- #1
CAF123
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1. Homework Statement
I can't get the latex to render so I use ##\tilde a## to mean the slashed notation commonly seen in the Dirac equation, so ##\tilde a = \gamma^{\nu}a_{\nu}## which is also ##a_{\nu}\gamma^{\nu}## I think.
Prove the following:
##\gamma^{\mu} \tilde{a} \gamma_{\mu} = -2 \tilde a##
##\gamma^{\mu} \tilde a \tilde b \gamma_{\mu} = 4ab##
Homework Equations
As given above (defintion of ##\tilde a##)
The Attempt at a Solution
$$\gamma^{\mu} \tilde{a} \gamma_{\mu} = \gamma^{\mu}\gamma^{\nu}a_{\nu}\gamma_{\mu} = \gamma^{\mu}a_{\nu} \gamma^{\nu} \gamma_{\mu} = g_{\mu \beta}\gamma^{\mu}a_{\nu}\gamma^{\nu}\gamma^{\beta} = g_{\mu \beta}\gamma^{\mu} a_{\nu}(2 g^{\beta \nu} - \gamma^{\beta}\gamma^{\nu})$$ which is then $$2 \gamma^{\mu}a_{\mu} - 4a_{\nu}\gamma^{\nu} = -2\tilde a$$ using that ##\gamma^{\mu}\gamma_{\mu} = 4## and the Clifford algebra. Does that seem ok?
Then
$$\gamma^{\mu} \tilde{a}\tilde{b}\gamma_{\mu} = g_{\mu \beta}\gamma^{\mu}a_{\nu}\gamma^{\nu} b_{\sigma}\gamma^{\sigma}\gamma^{\beta} = g_{\mu \beta} \gamma^{\mu} a_{\nu} \gamma^{\nu}b_{\sigma}(2g^{\sigma \beta} - \gamma^{\beta} \gamma^{\sigma}) = 2 \gamma^{\mu}a_{\nu} \gamma^{\nu} b_{\mu} - 4 a_{\nu} \gamma^{\nu}b_{\sigma}\gamma^{\sigma}$$ which is $$2(2g^{\mu \nu} - \gamma^{\nu}\gamma^{\mu})a_{\nu}b_{\mu} - 4 \tilde a \tilde b = 4 ab - 6 \tilde a \tilde b?$$
Where did I go wrong?
Thanks!