The tensor product of tensors confusion

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the definition and properties of the tensor product of tensors, specifically how the tensor product of two tensors T1 and T2 of types (r1, s1) and (r2, s2) respectively results in a tensor of type (r1 + r2, s1 + s2). Participants clarify that while tensors are multilinear functions, they do not produce numbers directly; rather, they map vectors and covectors to scalars. The conversation references the book "An Introduction to Tensors and Group Theory for Physicists" by Jeevanjee and Nadir, emphasizing the importance of understanding the structure of tensors and their operations.

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  • Familiarity with multilinear functions and their properties
  • Knowledge of vector spaces and dual spaces
  • Basic concepts of bilinear functions and their applications
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  • #31
The standard definition of tensor product of two vector spaces (perhaps infinite dimensional) is as follows. let ##E,F## be vector spaces (say over ##\mathbb{R}##) and let ##B(E,F)## be a space of bilinear functions ##f:E\times F\to \mathbb{R}##.

Define a mapping ##u_{xy}:B(E,F)\to \mathbb{R}## as follows
##u_{xy}(f)=f(x,y)## so that ##u_{xy}\in (B(E,F))^*.## We have also got a bilinear mapping
$$\chi:E\times F\to (B(E,F))^*,\quad \chi(x,y)=u_{xy}.$$
By definition the tensor product ##E\otimes F## is the linear span of $$\chi(E\times F);\quad x\otimes y:=u_{xy}.$$

The main feature is as follows. Any bilinear function ##A:E\times F\to W## (W is some other vector space) can be presented as follows ##A=\tilde A\chi ##
here ##\tilde A:E\otimes F\to W## is a linear mapping.
 
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  • #32
wrobel said:
The standard definition of tensor product of two vector spaces (perhaps infinite dimensional) is as follows. let ##E,F## be vector spaces (say over ##\mathbb{R}##) and let ##B(E,F)## be a space of bilinear functions ##f:E\times F\to \mathbb{R}##.

Define a mapping ##u_{xy}:B(E,F)\to \mathbb{R}## as follows
##u_{xy}(f)=f(x,y)## so that ##u_{xy}\in (B(E,F))^*.## We have also got a bilinear mapping
$$\chi:E\times F\to (B(E,F))^*,\quad \chi(x,y)=u_{xy}.$$
By definition the tensor product ##E\otimes F## is the linear span of $$\chi(E\times F);\quad x\otimes y:=u_{xy}.$$

The main feature is as follows. Any bilinear function ##A:E\times F\to W## (W is some other vector space) can be presented as follows ##A=\tilde A\chi ##
here ##\tilde A:E\otimes F\to W## is a linear mapping.
Thanks
 
  • #33
In a general sense, the tensor product of two vector spaces ##V, W ## over the same field is a third vector space ##V \otimes W##, whose dimension is the product of those of ##V, W ##and so that every bilinear map from ## V \times W \rightarrow Z ## , becomes a linear map from ## V\otimes W \rightarrow Z ##, for ##Z## any vector space.
Idea is to transform multilinear maps into linear ones, as the latter are simpler and easier to deal with.
 
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