Kronecker Delta Expansion: What is the Result of δijδkk?

  • Level: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter cgstu
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Delta Expansion
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
5 replies · 10K views
cgstu
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
If given δ_ijδ_kk what would the expansion of that be? I thought it was nine but have been told that is incorrect. I know that i=j =1 else zero so I thought that the δ_kk would equal 3 times 3 from the expansion of δ_ij but that isn't the answer
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Welcome to PF!

Hi cgstu! Welcome to PF! :smile:

(try using the X2 tag just above the Reply box :wink:)

In δijδkk, which indices are you summing over? :wink:
 


tiny-tim said:
Hi cgstu! Welcome to PF! :smile:

(try using the X2 tag just above the Reply box :wink:)

In δijδkk, which indices are you summing over? :wink:



I guess that's what I am not sure of. I know that if i=j then the delta function =1 else delta =0 so my thinking was

δ11δ11 + δ12δ11 +
δ13δ11 + δ21δ11 +
δ22δk11 + δ23δ11 + ... where only when the indices matched is the entire function = 1

δ11δ11, δ22δ11,
δ33δ11... etc

This would give me a total of 9. However, this is incorrect and I do not understand why.
 
Hi cgstu! :smile:

Nooo …

the "Einstein summation convention" is that only repeated indices are summed over.

In this case, k is repeated (ie, there's two of them!), so you sum over k, but i and j are not repeated, so you don't sum over them, and they'll still be in the final result.

In other words, δijδkk is shorthand for ∑k δijδkk. :smile:

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein_summation_convention" for details. :wink:​
 
Last edited by a moderator:
thanks tiny tim,
so if I understand correctly now the answer should be three?
 
cgstu said:
thanks tiny tim,
so if I understand correctly now the answer should be three?

No, δkk = 3, so δijδkk … ? :smile: