Christoffel Symbols

Joshua Albert

September 28, 2012

1 In General Topologies Note by some handy theorem that for almost any
continuous function F (L), equation 2 still holds. Now
We have a metric tensor g n m defined by, we work out an explict form of equation 2.

d s 2 = g a b dx a dx b (1)
 2
ds
which tells us how the distance is measured between L=
dλ
two points in a manifold M . Note g a b is a function of
= g a b ẋ a ẋ b
only xa and xb. Say we wish to investigate what an ob-
server will experience as she moves on a world line W
Where we note that the metric tensor is independent
in M , then we will take intuition from classical mechan-
of λ. Thus,
ics and extremize the action of the Lagrangian L along
W. First we say W : λ → Rn = x µ (λ) so that the world
line is parametrized. Here λ plays a role similar to time ∂L ∂ ẋ a b ∂ ẋ b a
= g a b ẋ + g a b ẋ
in classical mechanics except our time in incorporated ∂ ẋ c ∂ ẋ c ∂ ẋ c
into the 4-position x c . Now we define the Lagrangian ∂ ẋ a b
= 2g a b ẋ
as, ∂ ẋ c
= 2g a b δca ẋ b
 2
ds = 2g cb ẋ b
L=
dλ
We need to extremize the following functional for Where we used the symmetry of g n m . Note that in-
some affine parameter λ, dices are arbitrary and that we can swap them at will for
Z each other if it simplifies the procedure. Now we apply
L dλ = 0 the λ derivative.
W

From the familiar Euler-Lagrange equations we get

∂L d ẋ b ∂ g cb d x d b
 
the result, d
= 2g cb +2 ẋ
dλ ∂ ẋ c dλ ∂ xd dλ
∂L ∂L
 
d
= (2) = 2g cb ẍ b + 2g cb |d ẋ d ẋ b
dλ ∂ ẋ c ∂ xc

1
 Now for the right hand side, tensorial object then it must invariantly transform via
equation 3. And so we begin by expanding the met-
ric tensor and then applying the partial derivative, like
∂L j
∂ A ii 0 A j 0 g i j
= g a b |c ẋ a ẋ b ∂ gi0j0
∂ xc g i 0 j 0 |k 0 = ∂x k0
= ∂ xk
0 .

Then from equation 2 we have,

0 1 e 0 c 0 ∂ A bb 0 A cc 0 g b c ∂ A aa 0 A cc 0 g c a ∂ A aa 0 A bb 0 g a b
2g cb ẍ + 2g cb |d ẋ ẋ − g a b |c ẋ ẋ = 0
b d b a b Γae 0 b 0 = g ( + − )
∂ xa ∂ xb ∂ xc
0 0 0
2
=⇒ 2g e c g cb ẍ b + g e c (2g cb |a − g a b |c )ẋ a ẋ b (5)

= 2δbe ẍ b + g e c (g cb |a + g c a |b − g a b |c )ẋ a ẋ b
1
= ẍ e + g e c (g b c |a + g c a |b − g a b |c )ẋ a ẋ b = 0 We need to deal with these partial derivatives,
2
= ẍ e + Γae b ẋ a ẋ b

Where Γae b = 12 g e c (g b c |a + g c a |b − g a b |c ) are called the j

∂ A ii 0 A j 0 g i j ∂ ∂ xi ∂ xj
gij
0 0
∂ xi ∂ xj
Christoffel Symbols of the second kind1 . =
∂ ∂x
0 0
xk k

∂ 2xi ∂ xj ∂ xi ∂ 2xj
= gij + gij
∂x ∂x ∂x
i0 ∂ x ∂ xj ∂ xk
k0 j0 i0 0 0

2 Γae b is not a tensor ∂x ∂x ∂x

i j k ∂ g ij
+
∂ xi ∂ xj ∂ xk ∂ xk
0 0 0

A tensor is simply a geometrical object which represents ∂ 2xi j

=2 0 g i j + A i 0 A j 0 A k 0 g i j |k
0
i k
∂ xi ∂ xk
0
some locally isomorphic operation on a manifold M.
This implies that the null space is preserved in all repre-
sentations of the same tensor. Let’s try to take Γae b into a
Where we used symmetry of i and j to combine
different representation via,
terms. Therefore, equation 5 becomes,

