What is Tensor: Definition and 1000 Discussions

In mathematics, a tensor is an algebraic object that describes a (multilinear) relationship between sets of algebraic objects related to a vector space. Objects that tensors may map between include vectors and scalars, and even other tensors. There are many types of tensors, including scalars and vectors (which are the simplest tensors), dual vectors, multilinear maps between vector spaces, and even some operations such as the dot product. Tensors are defined independent of any basis, although they are often referred to by their components in a basis related to a particular coordinate system.
Tensors have become important in physics because they provide a concise mathematical framework for formulating and solving physics problems in areas such as mechanics (stress, elasticity, fluid mechanics, moment of inertia, ...), electrodynamics (electromagnetic tensor, Maxwell tensor, permittivity, magnetic susceptibility, ...), or general relativity (stress–energy tensor, curvature tensor, ...) and others. In applications, it is common to study situations in which a different tensor can occur at each point of an object; for example the stress within an object may vary from one location to another. This leads to the concept of a tensor field. In some areas, tensor fields are so ubiquitous that they are often simply called "tensors".
Tullio Levi-Civita and Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro popularised tensors in 1900 - continuing the earlier work of Bernhard Riemann and Elwin Bruno Christoffel and others - as part of the absolute differential calculus. The concept enabled an alternative formulation of the intrinsic differential geometry of a manifold in the form of the Riemann curvature tensor.

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  1. L

    A Tensor product in Cartesian coordinates

    I am confused. Why sometimes perturbation ##V'=\alpha xy## we can write as ##V'=\alpha x \otimes y##. I am confused because ##\otimes## is a tensor product and ##x## and ##y## are not matrices in coordinate representation. Can someone explain this?
  2. B

    Frame indifference and stress tensor in Newtonian fluids

    During lecture today, we were given the constitutive equation for the Newtonian fluids, i.e. ##T= - \pi I + 2 \mu D## where ##D=\frac{L + L^T}{2}## is the symmetric part of the velocity gradient ##L##. Dimensionally speaking, this makes sense to me: indeed the units are the one of a pressure...
  3. Tertius

    A Find SEM Tensor from Lagrangian of Temporal Variable

    It seems the field φ(t, xi) could be integrated over all space to form a single temporal variable (which isn't a field anymore, but is just a function of time) as follows: Φ(t) = ∫φ(t, xi)dxi Suppose we then assume a Lagrangian from this temporal variable to be: L1 = -1/2 Φ'(t)2 + 1/2 b2...
  4. snypehype46

    I Computing Ricci Tensor Coefficients w/ Tetrad Formalism

    I'm reading "Differentiable manifolds: A Theoretical Physics Approach" by Castillo and on page 170 of the book a calculation of the Ricci tensor coefficients for a metric is illustrated. In the book the starting point for this method is the equation given by: $$d\theta^i = \Gamma^i_{[jk]}...
  5. B

    I Divergence of first Piola-Kirchoff stress tensor

    Hi everyone, studying the bending of an incompressible elastic block of Neo-Hookean material, one finds out the first Piola-Kirchoff stress tensor as at page 182 (equation 5.93) where $e_r = cos(\theta)e_1 + \sin(\theta)e_2$ and $e_{\theta} = -sin(\theta)e_1 + \cos(\theta)e_2$ How is the...
  6. Arman777

    A Deriving Essential Quantities from Metric Tensor for GR Calculations

    I am working on a computational project about General Relativity. In this process, I want to code 'the stuff' that can be derivable from the metric tensor. So far, I have coded Riemann Tensor, Weyl Tensor, Einstein Tensors, Ricci Tensor, Ricci scalar. What are the other essential/needed...
  7. wrobel

    A Stress Tensor: Definition, Ideas & Discussion

    Inspired by the closed thread about pressure:) Here is some of my fantasies about a definition of the stress tensor. Nothing here claims to be a correct theory but just as a matter for discussion.
  8. A

    Divergence in Spherical Coordinate System by Metric Tensor

    The result equation doesn't fit with the familiar divergence form that are usually used in electrodynamics. I want to know the reason why I was wrong. My professor says about transformation of components. But I cannot close to answer by using this hint, because I don't have any idea about "x"...
  9. C

