Metrics & tangent vectors



In differential geometry, a metric is a function that describes the distances between pairs of points in a space or space-time.

2. Basis gμ of tangent vectors


x = (x0, x1, x2, x3)
y = (y0, y1, y2, y3)

dx = (dx0, dx1, dx2, dx3)
dy = (dy0, dy1, dy2, dy3)

dy0 = (∂y0 /∂x0)dx0 + (∂y0 /∂x1) dx1
+ (∂y0 /∂x2)dx2 + (∂y0 /∂x3)dx3 = (∂y0 /∂xν)dxν
ν = 0. 1. 2. 3.

Similarly
dy1 = (∂y1 /∂xν)dxν
...
dyμ = (∂yμ /∂xν)dxν

vector g0 = ∂/∂0 (vector dy)
vector g1 = ∂/∂1 (vector dy)
...
vector gμ = ∂/∂μ (vector dy)

or
vector gμ = ∂dym /∂μ
dym are all the components of the vecto dy.

Now
The scalar product of the two vectors gμ and gν is:

vector gμ . vector gν =
∂dym /∂μ ∂dyn /∂ν

Therefore:
ds2 = dy dy =
dym dyn = gμ dxμ gν dxν =
gμ . gν dxμ dxν

ds2 = gμ . gν dxμ dxν

We have already defined the squared line element ds2 as:
if
dym = (∂ym /∂xμ)dxμ, and dyn = (∂yn /∂xν)dxν
then ds2 is defined as:

ds2 = η dym dyn

ds2 = η dym dyn = ηmn ∂ym /∂xμ)dxμ (∂yn /∂xν)dxν =

ηmn (∂ym /∂xμ) (∂yn /∂xν) dxμdxν

with
gμν = ηmn (∂ym /∂xμ) (∂yn /∂xν)

gμν = ηmn (∂ym /∂xμ) (∂yn /∂xν)

Therefore
ds2 = gμν dxμdxν

Equating gives:

ds2 = gμ . gν dxμ dxν = gμν dxμdxν

That is:

gμν = gμ . gν

gμν = gμ . gν



2. Raising & lowering indeces


Lorentz Transformations give:

y0 = γ(x0 - βx1 )
y1 = γ(x1 - β x0 )
y2 = x2
y3 = x3


x0 = γ(y0 + βy1/sup> )
x1 = γ(y1 + β y0 )
x2 = y2
x3 = y3

Let's write the vector A with its contravaiant components:
Aμ = (y0,y1, y2, y3) =
(∂ym/∂xμ) xμ

With its covaiant components, we have:
Aμ = (y0,y1, y2, y3) =
(∂xm/∂yμ) xμ

In the Lorentz transforms: the (∂xm/∂yμ) factors give the same result as the contravariant factors
(∂ym/∂xμ), except - β changes int + β. Therefore:

y0 = γ(x0 + βx1 )
y1 = γ(x1 + β x0 )
y2 = x2
y3 = x3

What is the relationship between Aμ and Aμ?

Changing x0 into - x0, and letting the others the same, we can write the above transformations as:

y0 = - γ( x0 - βx1 ) = - y0
y1 = γ(x1 - β x0 )= y1
y2 = x2 = y2
y3 = x3 = y3

Therefore:

Aμ = gμν Aμ with
xμ = gμν xμ

gμν is the the following tensor metric:



Aμ = gμν Aμ with
xμ = gμν xμ

Raising indices:
Aμ = gμν Aν with xμ = gμν xν

We can remark gμν = gμν-1
gμν-1 is the inverse of gμν . We write gμν-1 = gνμ

gμν-1 = gμν

so
gμν = gνμ

gμν = gνμ

Lowering indices:
Aμ = gμν Aν with xμ = gμν xν




  


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