General relativity: constant curvature, characterizing equation

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Homework Statement



Show, that a three-dimensional space with constant curvature K is charaterized by the following equation for the Riemann curvature tensor:

R_{abcd} = K \cdot \left(g_{ac}g_{bd}-g_{ad}g_{bc}\right)

Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution



Hi folks,

I would like to give an own attempt, but I have no Idea how to start.

We haven't defined the curvature K in lecture. How is it defined?
Has anybody an idea, how to start?

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anybody an idea?
 
Wald defines the Ricci tensor as

R_{ac}=R_{abc}{}^{b}

And then the scalar curvature is the trace of the Ricci tensor

R=R_{a}{}^{a}

Your text should have similar definitions.

So, I think want you want to do is to show that if R_{abcd} = K\left(g_{ac}g_{bd}-g_{ad}g_{bc}\right), where K is a constant, then the scalar curvature is R=K.
 
ah, thanks for your input.

i haven't seen this exercise from this point of view, but it makes sense.

I have found: R=6K, thus R is constant, thus we have a constant curvature.
 
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