Index Notation Notes
Index Notation Notes
Mahima alekh
Notes on
INDEX NOTATION
Prepared by
PEDINA SIBAKRISHNA
ROLL NO-519CH1009
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
ROURKELA-769008, DIST-SUNDERGARH, ODISHA, INDIA
Contents
INDEX NOTATION
Summation convention:
In standard vector notation, a vector A may be written in component form as
Notice that in the expression within the summation, the index i is repeated. Repeated
indices are always contained within summations, or phrased differently a repeated index
implies a summation. Therefore, the summation symbol is typically dropped, so that A
can be expressed as
This repeated index notation is known as Einstein’s summation convention. Any repeated
index is called a dummy index. Since a repeated index implies a summation over all
possible values of the index, one can always relabeled a dummy index, i.e.
Any index appearance more than twice is not allowed in the convention. That means
summation is not implied in uiviwi. If we want to write this then explicitly summation
symbol should be indicated i.e.
Free index:
Consider the system of linear equations,
It can be observed that the index j is appearing twice on the right hand side of equation
whereas the index i is appearing only once on the right hand side and of course on left
hand side once. We know from the previous discussion that the j is the dummy index
whereas the index i is called free index. Usually the free index takes values 1, 2 or 3, unless
stated explicitly. Therefore, the short form of three system of linear equations is
a) A free index appears once and only once within each additive term in an
expression. In the equation below, i is a free index:
b) A free index implies three distinct equations. That is, the free index sequentially
assumes the values 1, 2, and 3. Thus,
c) The same letter must be used for the free index in every additive term. The free
index may be renamed if and only if it is renamed in every term.
d) Terms in an expression may have more than one free index so long as the indices
are distinct. For example the vector-notation expression A = BT is written Aij =
(Bij)T = Bji in index notation. This expression implies nine distinct equations, since
i and j are both free indices.
e) The number of free indices indicates the order/rank of the tensor. The scalar (c)
does not have a free index, indicating that it is a 0th order tensor. The vector (a) has
one free index (i), indicating that it is a 1st order tensor. Tensors may assume a
rank/order of any integer greater than or equal to zero. You may only sum
together terms with equal rank/order.
a = ai i=1...3
The three entries in the vector a are represented by a1, a2, a3. The index letter is
incremented from its starting value (1) to its ending value (3). If i = 1 . . . 1, then ai
is a scalar, also called a 0th order tensor. A scalar can also be represented simply
by a. If i = 1 . . . k and k > 1 then ai is a vector, also called a 1st order tensor.
Where ∑ represents the sum of the orders of the quantities being multiplied.
The number of free indices in a term equals the rank of the term:
f) The first free index in a term corresponds to the row, and the second corresponds
to the column. Thus, a vector (which has only one free index) is written as a
column of three rows,
c) A dummy index may be renamed to any letter not currently being used as a free
index (or already in use as another dummy index pair in that term). The dummy
index is “local” to an individual additive term. It may be renamed in one term (so
long as the renaming doesn’t conflict with other indices), and it does not need to
be renamed in other terms (and, in fact, may not necessarily even be present in
other terms).
Orthonormal Basis
Consider the coordinate system illustrated in Figure 1. Instead of using the typical axis
labels x, y, and z, we use x1, x2, and x3, or
Consider again the coordinate system in Figure 1. Using the conventional right hand rule
for cross products, we have
To write the above expressions using index notation, we must introduce the symbol 𝜖ijk,
which is commonly known as the Levi-Civita tensor, the alternating unit tensor, or the
permutation symbol (in this text it will be referred to as the permutation symbol).
Or
The alternating unit tensor is positive when the indices assume any clockwise cyclical
progression, as shown in the figure:
We may write a single generalized expression for all the above terms
a)
i.e. Switching any two subscripts reverses the sign of the permutation symbol (or
in other words 𝜖ijk is anti-symmetric.)
i.e. cyclic permutation of the subscripts do not change the sign of 𝜖ijk
b) The follwoing is a very important identity involving the product of two
permutation symbols.
Where i is the summation index and j, k, m, n are free indices. A device used to
remember the positions of the subscripts is given in the figure. The subscripts on
the four Kronecker delta's on the right-hand side of the Ɛ-δ identity then are read
(First)(Second) - (outer)(inner)
This refers to the positions following the summation index. Thus, j, m are the first
indices after the summation index and k, n are the second indices after the
summation index. The indices j, n are outer indices when compared to the inner
indices k, m as the indices are viewed as written on the left-hand side of the
identity.
c)
If the vectors are perpendicular, then cos φab = 0 and the scalar product vanishes.
