What is the Inner Product in the Schwarzschild Metric?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the Schwarzschild Metric in spherical coordinates, specifically how to express it in terms of the metric tensor. The key component of the metric tensor, g00, is identified as f(r), where f(r) is defined as f(r) = 1 - (2m/r). The participant expresses confusion regarding the inner product and its relation to the metric tensor components, ultimately concluding that the inner product is not necessary for determining the metric tensor. The discussion clarifies that understanding the metric's form allows for direct identification of its components without complex calculus.

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  • Understanding of the Schwarzschild Metric
  • Familiarity with metric tensors in general relativity
  • Basic knowledge of spherical coordinates
  • Concept of inner products in differential geometry
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parsifal
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I need to write Schwarzschild Metric, that is in spherical coordinates, into the form that has the metric tensor.

Now, if the first the term of the metric is:
\Large (ds)^2=f(r)c^2dt^2-... and x0=ct,
then the first component gij of the metric tensor g is supposed to be:
\Large &lt;\frac{\partial}{\partial x^i} \ | \ \frac{\partial}{\partial x^j}&gt; \ ,i=j=0 \Rightarrow<br /> (\frac{d}{dx^0}f(r)c^2dt^2 | \frac{d}{dx^0}f(r)c^2dt^2)

But I do not actually understand that last statement. I guess dx0=cdt, but I do not know how to proceed from that.

So I know this: the component g00 of g is supposed to be f(r), and I know that f(r) should come from the inner product, but I do not understand how. Basically, what does \Large \frac{d}{dx^0}f(r)c^2dt^2 mean?

I apologize if this should have been in the introductory section, or in the calculus section.
 
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I don't see why you need to use the inner products. If you've already written down the metric in the form \Large (ds)^2=g_{ij}dx^idx^j then you can simply read off the components of the metric tensor.
i.e. (ds)^2=f(r)(dx^0)^2 \Rightarrow g_{00}=f(r)
 
I guess I was trying to do it the hard way, for some unclear reason. I didn't understand that the solution you suggested would do.

Thanks for the answer!
 
I think that f(r) in the schwarzschild metric is:

f(r)=1-\frac{2m}{r}

You don't need to do any calculus.
 
robousy said:
I think that f(r) in the schwarzschild metric is:

f(r)=1-\frac{2m}{r}

You don't need to do any calculus.

I'm not sure that the actual form of the function was required in the question.
 

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