Solving a Calculation Problem - Basic Math/Stress Energy Tensor

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter kalish
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Calculation
kalish
Messages
27
Reaction score
0
Hello, I have a basic calculation problem. I have to find a term in the stress energy tensor from a lagrangian, that has many terms. I found the correct equation at first but know I think I made a mistake in calculation.

here is the term that make me problem, I have to find [tex]\frac{\delta(\sqrt{-g}\partial_\alpha \phi \partial^\alpha \phi)}{\delta g^{\mu\nu}} = \sqrt{-g}( \partial_\mu \partial_\nu \phi -\frac{1}{2}g_{\mu\nu}\partial_\alpha \phi \partial^\alpha \phi)[/tex]

indeed that's what I found. BUT I found it using [tex]\frac{ \delta g^{\alpha\beta}}{\delta g^{\mu\nu}} \sqrt{-g}\partial_\alpha \partial_\beta \phi = \delta^\alpha_\mu \delta^\beta_\nu<br /> \sqrt{-g}\partial_\alpha \partial_\beta \phi[/tex]

but now I strongly believe that
[tex]\frac{ \delta g^{\alpha\beta}}{\delta g^{\mu\nu}} \sqrt{-g}\partial_\alpha \partial_\beta \phi = (\delta^\alpha_\mu \delta^\beta_\nu + \delta^\alpha_\nu \delta^\beta_\mu ) \sqrt{-g}\partial_\alpha \partial_\beta \phi[/tex]

that means twice the first term, and that is a problem as my final result will look like

[tex]\sqrt{-g}( 2\partial_\mu \partial_\nu \phi -\frac{1}{2}g_{\mu\nu}\partial_\alpha \phi \partial^\alpha \phi)[/tex]

So where is the problem please? I am a little ashamed, I thought about it before but I wasn't convinced as I found the good result.
This is not homework as I have to make a calculation that has already been made during my training, not quite a homework.
 
Hello, I found my mistake.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 68 ·
3
Replies
68
Views
7K
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • · Replies 38 ·
2
Replies
38
Views
3K