Help with tensor formulation of special relativity

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The discussion focuses on understanding the tensor formulation of special relativity, specifically the equation F_αβ = g_αγ*g_βδ*F^(γδ). Participants clarify that g_αγ*g_βδ is not standard matrix multiplication but rather involves tensor contraction. The right-hand side of the equation requires summation over dummy indices, with an example provided for clarity. It is emphasized that the equation can be interpreted in terms of matrix multiplication by rewriting it as F_αβ = g_αγ F^(γδ) g^T_δβ. This approach simplifies the evaluation of the tensor equation in the context of special relativity.
lonewolf219
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Homework Statement



Hi, I can't seem to understand the following formula in my professor's lecture notes:

F_αβ = g_αγ*g_βδ*F^(γδ)

Homework Equations


Where g_αβ is the diagonal matrix in 4 dimensions with g_00 = 1 and g_11 = g_22 = g_33 = -1 and F^(γδ) is the electromagnetic tensor with c=1.

The Attempt at a Solution


I keep wanting to perform matrix multiplication, but g_αγ*g_bδ would just be the unit matrix if we did this, right? I don't understand how to perform the RHS of this equation...
 
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lonewolf219 said:
I keep wanting to perform matrix multiplication, but g_αγ*g_bδ would just be the unit matrix if we did this, right?
##g_{\alpha\gamma} g_{\beta \delta}## is not matrix multiplication - it is an object with four free indices that are uncorrelated. In tensorial language, matrix multiplication corresponds to a contraction of two rank-two tensors. For example, ##A_{i j} B^{j k}## can be viewed as a matrix multiplication - try to compare this with the usual component-wise multiplication definition of matrix multiplication before reading on!

As for how to evaluate the RHS of the equation, well we have to perform a summation over the dummy indices. As an example, for ##\alpha = \beta = 0##, we have
F_{0 0} = \sum_{\gamma = 0}^{3}\sum_{\delta = 0}^{3} g_{0\gamma} g_{0\delta} F^{\gamma \delta}
where I have put the summations in explicitly just to show things clearly.

Of course there is an easier way to do it since these are rank-two tensors - recall earlier that I mentioned that matrix multiplication involves contracting one index in a product of two such tensors. So, ##C_{i k} = A_{i j} B^{j k}## can be viewed as taking the i-th row of A and multiply it element-wise with the k-th column of B, which is what we do when we multiply matrices in the usual sense. If we rewrite the given equation as
F_{\alpha\beta} = g_{\alpha \gamma} F^{\gamma \delta} (g^{T})_{\delta \beta}
(note that I've taken the transpose of the second ##g## to reverse the indices so that we can interpret it as matrix multiplication)
then we can write
\mathbf{F}' = \mathbf{g}\,\mathbf{F}\,\mathbf{g}^{T}
 

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