0 0
χae 0 b 0 = A ee A aa 0 A bb 0 χae b (3)
0 1 e 0c 0 ∂ 2 xb
where, Γae 0 b 0 = g (2 0 g b c + A b 0 A c 0 A a 0 g b c |a
0
b c a
∂ xb ∂ xa
0
2
∂ 2xc
+2 0 g c a + A c 0 A a 0 A b 0 g c a |b
0
c a b
∂ xc ∂ xb
0

∂ xt ∂ 2xa
A ts = (4)
0 g a b − A a 0 A b 0 A c 0 g a b |c )
a b c
∂ xs −2 0
∂ xa ∂ xc
0

is the jacobian of the new representation, x t , with re-

spect to the old representation, x s . If Γae b is indeed a
Carrying the factors in and seeing the Kronecker
1 Christoffel Symbols of the first kind are almost never seen or used. deltas that appear we get,

2
 0 1 ∂ 2 xb e0 0 0
Γae 0 b 0 = (2 0 δ + A bb 0 A cc 0 A aa 0 g b c |a g e c t =t0 (9)
2 ∂ xb ∂ xa b
0

∂ 2xc a e0 0 0 x = ρ cos θ sin φ (10)

+2 0 A 0δ + A cc 0 A aa 0 A bb 0 g c a |b g e c
∂ xc ∂ xb a a
0
y = ρ sin θ sin φ (11)
∂ 2xa b c0 e0 0 0
−2 0 A 0A δ − A aa 0 A bb 0 A cc 0 g a b |c g e c ) z = ρ cos φ (12)
∂ xa ∂ xc b b a
0

∂ 2xe
0
1 e 0c 0
= (2 0 + A b 0 A c 0 A a 0 g b c |a g
b c a
2 ∂ xb ∂ xa
0
and,
∂ 2xc e0 e 0c 0
+2 0 A 0 + A c 0 A a 0 A b 0 g c a |b g
c a b
∂ xc ∂ xb a
0

∂ 2xe
0

−2 a b c
0 − A a 0 A b 0 A c 0 g a b |c g
e 0c 0
) t0=t (13)
∂x ∂x
a 0 b

∂ 2xc
0
e0 1 b a 0
= 0 A 0A 0 +
c
(A 0 A 0 g b c |a A ee g e c
∂ xa ∂ xb c c
0
2 b a p
e0
ρ= x2 +y 2 +z2 (14)
+ A aa 0 A bb 0 g c a |b A e g e c
0
− A aa 0 A bb 0 g a b |c A ee g e c )
y
 ‹
θ = tan−1 (15)
Or, x

 
z
∂ 2xc
0
e0 e0 e0 e0 φ = cos−1 (16)
Γa 0 b 0 = A cc 0 A c 0 + A aa 0 A bb 0 A e Γa 0 b 0 ) (6) ρ
∂ xa ∂ xb
0 0

∂ xµ
The jacobian A nm = ∂ xσ
of which is,
3 Christoffel Symbols of Flat Space-
Time in Spherical Coordinates 
0 µ

∆t x 
∆ρ x µ 
 
Say we have a Minkowski space-time with euclidean co- A nm = (17)
 ∆θ x µ 

ordinates xµ = (t , x , y , z ), which has metric,  
∆φ x µ
 
  1 0 0 0
1 0 0 0

0 cos θ sin φ sin θ sin φ cos φ 
 
−1 =
0 0 0
 
0 −ρ sin θ sin φ ρ cos θ sin φ

g ab =  (7) 0 
0 0 −1 0
 
  0 ρ cos θ cos φ ρ sin θ cos φ −ρ sin φ
0 0 0 −1
(18)
=⇒ ds 2 = g a b dx a dx b = dt 2 − dx 2 − dy 2 − dz 2 (8)
Clearly then, in the spherical coordinate system the
Let’s now look in spherical coordinates xσ = unit vectors would be just the rows of our above jaco-
(t 0 , ρ, θ , φ). We have the relations, bian. That is

3
  
1 g m n = A am A bn g a b (24)
µ
dx 0
 
tˆ0 =
2
=

(19)
d t 0 0 1 0 0 0
 

0 cos θ sin φ sin θ sin φ cos φ 
   
0 =
0 −ρ sin θ sin φ ρ cos θ sin φ

0 
 
0 ρ cos θ cos φ ρ sin θ cos φ −ρ sin φ

  (25)
0  
1 0 0 0
 
d x µ cos θ sin φ 
 
ρ̂ = = (20) 0 −1 0 0
 
dρ  sin θ sin φ  · (26)


