Show Lie Bracket of X & Y is Linear Comb. of Commuting Vector Fields

In summary, if the vector fields X and Y are linear combinations of m vector fields that all commute with each other, then the lie bracket of X and Y can also be written as a linear combination of the same m vector fields. This is shown by expressing X and Y in terms of scalar functions and using the Einstein summation convention to work out the lie derivative in component form. Although the resulting expression may not appear neat, it is still sufficient to conclude that the lie bracket is a linear combination of the m vector fields.
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WannabeNewton
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Homework Statement


Show that if the vector fields [itex]X[/itex] and [itex]Y[/itex] are linear combinations (not necessarily with constant coefficients) of [itex]m[/itex] vector fields that all commute with one another, then the lie bracket of [itex]X[/itex] and [itex]Y[/itex] is a linear combination of the same [itex]m[/itex] vector fields.

The Attempt at a Solution


I started off by denoting the [itex]m[/itex] vector fields by [itex]V_{(a)}[/itex] so that [itex][V_{(c)}, V_{(d)}] = 0[/itex] for all [itex]V_{(a)}[/itex]. I wrote the vector fields [itex]X[/itex] and [itex]Y[/itex] as [itex]X = \alpha ^{c}V_{(c)}[/itex] and [itex]Y = \beta ^{d}V_{(d)}[/itex] where [itex]\alpha ,\beta [/itex] are scalar functions. Then, [itex][X, Y] = [\alpha ^{c}V_{(c)}, \beta ^{d}V_{(d)}][/itex] right? I worked out the lie derivative in component form and put it back in abstract form to get [tex][X, Y]= [\alpha ^{c}V_{(c)}, \beta ^{d}V_{(d)}] = \alpha ^{c}V_{(d)}(V_{(c)}\cdot \triangledown \beta ^{d}) - \beta ^{d}V_{(c)}(V_{(d)}\cdot \triangledown \alpha ^{c})[/tex] but I don't see how this helps me at all in showing that [itex][X, Y][/itex] can be written as a linear combination of the [itex]V_{(a)}[/itex]'s (the m vector fields). Help please =D.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that I am using the Einstein summation convention here so that any repeated letters with one on top and one on bottom indicates summation.
 
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  • #2
Apparently, [tex][X, Y]= \alpha ^{c}V_{(d)}(V_{(c)}\cdot \triangledown \beta ^{d}) - \beta ^{d}V_{(c)}(V_{(d)}\cdot \triangledown \alpha ^{c})[/tex] is sufficient to conclude that the lie bracket is a linear combination of the m vector fields. I'm not convinced only because, while the expression does contain linear combinations of the m vector fields, the expression doesn't look neat in the slightest. If anyone wants to weigh in I would be very glad but I will assume that the conclusion is correct for now as it agrees with what the text has.
 

1. What is a Lie bracket?

A Lie bracket is a mathematical operation that measures the degree of non-commutativity between two vector fields. It is denoted by [X,Y] where X and Y are vector fields.

2. How is the Lie bracket of X and Y calculated?

The Lie bracket of X and Y is calculated by taking the commutator of the two vector fields, which is defined as the difference between the composition of X and Y and the composition of Y and X.

3. What does it mean for the Lie bracket of X and Y to be a linear combination of commuting vector fields?

If the Lie bracket of X and Y is a linear combination of commuting vector fields, it means that the two vector fields commute with each other and the Lie bracket reduces to zero.

4. Can the Lie bracket of X and Y be a non-linear combination of commuting vector fields?

No, the Lie bracket of X and Y can only be a linear combination of commuting vector fields. This is because the commutator of two vector fields is a bilinear operation and therefore, it can only yield a linear combination.

5. What is the significance of the Lie bracket of X and Y?

The Lie bracket of X and Y is significant because it helps in understanding the behavior of vector fields and their commutativity. It is also used in various mathematical theories such as Lie groups and Lie algebras.

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