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Week2 (1)

The document outlines problems and exercises related to differential geometry and general relativity, focusing on overlap functions, smooth functions, commutators, and metrics in curvilinear coordinates. It includes specific tasks such as proving the smoothness of overlap functions, constructing coordinate systems for S^2, and verifying properties of commutators. Additionally, it suggests further reading and additional problems from relevant literature.

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sara.m.r2003
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5 views

Week2 (1)

The document outlines problems and exercises related to differential geometry and general relativity, focusing on overlap functions, smooth functions, commutators, and metrics in curvilinear coordinates. It includes specific tasks such as proving the smoothness of overlap functions, constructing coordinate systems for S^2, and verifying properties of commutators. Additionally, it suggests further reading and additional problems from relevant literature.

Uploaded by

sara.m.r2003
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Prof. D.

Hilditch Week 2 GR 2025

Problem 1: Overlap functions. (Wald, Ch. 2, Qn. 1)


i) Show that the overlap functions fi± ◦ (fj± )−1 introduced in class are smooth. [Feel free
to pick one example].

ii) Show by explicit construction that two coordinate systems suffice to cover S 2 .

Problem 2: A missing result. (Wald, Ch. 2, Qn. 2)


Prove that any smooth function f : Rn → R can be written in the form
n
X
F (x) = F (a) + (xµ − aµ )Hµ (x)
µ=1

for some collection of smooth functionsHµ . (Hint: For n = 1, use the identity
Z 1
F (x) − F (a) = (x − a) F ′ [t(x − a) + a]dt ,
0

then prove it for general n by induction).

Problem 3: Commutators. (Wald, Ch. 2, Qn. 3)


i) Verify that the commutator, defined by [X, Y ](f ) = X[Y (f )] − Y [X(f )] satisfies the
linearity and Leibniz properties, and hence defines a vector field.

ii) Let X, Y, Z be smooth vector fields on a manifold M . Verify that their commutator
satisfies the Jacobi identity

[[X, Y ], Z] + [[Z, X], Y ] + [[Y, Z], X] = 0,

iii) Let Y1 . . . Yn be smooth vector fields on an n-dimensional manifold M such that at each
point p ∈ M they form a basis of the tangent space Vp . Then, at each point, we may
expand each commutator [, ] in this basis, thereby defining the functions C γ αβ = −C γ βα
by
X
[Yα , Yβ ] = C γ αβ Yγ .
γ

Use the Jacobi identity to derive an equation satisfied by C γ αβ . (This equation is a


useful algebraic relation if the C are constants, as will be the case if Y1 . . . Yn are left [or
right] invariant vector fields on a Lie group).

1
Prof. D. Hilditch Week 2 GR 2025

Problem 4: Metrics in curvilinear coordinates. (Wald, Ch. 2,


Qn. 8)
i) The metric of flat, three-dimensional Euclidean space is

ds2 = dx2 + dy 2 + dz 2 .

Show that the metric components gµν in spherical polar coordinates r, θ, ϕ defined by

r = (x2 + y 2 + z 2 )1/2 , cos θ = z/r , tan ϕ = y/x

is given by

ds2 = dr2 + r2 dθ2 + r2 sin2 θdϕ2 .

ii) The spacetime metric of special relativity is

ds2 = −dt2 + dx2 + dy 2 + dz 2 .

Find the components, gµν and g µν of the metric and inverse metric in “rotating coordi-
nates,” defined by

t′ = t , x′ = (x2 + y 2 )1/2 cos(ϕ − ωt) , y ′ = (x2 + y 2 )1/2 sin(ϕ − ωt) , z′ = z ,

where tan ϕ = y/x.

Problem 5: Suggested additional problems: metrics and


“the problem book”.
Solve the any question from Chapter 6 of the problem book from Lightman et al.

Suggestions for reading:


Wald, Chapter 3 / Carroll, Chapter 3.

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