  0 0 −1 0
cos φ  
0 0 0 −1

 
0
Calculation of the square of the jacobian yields the
 
d x µ −ρ sin θ sin φ 
 
ˆ
θ= = (21) columns,
dθ  ρ cos θ sin φ 

 
0

   
 0 1
d x µ ρ cos θ cos φ  0
   
φ̂ = = (22) A am A b0 =  
d φ  ρ sin θ cos φ 
 0
   
−ρ sin φ 0

(23)

Now, using our rules for the lowering and raising of

∂ xa ∂ xb
tensor objects, g m n = ∂ xm ∂ xn
g a b we can convert the A am A b1 =
flat space-time metric in euclidean coordinates to the  
(0)
spherical coordinate system. Note here that using the
 
(cos θ sin2 φ − ρ sin2 θ sin2 φ
 
 
covariant metric, that is with indices on the bottom,
+ρ θ 2 φ)
 
 cos cos 
then we must have the euclidean coordinates in terms 
(−ρ sin θ cos θ sin2 φ − ρ 2 sin θ cos θ sin φ)

 
of the spherical coordinates.
 (ρ cos2 θ sin φ cos φ − ρ 2 sin2 θ sin φ cos φ 
 
 
−ρ 2 cos θ sin φ cos φ)
Applying g m n = A am A bn g a b we get,

4
 will be zero because the Minkowski metric is diagonal.
 
(0)
 
(cos θ − ρ sin2 θ ) sin2 φ + ρ cos θ cos2 φ)
  g 00 = A a0 A b0 g a b = 1
= (−ρ sin θ cos θ (sin2 φ + ρ sin φ)
 

 

 (((cos θ − ρ)ρ cos θ 

−ρ sin θ ) sin φ cos φ)
2 2

g 11 = A a1 A b1 g a b = 0
− (((cos θ − ρ sin2 θ ) sin2 φ + ρ cos θ cos2 φ)2
A am A b2 = + (ρ sin θ cos θ (sin2 φ + ρ sin φ))2
 
 (0)  + (((cos θ − ρ)ρ cos θ − ρ 2 sin2 θ ) sin φ cos φ)2 )
(sin θ cos θ sin φ + ρ sin θ cos θ sin φ
2 2
 
  =1
+ρ θ θ )
 

 sin cos 


 (−ρ sin2 θ sin2 φ + ρ 2 cos2 θ sin2 φ) 

(ρ sin θ cos θ sin φ cos φ + ρ 2 sin θ cos θ sin φ cos φ 
 
 
−ρ 2 sin θ sin φ cos φ) g 22 = A a2 A b2 g a b = 0
− ((sin θ cos θ (sin2 φ + ρ sin2 φ + ρ))2
  + (ρ(− sin2 θ + ρ cos2 θ ) sin2 φ)2
(0)
+ (ρ(sin θ cos θ + ρ sin θ cos θ − ρ sin θ ) sin φ cos φ)2 )
 
(sin θ cos θ (sin2 φ + ρ sin2 φ + ρ))
 
=
 
(ρ(− sin θ + ρ cos θ ) sin φ)
2 2 = ρ 2 sin2 φ
2

 
 
(ρ(sin θ cos θ + ρ sin θ cos θ − ρ sin θ ) sin φ cos φ)

g 33 = A a3 A b3 g a b = 0
A am A b3 =
  − (((cos θ − ρ) sin φ cos φ)2
(0)
  + (−ρ sin θ sin φ cos φ)2
(cos θ sin φ cos φ − ρ sin φ cos φ)
 
+ (ρ cos θ cos2 φ + ρ 2 sin2 φ)2 )
(−ρ sin θ sin φ cos φ)
 
 
= ρ2
 
(ρ cos θ cos φ + ρ sin φ)
2 2 2

 
 (0) 
 ((cos θ − ρ) sin φ cos φ) 
 
=
 (−ρ sin θ sin φ cos φ) 

 
(ρ cos θ cos2 φ + ρ 2 sin2 φ)

Now we can calculate the full metric. All off diagonals