    Calculation Involving Projection Tensor in Minkowski Spacetime

    In Minkowski spacetime, calculate ##P^{\gamma}_{\alpha}U^{\beta}\partial_{\beta}U^{\alpha}##. I had calculated previously that ##P^{\gamma}_{\alpha}=\delta^{\gamma}_{\alpha}+U_{\alpha}U^{\gamma}## When I subsitute it back into the expression...
  10. D

    I Contracting the stress energy tensor

    I am trying to understand the scalar form of the Einstein field equations. I know that you can contract the stress-energy tensor using the metric. And for a perfect fluid model, this turns out to be the energy density summed with the pressure. This also gives the Ricci scalar. However, you can...
  11. warhammer

    Question on Moment of Inertia Tensor of a Rotating Rigid Body

    Hi. So I was asked the following question whose picture is attached below along with my attempt at the solution. Now my doubt is, since the question refers to the whole system comprising of these thin rigid body 'mini systems', should the Principle moments of Inertia about the respective axes...
  12. B

    Invariants of the stress tensor (von Mises yield criterion)

    Hello all, I am trying to understand the von Mises yield criterion and stumbled across two equations for the second stress invariant. Although the only difference is a difference in signs (negative and positive), it has been bothering me. Attached are the two versions. Which one is correct and...
  13. Arman777

    I Definition of Tensor Identity Simplification

    Is there a simplifcation of ##g^{\alpha \delta}g_{\beta \gamma} ## or what is equal to ?
  14. Arman777

    Tensor Calculations given two vectors and a Minkowski metric

    Let us suppose we are given two vectors ##A## and ##B##, their components ##A^{\nu}## and ##B^{\mu}##. We are also given a minkowski metric ##\eta_{\alpha \beta} = \text{diag}(-1,1,1,1)## In this case what are the a) ##A^{\nu}B^{\mu}## b) ##A^{\nu}B_{\mu}## c) ##A^{\nu}B_{\nu}## For part (a)...
  15. R

    Prove that If A,B are 3x3 tensors, then the matrix C=AB is also a tensor

    I try to solve but i have 1 step in the solution that I don't understand who to solve. Below in the attach files you can see my solution, the step that I didn't make to prove Marked with a question mark. thanks for your helps (:
  16. U

    Trying to understand electric and magnetic fields as 4-vectors

    I was trying to show that the field transformation equations do hold when considering electric and magnetic fields as 4-vectors. To start off, I obtained the temporal and spatial components of ##E^{\alpha}## and ##B^{\alpha}##. The expressions are obtained from the following equations...
  17. G

    A Britgrav Weyl Tensor Research: Find Paper Authors, Title & Accessibility

    In the earlier years of Britgrav there were sometimes longer presentations of research done at the host university. In one such, about 2005 or so, a presentation showed that an isolated region of space could be rotated through 180 degrees by the action of extreme waves in the Weyl tensor...
  18. U

    Tensor help -- Write out this tensor in a simplified sum

    I managed to write $$F_{\alpha\beta}F^{\alpha\gamma}=F_{0\beta}F^{0\gamma}+F_{i\beta}F^{i\gamma}$$ where $$i=1,2,3$$ and $$\gamma=0,1,2,3=\beta$$. How do I proceed?
  19. Haorong Wu

    Mathematica Looking for packages for tensor calculation in Mathematica

    Hello. I am doing tensor calculation with indices, such as contraction, lowering or raising indices, tensor production, etc. I have tried the Ricci.m from https://sites.math.washington.edu/~lee/Ricci/ However, maybe because the package has not been upgraded for some time, I could not get the...
  20. Hansol

    Physical meaning of thermal conductivity tensor

    Good afternoon everyone! I've learned that thermal conductivity has a form of second-rank tensor. As you know, diagonal components of stress tensor mean normal stress and other components mean shear stress and like that do off-diagonal components of thermal conductivity tensor have some special...
  21. F

    Energy-momentum tensor for a relativistic system of particles

    I think it is quite simple as an exercise, following the two relevant equations, but at the beginning I find myself stuck in going to identify the lagrangian for a relativistic system of non-interacting particles. For a free relativistic particle I know that lagrangian is...
  22. E

    B Understanding the Stress-Energy Tensor & Solar Mass in General Relativity

    In the test of General Relativity by perihelion motion of mercury, the stress-energy tensor is set to 0 in Schwarzschild solution. Then, is the curvature caused by solar mass, or by the 0 stress-energy? Or, do we consider solar mass as the gravitating mass? Or the 0 stress-energy the gravitating...
  23. L

    I How Does Each Element in the Permittivity Tensor Matrix Represent an Anisotropic Material?

