# Energy-momentum tesor

1. Aug 16, 2005

### samalkhaiat

How can you go about and prove the following :
The energy-momentum tensor for any classical field theory = -2 X the functional derivative of the action with respect to the metric tensor.

2. Aug 18, 2005

### hellfire

Basically, if you have an action for matter interacting with gravity S = SG + SM and perform the functional derivative of S with respect to the metric tensor, you will get a first part corresponding to SG, which will be Einstein’s equations in vacuum, and a second part corresponding to SM, which will be the source of gravity. This is the covariant energy momentum tensor.

3. Aug 19, 2005

### samalkhaiat

You are right, this is how text books "define" the mater field E-M tensor in GR. This was not what I asked. I wanted a proof for the following;
given any "free" matter field Lagrangian, show that the symmetric E-M tensor is equal to -2 X the functional derivative of the "free" matter action with respect to the metric tensor.(I am asking for proof with no reference to gravity). thanks.