Recent content by pbk137

Ben, This analysis seems to work fine if the diagonalized form of the metric is the matrix identity = diag(1,1). But for S=diag(-1,1) it fails. To make it work one must introduce the additional matrix factor diag(i,1), where i=sqrt(-1). Then, another question remains: assuming that you have...

In GR it is often desireable to find coordinates in which the metric is flat, at least locally. My question is, given a general, non-diagonal metric tensor, how to diagonalize it, and how this process relates to a new coordinate system in which the metric is locally flat. The metric g can...