    If I have an anisotropic material with permittivity: $$\epsilon= \begin{pmatrix} \epsilon_{ii} & \epsilon_{ij} & \epsilon_{ik} \\ \epsilon_{ji} & \epsilon_{jj} & \epsilon_{jk} \\ \epsilon_{ki} & \epsilon_{kj} & \epsilon_{kk} \\ \end{pmatrix} $$ What exactly does each element represent in this...
  24. Diracobama2181

    A Energy-Momentum Tensor in Phi^3 Theory

    Relevant Equations:: ##\ket{\vec{p}}=\hat{a}^{\dagger}(\vec{p})\ket{0}## for a free field with ##[\hat{a}({\vec{k})},\hat{a}^{\dagger}({\vec{k'})}]=2(2\pi)^3\omega_k\delta^3({\vec{k}-\vec{k'}})## $$ \bra{ \vec{ p'}} T_{\mu,\nu} \ket{ \vec...
  25. Diracobama2181

    Energy Momentum Tensor in Phi^3 Theory

    $$ \bra{ \vec{ p'}} T_{\mu,\nu} \ket{ \vec {p}}=\bra{\Omega}\hat{a}(\vec{p'})(\partial^{\mu}\Phi\partial^{\nu} \Phi-g^{\mu \nu}\mathcal{L})\hat{a}^{\dagger}(\vec{p})\ket{\Omega}=\bra{\Omega}(\hat{a}(\vec{p'})\partial^{\mu}\Phi\partial^{\nu} \Phi\hat{a}^{\dagger}(\vec{p})\\...
  26. T

    A Exploring Tensor Calculus: A Brief Introduction

    Hello.Questions: How tensor operations are done?Like addition, contraction,tensor product, lowering and raising indices. Why do we need lower and upper indices if we want and not only lower? Is a tensor a multilinear mapping?Or a generalisation of a vector and a matrix? Could a tensor be...
  27. Pouramat

    Energy-Momentum Tensor for Electromagnetism in curved space

    a) I'd separated the Lagrangian into: $$ \mathcal L = \mathcal L_{Max}+\mathcal L_{int} $$ in which ##\mathcal L_{Max} =\frac{-1}{4}\sqrt{-g} F^{\mu \nu}F_{\mu \nu}## and ##\mathcal L_{int} =\sqrt{-g} A_\mu J^\mu## Thus: $$ T^{\mu \nu}_{Max}= F^{\mu...
  28. George Keeling

    I Explore Coordinate Dependent Statements in Orodruin's Insight

    I am studying @Orodruin's Insight "Explore Coordinate Dependent Statements in an Expanding Universe". It looks pretty interesting. About three pages in it reads "expanding ##x^a## to second order in ##\xi^\mu## generally leads to$$ x^a=e_\mu^a\xi^\mu+c_{\mu\nu}^a\xi^\mu\xi^\nu+\mathcal{O}_3...
  29. George Keeling

    I Tensor rank: One number or two?

    When I started learning about tensors the tensor rank was drilled into me. "A tensor rank ##\left(m,n\right)## has ##m## up indices and ##n## down indices." So a rank (1,1) tensor is written ##A_\nu^\mu,A_{\ \ \nu}^\mu## or is that ##A_\nu^{\ \ \ \mu}##? Tensor coefficients change when the...
  30. JD_PM

    Showing that the Weyl tensor is invariant under conformal symmetries

    The Weyl tensor is given by (Carroll's EQ 3.147) \begin{align*} C_{\rho \sigma \mu \nu} &= R_{\rho \sigma \mu \nu} - \frac{2}{n-2}\left(g_{\rho [\mu}R_{\nu]\sigma} - g_{\sigma [\mu}R_{\nu]\rho}\right) \\ &+ \frac{2}{(n-1)(n-2)}g_{\rho [\mu}g_{\nu]\sigma}R \end{align*} Where ##n## are...
  31. L

    A Understanding Tensor Notation: What is the Difference?

