Winter 2012

Math 255

Vector Calculations by the Levi-Civita Symbol

Einstein Summation

Let us consider vectors a = a1 , a2 , a3 , b = b1 , b2 , b3 , c = c1 , c2 , c3 . (1)

We use i, j, . . . to express components of a vector. For example, the dot product of a and b is written as
3 3

a b = a1 b1 + a2 b2 + a3 b3 =
i=1

( a) i ( b ) i =
i=1

a i bi .

(2)

To simplify the calculation, we will omit the summation symbol. a b = ai bi . (3)

This convention is called the Einstein summation. We sum over whenever repeated indices appear. For example, aj aj = a1 a1 + a2 a2 + a3 a3 = |a|2 , ai aj = ai aj (not summation). (4)

Kronecker Delta

The Kronecker delta is dened as ij = For example, 11 = 1, 12 = 0. (6) 0, 1, i = j, i = j. (5)

Levi-Civita Symbol

For example,

The Levi-Civita symbol is a totally antisymmetric tensor dened as (i, j, k ) = (1, 2, 3), (3, 1, 2), (2, 3, 1), 1, (i, j, k ) = (1, 3, 2), (3, 2, 1), (2, 1, 3), ijk = 1, 0, i = j, j = k, k = i. 123 = 1, 321 = 1, 112 = 0. The ith component of a b is written as
3 3

(7)

(8)

Cross Product

(a b )i =
j =1 k=1

ijk aj bk = ijk aj bk .

(9)

For example, (a b)1 = 1jk aj bk = 123 a2 b3 + 132 a3 b2 = a2 b3 a3 b2 . Relation to Kronecker Delta ijk ilm = jl km jm kl , ijk ijl = 2kl . (11) (10)

Vector Calculations

A property of the scalar triple product a (b c) = (a b) c is derived as a (b c) = ai (b c)i = ai ijk bj ck = kij ai bj ck = (a b)k ck = (a b) c, (12) where we used ijk = kij . Finally, let us calculate the vector triple product a (b c). (a (b c))i = ijk aj (b c)k = ijk aj klm bl cm = kij klm aj bl cm = (il jm im jl )aj bl cm = a j bi c j a j bj c i = (a c)bi (a b)ci Therefore, we obtain a (b c) = (a c)b (a b)c. (14) (13)