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Hi
I am trying to work through the solution to the attached problem (see attachments). Now, I can't understand several things in the solution:
The Lagrangian in question is:
[tex]L={\frac{m}{2}}{g_{ij}(x)}.{\dot{x^{i}}{\dot{x^{j}}[/tex]
1)is [tex]g_{ij}[/tex] a matrix with diag(-1,1,1,1), ie. the metric tensor? If so, why has it been labelled [tex]g_{ij}(x)[/tex], ie. a function of x? Is Einstein's summation convention implied in the Lagrangian?
2)Why is the momentum:
[tex](p:=\frac{{\partial}L}{{\partial}\dot{x^{i}}})=mg_{ij}x^{j}
[/tex]
...surely there is a factor of a 1/2 missing (is the answer quoted in the solutions just wrong?)
3)The bit in the solution, where he says [tex]{\delta}A=0[/tex], I think he is just setting the following expression to zero:
[tex]{\delta}A=\int{dt[{\frac{{\partial}L}{{\partial}{x^{i}}}dx^{i}+\frac{{\partial}L}{{\partial}\dot{x^{i}}}d{\dot{x^{i}}]}=0[/tex] (from the theory of functionals)
what I don't understand is, why he is saying that:
[tex]\frac{{\partial}L}{{\partial}{x^{i}}}={\frac{m}{2}}{{\partial}_{i}}{g_{jk}}{\dot{x^{j}}{\dot{x^{k}}[/tex]
-where has the 'k' come from?
and why is it that
[tex]m{g_{jk}}{{\delta}{\dot{x^{i}}{\dot{x^{j}}[/tex]
equals the expression two lines below it?
As ever, any help would be much appreciated:)
I am trying to work through the solution to the attached problem (see attachments). Now, I can't understand several things in the solution:
The Lagrangian in question is:
[tex]L={\frac{m}{2}}{g_{ij}(x)}.{\dot{x^{i}}{\dot{x^{j}}[/tex]
1)is [tex]g_{ij}[/tex] a matrix with diag(-1,1,1,1), ie. the metric tensor? If so, why has it been labelled [tex]g_{ij}(x)[/tex], ie. a function of x? Is Einstein's summation convention implied in the Lagrangian?
2)Why is the momentum:
[tex](p:=\frac{{\partial}L}{{\partial}\dot{x^{i}}})=mg_{ij}x^{j}
[/tex]
...surely there is a factor of a 1/2 missing (is the answer quoted in the solutions just wrong?)
3)The bit in the solution, where he says [tex]{\delta}A=0[/tex], I think he is just setting the following expression to zero:
[tex]{\delta}A=\int{dt[{\frac{{\partial}L}{{\partial}{x^{i}}}dx^{i}+\frac{{\partial}L}{{\partial}\dot{x^{i}}}d{\dot{x^{i}}]}=0[/tex] (from the theory of functionals)
what I don't understand is, why he is saying that:
[tex]\frac{{\partial}L}{{\partial}{x^{i}}}={\frac{m}{2}}{{\partial}_{i}}{g_{jk}}{\dot{x^{j}}{\dot{x^{k}}[/tex]
-where has the 'k' come from?
and why is it that
[tex]m{g_{jk}}{{\delta}{\dot{x^{i}}{\dot{x^{j}}[/tex]
equals the expression two lines below it?
As ever, any help would be much appreciated:)
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