    I am struggling with tensor notation. For instance sometimes teacher uses \Lambda^{\nu}_{\hspace{0.2cm}\mu} and sometimes \Lambda^{\hspace{0.2cm}\nu}_{\mu}. Can you explain to me the difference? These spacings I can not understand. What is the difference between...
  32. E

    I Riemann Curvature Tensor on 2D Sphere: Surprising Results

    I have worked out (and then verified against some sources) that ##R^\theta_{\phi\theta\phi} = sin^2(\theta)##. The rest of the components are either zero or the same as ##R^\theta_{\phi\theta\phi} ## some with the sign flipped. I was surprised at this, because it implies that the curvature...
  33. E

    What is the relationship between force lines and the stress tensor field?

    Force lines method is used in Solid Mechanics for visualization of internal forces in a deformed body. A force line represents graphically the internal force acting within a body across imaginary internal surfaces. The force lines show the maximal internal forces and their directions. But...
  34. M

    Tensor Inverse (Optical Activity)

    Clearly, they used the binomial expansion on this; however, I cannot figure out why [G] is sandwiched by the epsilon inverses: $$\varepsilon^{'-1}=1/(\varepsilon+i\epsilon_{0}[G])\approx(1-i\epsilon_{0}[G]\varepsilon^{-1})\varepsilon^{-1}$$
  35. Decimal

    I Completeness relations in a tensor product Hilbert space

    Hello, Throughout my undergrad I have gotten maybe too comfortable with using Dirac notation without much second thought, and I am feeling that now in grad school I am seeing some holes in my knowledge. The specific context where I am encountering this issue currently is in scattering theory...
  36. Haorong Wu

    Stress-energy tensor for a rotating sphere

    The answer with no details is given by First, I considered a spherical shell because I thought the velocities at different radius ##r## will be different and hence the four-momentum will be different, as well. Then, I writed down the linear momenta by $$\epsilon^{ijk} r_i p_j = L_k$$ with...
  37. T

    I Can Tensors of Any Rank Be Approximated by Matrices?

    Hello. Could we approximate a tensor of (p,q) rank with matrices of their elements? I am talking also about the general case of a tensor not only special cases. For example a (2,0) tensor with i, j indices is a matrix of ixj indices. A (3,0) tensor with i,j,k indices I think is k matrices with...
  38. F

    Find the tensor that carries out a transformation

    I got stuck in this calculation, I can't collect everything in terms of ##dx^{\mu}##. ##x'^{\mu}=\frac{x^{\mu}-x^2a^{\mu}}{1-2a_{\nu}x^{\nu}+a^2x^2}## ##x'^{\mu}=\frac{x^{\mu}-g_{\alpha \beta}x^{\alpha}x^{\beta}a^{\mu}}{1-2a_{\nu}x^{\nu}+a^2g_{\alpha \beta}x^{\alpha}x^{\beta}}##...
  39. jk22

    I Riemann Tensor, Stoke's Theorem & Winding Number

    I saw briefly that the Riemann tensor can be obtained via Stoke's theorem and parallel transport along a closed curve. If one does add winding number then it can give several results, does it imply that this tensor is multivalued ?
  40. K

    I Prove that dim(V⊗W)=(dim V)(dim W)

    This proof was in my book. Tensor product definition according to my book: $$V⊗W=\{f: V^*\times W^*\rightarrow k | \textrm {f is bilinear}\}$$ wher ##V^*## and ##W^*## are the dual spaces for V and W respectively. I don't understand the step where they say ##(e_i⊗f_j)(φ,ψ) = φ(e_i)ψ(f_j)##...
  41. dontknow

    I What is the definition of trace for n-indexed tensor in group theory?

