Mathematical tools

M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinate systems

Ales Janka
oce Math 0.107
ales.janka@unifr.ch
http://perso.unifr.ch/ales.janka/mechanics
November 24, 2010, Universite de Fribourg
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
1. Curvilinear coordinate system
Position vector of point M (with respect to the origin):

OM = x
Let x : R
3
R
3
be a smooth bijective mapping:
x : (
1
,
2
,
3
)
T
x(
1
,
2
,
3
)
Curvilinear coordinates of a point:
1
,
2
,
3
.
Coordinate curves through a point: parametric curves given by
x
1
() : x(,
2
,
3
)
x
2
() : x(
1
, ,
3
)
x
3
() : x(
1
,
2
, )
g
1
O
M
x
2
g


x( , , )

x( , , )
2 3
1
3
all 3 curves pass through x(
1
,
2
,
3
) (=point M with
1
,
2
,
3
xed).
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
1. Curvilinear coordinate system: local basis
Local basis: composed of tangents to the coordinate curves:
g
i
=
x

i
We suppose here that g
1
, g
2
and g
3
are linearly independent in R
3
.
Covariant local basis: dierential of the position vector x:
dx =
x

i
d
i
= g
i
d
i
How much x(
1
,
2
,
3
) changes if we perturb
i
by d
i
.
Contravariant basis is induced as before so that g
i
g
j
=
j
i
Metric tensor: g
ij
= g
i
g
j
. . . (as before)
Huge dierence with what we have seen so far:
g
i
= g
i
(x(
1
,
2
,
3
))
ie. the basis is not constant for all points x R
3
!
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
1.1 Curvilinear coordinate system: innitensimal volume
Innitensimal volume due to coordinate change:
dV = |(g
1
g
2
) g
3
|
. .

g
d
1
d
2
d
3
with g = det[g
ij
] = det(F
T
F) =
det
2
(F), where F =
_
g
1
|g
2
|g
3
_
.
In cartesian coordinates: dx = dx
i
e
i
and dV = dx
1
dx
2
dx
3
.
x( , , )
2 3
g
1

O
2
g

3

1
x( , , )
1
+d

x( , , )
1 3
x( , , )
3

2

2
+d
x
Volume integral of a scalar eld f (x) in curvilinear coords:
_

x
f (x) dx
1
dx
2
dx
3
. .
dV
=
_

f (x(
1
,
2
,
3
))

g d
1
d
2
d
3
. .
dV
with
x
= x(

).
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
2. Dierential (resp. gradient) of a scalar eld
Scalar eld: f : x R
3
R
Gradient of f (x) (with respect to the position x):
it is a vector f R
3
such that for all dx R
3
:
f (x + dx) = f (x) +f (x) dx
. .
df
+o(dx)
here, df is the dierential of f (x) along dx.
Gradient and the directional derivative of f (x)
The gradient of f (x) is such a vector f R
3
for which
[f (x)] d =
_
d
d
f (x + d)
_
=0
d R
3
.
The denition is independent of the choice of basis g
1
, g
2
, g
3
Hence, f (x) is a eld of tensors of order N = 1 (vector eld).
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
2.1 Coordinates of f in the local basis
f (x+dx) = f (x) +f (x) dx + o(dx) . . . denition of gradient
= f (x) +
f

i
d
i
+

k
o(d
k
) . . . f (x) as a function of
i
= f (x) +
f

i

i
j
d
j
+

k
o(d
k
)
= f (x) +
f

i
g
i
. .
f (x)
g
j
d
j
. .
dx
+o(dx) . . . cf. the rst line
Hence, f =
f
d
i
g
i
Covariant components of f (x) are:
(f )
i
=
f

i
. . . They coincide with
f

i
!

