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Assignment-IV
1. Show that an identity tensor is invariant under orthogonal transformation.
2. Let A is symmetric. Show that
u Au = 0,

uV

iff A = 0.
3. A tensor A has a matrix

4 1 0

0 0 3
(a) Find the scaler invariants, the principal values and corresponding principal
directions of the tensor A
(b) If n1 , n2 , n3 are the principal directions, write [A]n1 ,n2 ,n3
(c) Could the following matrix represent

7 2

2 1

0 0
4. Consider the symmetric tensor A with

the tensor A in respect to some basis?

a matrix representation

0 3

8 0

0 5

Prove that the tensor A is positive definite. Also find a symmetric positive
definite matrix B such that B 2 = A.
5. Let , v and A CT (2) are scaler, vector and tensor fields, such the v = 0
and


B = I + v + (v)T
Prove that (i) B = + 2 v and (ii) (tr(B)) = 3
6. Show that for any vector field (i) v = 0 and (ii) v = (v)2 v
7. Let v = x1 x2 x3 e1 + x2 x3 e2 + x3 e3 . Find v, v, v and 2 v.

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8. Let IA1 , IA2 , IA3 are the scaler inveriants of A CT (2). Veryfy the following identities
a. tr(A3 ) = 3(IA3 IA1 IA2 ) + (IA1 )3
b. 2 [(IA1 )2 3IA2 ] = (2 3 )2 + (3 1 )2 + (1 2 )2
9. Let be a scaler field, u, v are vector field and A CT (2) be a tensor field.
Show that
(u v) = (u)T v + (v)T u
(u) = u + u
(u) = u + u
(Au) = u ( A) + tr(Au)
(A) = AT + A
(A) = AT + A
(u) = u + u
(u v) = v u u v
(u v) = v u + uv

10. Calculate: (a) (r2 u); (b) (r4 x); (c) (r(u x); (d) (u (x v)),
where r = |x| and u, v are constant tensors.
11. Calculate: (a) (v(x u)); (b) (ru); (c) (f (r)u); (d) (u f (r)x),
where r = |x| and u, v are constant tensors and f (r) is a smooth scaler field.
12. Show that

dS =
x (A n)

(x A v) dv

where x is a position vector and v is the dual vector of skew-symmetric part

A AT .
13. Let x be the position vector to any point in the volume or surface. Show that
Z
dS = 6
(x x) n