    I was reading zee's group theory in a nutshell. I understand that we can decompose a 2 index tensor for rotation group into an antisymmetric vector(3), symmetric traceless tensor(5) and a scalar(trace of the tensor). Because "trace is invariant" it put a condition on the transformation of...
  42. ohwilleke

    B Special Cases of Stress-Energy Tensor in GR

    Background and Motivation The stress energy tensor of general relativity, as conventionally defined, has sixteen components. One of those component, conventionally component T00, also called ρ, is mass-energy density, including the E=mc2 conversion for electromagnetic fields. The other...
  43. Pyter

    B Metric tensor for a uniformly accelerated observer

    Hello all, let's suppose we have, in a flat spacetime, two observers O and O', the latter speeding away from O, with an uniform acceleration ##a##. In the Minkowski spacetime chart of O, the world-line of O' can be drawn as a parable. We know that the Lorentz boost at every point of the...
  44. Diracobama2181

    I How to Write T_{\mu v} for Energy-Momentum Tensor

    I know the tensor can be written as $$T^{\mu v}=\Pi^{\mu}\partial^v-g^{\mu v}\mathcal{L}$$ where $$g^{\mu v}$$ is the metric and $$\mathcal{L}$$ is the Lagrangian density, but how would I write $$T_{\mu v}$$? Would it simply be $$T_{\mu v}=g_{\mu \rho}g_{v p}T^{\rho p}$$? And if so, is there a...
  45. Glenn Rowe

    Electromagnetic stress tensor from pressure and tension

    I'm puzzling over Exercise 1.14 in Thorne & Blandford's Modern Classical Physics. We are given that an electric field ##\boldsymbol{E}## exerts a pressure ## \epsilon_{0}\boldsymbol{E}^{2}/2## orthogonal to itself and a tension of the same magnitude along itself. (The magnetic field does the...
  46. George Keeling

    I Solving Vanishing Tensor Eqn & Raising All Indices

    I have an equation $$ \chi_\nu\nabla_\mu\chi_\sigma+\chi_\sigma\nabla_\nu\chi_\mu+\chi_\mu\nabla_\sigma\chi_\nu=0 $$so we also have$$ g_{\nu\rho}g_{\mu\tau}g_{\sigma\lambda}\left(\chi^\rho\nabla^\tau\chi^\lambda+\chi^\lambda\nabla^\rho\chi^\tau+\chi^\tau\nabla^\lambda\chi^\rho\right)=0 $$Does...
  47. G

    I Variation of Metric and the Energy-Momentum Tensor: Where Am I Going Wrong?

    Given the action ##S =-\sum m_q \int \sqrt{g_{\mu\nu}[x_q(\lambda)]\dot{x}^\mu_q(\lambda)\dot{x}^\nu_q(\lambda)} d\lambda## The Energy-Momentum Tensor (EMT) is defined by the variation of the metric $$\delta S = \frac{1}{2}\int T_{\mu\nu} \delta g^{\mu\nu} \sqrt{g} d^4x$$ Then I use two...
  48. V

    I Convert 2x2 Matrix to 1x1 Tensor

    If I have a matrix representing a 2nd order tensor (2 2) and I want to convert this matrix from M$$\textsuperscript{ab}$$ to $$M\textsubscript{b}\textsuperscript{a}$$ what do I do? I'm given the matrix elements for the 2x2 tensor. When applying the metric tensor to this matrix I understand...
  49. Data Base Erased

    I Beginner question about tensor index manipulation

    For instance, using the vector ##A^\alpha e_\alpha##: ##g_{\mu \nu} e^\mu \otimes e^\nu (A^\alpha e_\alpha) = g_{\mu \nu} (e^\mu, A^\alpha e_\alpha) e^\nu ## ##g_{\mu \nu} e^\mu \otimes e^\nu (A^\alpha e_\alpha) = A^\alpha g_{\mu \nu} \delta_\alpha^\mu e^\nu = A^\mu g_{\mu \nu} e^\nu = A_\nu...
  50. J

    I Definition of Second-Order Tensor by Jim Adrian

    A second-order tensor is comprised at least of a two-dimensional matrix, as an nth-order tensor is comprised at least of an n-dimensional matrix, but what else is in the formal definition. A scientific definition needs to name the term being defined, and describe the meaning of that term only...
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