i
f =(f )
i
=
f

i
is named the covariant derivative of scalar eld f
The dierential df then expressed in coordinates: df =
i
f d
i
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
3. Dierential (resp. gradient) of a vector eld
Vector eld u(x) : (e.g. velocity, displacements, el. current, . . . )
eld of tensors of order N = 1:
u : x R
3
R
3
Components of u in the local basis g
i
:
u(x) = u
i
g
i
. . . both u
i
and g
i
depend on x!
Dierential du: change in u going from x to x+dx (up to o(dx)):
u(x+dx) u(x) + du = u(x) +
u

j
d
j
= u(x) +u dx
From u = u
i
g
i
, by chain rule (both u
i
and g
i
depend on x, ie.
i
!):
du =
u
i

j
d
j
g
i
+ u
i
g
i

k
d
k
(1)
Change due to changing local coordinates u
i
of u
Change due to the curvature of the coordinate system
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
3.1 Dierential of a vector eld: contravariant components
Contravariant components of du: du

= du g

, du = du

with respect to the local basis g

i
at the point x (not at x+dx!).
du =
u
i

j
d
j
g
i
+ u
i
g
i

k
d
k

Hence, the contravariant components of du:

du

= du g

=
u
i

j
d
j
g
i
g

. .

i
+u
i
g
i

k
g

d
k
=
u

j
d
j
+ u
i
g
i

j
g

. .

ij
d
j
=
_
u

j
+

ij
u
i
_
d
j
where we dene

ij
=
g
i

j
g

,
the Christoel symbols of the second kind (not a tensor!).
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
3.2 Dierential of a vector eld: covariant components
Analogously to (1), from u = u
i
g
i
, by chain rule:
du =
u
i

j
d
j
g
i
+ u
i
g
i

k
d
k
Change due to changing local coordinates u
i
of u
Change due to the curvature of the coordinate system
Aside dierentiation to get rid of the contravariant basis g
i
(which is less used):
g
i
g

=
i

j
g
i

j
g

+g
i

j
= 0
Hence,
g
i

j
g

= g
i

j
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
3.2 Dierential of a vector eld: covariant components
Covariant components of du: du

= du g

, du = du

:
du =
u
i

j
d
j
g
i
+ u
i
g
i

k
d
k

Hence, by applying the aside dierentiation:

du

= du g

=
u
i

j
d
j
g
i
g

. .

+u
i
g
i

k
g

d
k
=
u

j
d
j
u
i
g

k
g
i
. .

i
k
d
k
=
_
u

j
u
i

i
j
_
d
j
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
3.3 Dierential of a vector eld and covariant derivatives
Perturbations of the position x(
1
,
2
,
3
) by d
1
, d
2
, d
3
du:
dx = d
i
g
i
, du =
u

j
d
j
= u dx = du

= du

Contravariant and covariant coordinates of the dierential du:

du

=
_
u

j
+

ij
u
i
_
. .

j
u

d
j
du

=
_
u

j

i
j
u
i
_
. .

j
u

d
j
where
j
u

is the covariant derivative of contravariant tensor

and
j
u

is the covariant derivative of covariant tensor

Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
3.4 Covariant derivatives and gradient of a vector eld
Dierential du using covariant derivatives resp. du = u dx:
du = du

=
_
u

j
+

ij
u
i
_
. .

j
u

d
j
=
j
u

j
k
..
g
j
g
k
d
k
=
j
u

_
g

g
j

. .
u
g
k
d
k
. .
dx
Hence, the gradient u is a 2nd order tensor with:
u =
_
u

j
+

ij
u
i
_
_
g

g
j

=
j
u

_
g

g
j

the covariant derivative

j
u

is in fact the tensor u in

mixed components
_
u
_

, j
!!
Similarly,
j
u

are the 2covariant components

_
u
_
,j
of u:
u =
_
u

j

i
j
u
i
_
_
g

g
j
_
=
j
u

_
g

g
j
_
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
4. Covariant derivatives of higher order tensor T, N 2
Remember: covariant deriv. of scalar eld = its partial deriv.:

k
f =
f

k
We can exploit it:
Multiply T by N arbitrary vector-elds a, b, . . . to form a
scalar f . Example for 2nd-order tensor T:
f = T
ij
a
i
b
j
Apply the covariant = partial trick on f :

