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

Review problem 3

In this review, we will generically consider problems where the spacetime M is not flat
(unless otherwise specified), i.e. the metric tensor has components gab in the dual basis
{Υa }. That is, the spacetime is given by (M, gab ).

Problem 1 (Level: Block 2)

Fill in the steps to show that any type-(0,2) tensor Kab can be written as the symmetric
and antisymmetric parts:
Kab = K(ab) + K[ab] ,
where K(ab) = 2!1 (Kab + Kba ) and K[ab] = 2!1 (Kab − Kba ). Hence, show that any type-(0,2)
antisymmetric tensor can be written as Aab = A[ab] while any symmetric type-(0,2) tensor
can be written as Sab = S(ab) .

Solution:
1
Kab = (2Kab )
2
1
= (Kab + Kba + Kab − Kba )
2!
= K(ab) + K[ab] .

An antisymmetric tensor is one where Aab = −Aba , which implies that

−Aba = −A(ba) − A[ba] = −A(ab) + A[ab] ≡ Aab = A(ab) + A[ab] . (1)

This shows that A(ab) ≡ 0 and hence Aab = A[ab] . Similarly,

Sba = S[ba] + S(ba) = −S[ab] + S(ab) ≡ Sab = S[ab] + S(ab) (2)

which implies S[ab] ≡ 0 and hence Sab = S[ab] .

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

Problem 2 (Level: Block 2)

By using the fact that the electromagnetic tensor Fab is antisymmetric, show that the
following antisymmetric tensor equation

∇[a Fbc] = 0 (3)

is equivalent to the electromagnetic Bianchi identity 1 , i.e.

∇a Fbc + ∇b Fca + ∇c Fab = 0 . (4)

What about ∇(a Fbc) ?

Hint: recall that for arbitrary tensor with at least three indices,
1
K(abc)d... = (Kabcd... + Kbcad... + Kcabd... + Kacbd... + Kcbad... + Kbacd... ) ,
3!
1
K[abc]d... = (Kabcd... + Kbcad... + Kcabd... − Kacbd... − Kcbad... − Kbacd... ) ,
3!
that is, the symmetric part (and antisymmetric part respectively) is the sum of all even
permutations a → b → c (±) all the odd permutations a → c → b of the indices {a, b, c}.

Solution:

0 = 3!∇[a Fbc] = ∇a Fbc + ∇b Fca + ∇c Fab − ∇a Fcb − ∇b Fca − ∇c Fba

= 2 (∇a Fbc + ∇b Fca + ∇c Fab )

which implies the Bianchi identity. In the second line we have used the antisymmetric
property of Fab . Note that
1
∇(a Fbc) = (∇a Fbc + ∇b Fca + ∇c Fab + ∇a Fcb + ∇b Fac + ∇c Fba ) = 0
3!
because the last three terms cancel the first three terms by antisymmetry of Fab , e.g.
∇a Fcb = −∇a Fbc . Therefore, ∇(a Fbc) = 0 trivially for any (0,2) antisymmetric tensor
(not just electromagnetic tensor) and no physics is encoded in this part. On the other
hand, ∇[a Fbc] needs not be zero for general antisymmetric tensor; the fact that it is
zero is due to Maxwell’s equation. So the antisymmetrized equation being zero is a
physical statement (or physical constraint, if you like).

1
This equation encodes two of the full Maxwell’s equations when we are in flat space, namely ∇ · B =
0 and ∂t B + ∇ × E = 0, as you can verify.

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

Problem 3
(Level: Block 2 but a lot of simple index manipulation too)

This is a good chance to take a simple look at Lie derivative and use it to practice index
manipulation before the course ends. You can jump to the “Question” below if you are
not interested.
The Lie derivative of a tensor along a vector field Y = Y µ ∂µ describes how a tensor
changes as it is dragged along the vector field. One famous example is the fluid flow in
Newtonian physics: in 3D, a particle’s total velocity in the laboratory frame is given by
(due to chain rule)

dxj (t) ∂xj (t) dy i ∂xj ∂xj

 
i ∂
j
v (t) = = + = + Y xj (t) ≡ vfj (t) + Y(xj ) ,
dt ∂t dt ∂y i ∂t ∂y i

where j = 1, 2, 3, the first term vfj (t) = ∂xj /∂t is the particle velocity in the fluid’s rest
frame and Y(xj ) is the particle velocity due to being dragged by the fluid. Observe that
the second term is precisely the Lie derivative of xj (a smooth function) along Y: from the
notes, we have
dy j ∂φ
LY φ = Y(φ) = . (5)
dt ∂y j
Therefore, the total derivative2 of a particle moving in a fluid with fluid velocity vector
given by Y can be written as

dxj
v j (t) = = vfj (t) + LY xj ≡ vfj (t) + Y j , (6)
dt
since Y(xj ) = Y i ∂xj /∂y i = Y i δij = Y j . Hence, the total velocity is the sum of the particle’s
own velocity relative to the fluid vfj (t) and the fluid’s velocity relative to the lab Y j .
Back to GR context, it can be shown from the definition that the Lie derivative of a
type (0, 2)-tensor in curved spacetime takes the form:

LY gab = Y c ∇c gab + gac ∇b Y c + gbc ∇a Y c . (7)

The interpretation of Lie derivative as describing how tensor fields change as they are
dragged along a vector field remains true.
2
In fluid dynamics, instead of total derivative people tend to use other terminologies, such as mate-
rial derivative or advective derivative (check Wikipedia for material derivative). This is because they are
often interested in not just the velocity of the particle, but also other rates of change e.g. mass flow or
density flow (hence “material” derivative): simply replace, for example, xj (t) with mass function m(t) or
density ρ(t) and the result will be very similar: a component relative to fluid’s frame (its intrinsic mo-
tion) and a component due to fluid dragging (Lie derivative).

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

Question: using the expression in Eq. (7), fill in the steps to show that if ξ is a vector
field such that the metric tensor is unchanged as it is dragged along ξ, then ξ is the Killing
vector field :

Lξ gab = 0 =⇒ ∇(a ξb) = 0 . (8)

Hint: you need to use the metric compatibility property of the Levi-Civita connection.

Solution: The crucial step here is to note that by construction, the affine connection
in GR is “metric-compatible”, i.e. ∇a gbc = 0. Therefore,

0 = Lξ gab = ξ c ∇c gab + gac ∇b ξ c + gbc ∇a ξ c

= 0 + gac ∇b ξ c + gbc ∇a ξ c
= ∇ b ξa + ∇ a ξb
= ∇(a ξb) .

In the second line we used the metric compatibility condition, the third line we use
product rule and metric compatibility gac ∇b ξ c = ∇b (gac ξ c ) − ξ c ∇b gac = ∇b (gac ξ c ) =
∇b ξa .
Taking the example of a timelike vector field ξ = ∂t in some coordinate system
(t, xj ), if the Lie derivative L∂t gab = 0, then the metric is constant in time parameter
t. This is precisely the statement that the metric is static, i.e. there is a coordinate
system in which the metric has no dependence on t (e.g. Schwarzschild metric). Since
it implies the Killing’s equation, it must mean that ∂t is a Killing vector field, and
hence a symmetry of the spacetime. This symmetry is time-translation symmetry.

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