ME621A (2019) Handout - 1

Tensor algebra

A. Tensor addition
▪ Commutativity: A + B = B + A
▪ Associativity: (A + B) + C = A + B + C
▪ Existence of Zero Tensor: 0 + A = A + 0 = A
▪ Existence of negative Tensor: (-A) + A = A + (-A) = 0

B. Scalar multiplication
▪ Distributivity with Tensors: α(A + B) = αA +αB
▪ Distributivity with Scalars: (α+β)A= αA+ βA
▪ Associativity: α(βA) = (αβ)A
▪ 1A = A

C. Product
▪ No commutativity: A B ≠ B A
▪ Associativity: (A B) C = A (B C)
▪ Distributivity: A(B + C) = A B + A C, (A+B)C = A C + B C
▪ α(A B) = (α A) B + A(αB)
▪ 1 A = A1 = A

D. Transpose
▪ Linearity: (αA + βB)T = αAT + βBT
▪ (A B)T = BT AT
▪ (AT)T= A

E. Trace
▪ Linearity: tr(α A + β B) = α tr(A) + β tr(B)
▪ tr(A B) = tr (B A)
▪ tr(A B C) = tr(B C A) = tr(C A B)
▪ tr(A)T= tr A
▪ tr(ATB = tr (A BT)
▪ tr W = 0 (W is antisymmetric tensor)
▪ tr (a b) = a•b
▪ tr I = 3, tr 0 = 0

F. Determinant
1
▪ det A = 6 𝜖𝑖𝑗𝑘 𝜖𝑙𝑚𝑛 𝐴𝑖𝑙 𝐴𝑗𝑚 𝐴𝑘𝑛

▪ No linearity: det(αA + βB) ≠ α det(A) + β det(B)

▪ det(αA) = 𝛼 3 det (A)
▪ det(A B) = det(A) det(B)
▪ det (A)T = det A
▪ det W = 0 (W is antisymmetric tensor)
▪ det(a b) =0
▪ det I = 1, det O = 0

G. Inner product
▪ Commutativity (Symmetry): A • B = B • A
▪ Distributivity (Linearity): A • (β B + γ C) = β (A • B) + γ (A • C)
▪ Positive Definiteness: A • A > 0 for A ≠ 0
= 0 if and only if A = 0

H. Inverse
▪ No linearity: (α A + β B)-1 ≠ α A-1 + β B-1
1
▪ (α A)-1 = α A-1

▪ (A B)-1 = B-1 A-1

▪ (AT)-1 = (A-1)T = A-T
▪ det(A-1) = 1/ det(A)
▪ Ac(a × b) = A a × A b

I. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors

▪ A is a symmetric tensor. If 𝜆𝑖 are the eigenvalues of A and 𝑒̂𝑖 are the
orthonormal eigenvectors of A, then

1
Eigenvalues and orthonormal eigenvectors of the Inverse A-1 : 𝜆 , 𝑒̂;
𝑖
𝑖

Eigenvalues and orthonormal eigenvectors of the Deviatoric part A-1 :

1
(𝜆𝑖 − 3 tr A), 𝑒̂.
𝑖

▪ Eigenvalues of an Anti-symmetric Tensor: 𝜆1 = 0 , 𝜆2 and 𝜆3 are imaginary.

 ▪ Eigenvalues of an Orthogonal tensor R: |𝜆𝑖 |=1;
Proper R: one real eigenvalue (𝜆1 = 1), the corresponding eigenvector is the
axis of rotation.
Improper R: one real eigenvalue (𝜆1 = −1), the corresponding eigenvector is
the axis of reflection.

J. Positive definite symmetric tensor

▪ Tensor A is positive definite symmetric. Then A-1 is also a positive definite
symmetric tensor.
▪ Eigenvalue of a positive definite tensor are positive.

Properties of Kronecker’s Delta

▪ 𝛿𝑖𝑗 𝛿𝑗𝑘 = 𝛿𝑖𝑘

▪ 𝐴𝑖𝑗 𝛿𝑗𝑘 = 𝐴𝑖𝑘 , 𝐴𝑖𝑗 𝛿𝑖𝑘 = 𝐴𝑘𝑗
▪ 𝑎𝑖 𝛿𝑖𝑗 = 𝑎𝑗
▪ 𝛿𝑖𝑗 𝛿𝑖𝑗 = 𝛿𝑖𝑖 = 𝛿𝑗𝑗 = 3

A. Properties of Permutation symbol

𝛿𝑖𝑙 𝛿𝑖𝑚 𝛿𝑖𝑛
▪ 𝜖𝑖𝑗𝑘 𝜖𝑙𝑚𝑛 = det[ 𝛿𝑗𝑙 𝛿𝑗𝑚 𝛿𝑗𝑛 ]
𝛿𝑘𝑙 𝛿𝑘𝑚 𝛿𝑘𝑛
▪ 𝜖𝑖𝑗𝑘 𝜖𝑖𝑚𝑛 = 𝛿𝑗𝑚 𝛿𝑘𝑛 − 𝛿𝑗𝑛 𝛿𝑘𝑚
▪ 𝜖𝑖𝑗𝑘 𝜖𝑖𝑗𝑛 = 2𝛿𝑘𝑛
▪ 𝜖𝑖𝑗𝑘 𝜖𝑙𝑚𝑛 = 6