k
_
T
ij
a
i
b
j
_
=

k
_
T
ij
a
i
b
j
_
=
T
ij

k
a
i
b
j
+ T
ij
a
i

k
b
j
+ T
ij
a
i
b
j

k
For the arbitrary vector elds a, b, . . . we know how to make a
covariant derivative:

j
a

=
a

j

i
j
a
i
i.e.
a
i

k
=
k
a
i
+
m
ik
a
m
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
4. Covariant derivatives of higher order tensor T, N 2
In
k
(T
ij
a
i
b
j
), replace

k
of a, b,. . . by terms containing
k
:

k
_
T
ij
a
i
b
j
_
=
T
ij

k
a
i
b
j
+ T
ij
a
i

k
b
j
+ T
ij
a
i
b
j

k
=
T
ij

k
a
i
b
j
+ T
ij
(
k
a
i
+
m
ik
a
m
) b
j
+
+T
ij
a
i
_

k
b
j
+
m
jk
b
m
_
=
_
T
ij

k
+
i
k
T
j
+
j
k
T
i
_
a
i
b
j
+
+T
ij

k
a
i
b
j
+ T
ij
a
i

k
b
j
Here, we re-indexed conveniently dummy indices in order to
regroup terms with a
i
b
j
. By analogy with
(a b c)

= a

bc + ab

c + abc

, the term in brackets is

k
T
ij
:

k
T
ij
=
T
ij

k
+
i
k
T
j
+
j
k
T
i
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
5. Divergence of tensor elds
Divergence of a vector eld u(x): denition
div : C(R
3
, R
3
) R div u = lim
0
_

u ds
||
In cartesian coordinates:
div u = tr (u) =
u
i
x
i
In curvilinear coordinates: must replace

x
i
by
i
:
div u = tr (u) =
i
u
i
=
k
i

k
u
i
= g
ki

i
u
k
Generalization to higher-order tensor-elds:
_
div T
_
i
=
k
T
ki
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
6. How to calculate Christoel symbols?
Two ways of calculating Christoel symbols of 2nd kind:
By denition:

ij
=
g
i

j
g

Through the metric tensor:

ij
=
1
2
g
k
_
g
ki

j
+
g
jk

i

g
ij

k
_
. .
2
k,ij

k,ij
=
g
i

j
g
k
are the Christoel symbols of the 1st kind.
Notable property of Christoel symbols: symmetry in (i , j ):

ij
=
g
i

j
g

g
i
=
x

=

2
x

i
g

=

2
x

j
g

ji
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
6.1 Christoel symbols through the metric tensor

ik
=
g
i

k
g

g
i
=
x

=

2
x

i
g

=

2
x

i
g
m
. .

m,ki
g
m

m,ki
=

2
x

i

x

m
=

k
_
x

i
_

m
=

i
_
x

k
_

m
Hence, by combining half-and-half:

m,ki
=
1
2
_

k
_
x

i
_
. .
g
i

m
..
g
m
+

i
_
x

k
_
. .
g
k

m
..
g
m
_

_
=
1
2
_

k
(g
m
g
i
)
. .
g
mi
+

i
(g
m
g
k
)
. .
g
km

g
m

k
g
i

g
m

i
g
k
_

_
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates
6.1 Christoel symbols through the metric tensor

m,ki
=
1
2
_

k
(g
m
g
i
)
. .
g
mi
+

i
(g
m
g
k
)
. .
g
km

_
g
m

k
g
i
+
g
m

i
g
k
_
_

_
and
g
m

k
g
i
+
g
m

i
g
k
=

2
x

k
g
i
+

2
x

i
g
k
=
g
k

m
g
i
+
g
i

m
g
k
=

m
(g
i
g
k
) =
g
ik

m
Hence,

ik
= g
m

m,ik
=
1
2
g
m
_
g
mi

k
+
g
km

i

g
ik

m
_
Mathematical tools M3. Tensor elds in curvilinear coordinates