If a vector is dotted with itself, then cos φab = 1 and the result is the square of the
magnitude. Thus, the magnitude of a is given by
a=lal=(a·a)1/2
The index i is a dummy index in this case. The term “scalar product” refers to the
fact that the result is a scalar.
The two dots in the vector notation indicate that both indices are to be summed.
Again, the result is a scalar.
(d) Tensor product of two vectors (a.k.a. dyadic product):
The formal multiplication of the vectors a and b, without a dot or cross, results in
the dyad, ab. This dyad is represented as
The term “tensor product” refers to the fact that the result is a tensor.
(e) Tensor product of two tensors:
The single dot refers to the fact that only the inner index is to be summed. Note
that this is not an inner product.
(f) Vector product of a tensor and a vector:
Where eab is a unit vector that is perpendicular to the plane formed by a and b. The
direction of eab is such that (a, b, eab) is a right-handed set of vectors; that is, if the
fingers of the right hand are curled from a toward b, then eab points in the direction
of the extended thumb. The magnitude of a X b equals the area of a parallelogram
which has a and b as adjacent sides.
Note that because a X b is perpendicular to the plane containing a and b, it is
perpendicular to both of those vectors. Thus, if a and b are also perpendicular to
one another, then (a, b, a X b) is an orthogonal set. If a vector is crossed with itself
(or with any parallel vector), then sin φab = 0 and the product is zero. The right-
hand rule implies that reversing the order of the vectors in the cross product
reverses the direction of the resultant. That is,
a x b= -b x a.
Indicating that the cross product is not commutative. It is, however, distributive:
a x (b+c) =(aX b)+ (a X c).
Where only i and j are dummy indices. Note that the cross product may also be
written in determinant form as follows:
Recall that
(a1, a2, a3) × (b1, b2, b3) = (a2b3 − a3b2, a3b1 − a1b3, a1b2 − a2b1)
Now, note that the notation 𝜖ijkajbk represents three terms, the first of which is
Note:-
• Any two vectors are linearly dependent then the cross product is zero.
e) The scalar product of any symmetric and anti-symmetric tensor is zero (Proof is
assigned as Problem 3).
f) A more general form of the previous relationship can be stated as follows. The
expression Aijkl...Bjklm... = 0 is equal to zero if A and B are symmetric and anti-
symmetric (respectively) with respect to the same indices. For example,
AijklBjklm = 0
if Aijkl = Aikjl and Bjklm = −Bkjlm.
The real power of index notation is revealed when we look at vector differential
identities. The vector derivatives known as the gradient, the divergence and the curl can
all be written in terms of the operator ∇,
Where [x1, x2, x3] are the components of the position vector x.
(a) Temporal derivative of a scalar field 𝜙(x1, x2, x3, t):
There is no physical significance to the “0” subscript. Other notation may be used.
(b) Gradient (spatial derivatives) of a scalar field f (x1, x2, x3, t):
The direct operation of ∇ on any field variable (without a dot or cross) yields the
gradient of that quantity. Thus, the gradient of the scalar-valued function (or
"scalar function") f is a vector, represented as
In vector notation, 𝜖jai is written ∇a or grad a Note that 𝜖jai is a tensor (rank=2):
The index on the denominator of the derivative is the row index. Note that the
gradient increases by one the rank of the expression on which it operates.
The properties of the gradient
(a)Large positive divergence (if the arrows pointed in, it would be a large negative
divergence)
(b) Zero Divergence (c) Positive divergence
The properties of the divergence operator
Note:
o Gradient of a scalar function ⇾Vector function
o Divergence of a vector function ⇾Scalar function
(e) Curl or rot of a vector field ā(x1, x2, x3, t):
The above expression for short ∇ 2T, which is called the laplacian of T; Notice that
the laplacian of a scalar T is a scalar. Occasionally, we shall speak of the laplacian
of a vector ∇ 2v.
4. Divergence of curl ∇ • (∇ ⤬ v)
5. Curl of curl ∇ ⤬ (∇ ⤬ v)
Example 2:
SOLVED EXAMPLES
Q1. Find 𝜖612453 ?
Solution: To determine whether 612453 is an even or odd permutation of 123456 we
write down the given numbers and below them we write the integers 1 through 6. Like
numbers are then connected by a line and we obtain figure.
Solution:-
Q3. Show that the vector triple product, in general, is not associative i.e. u × (v × w)
is different from (u × v) × w.
Solution:-
Solution:-
Q6. Write the following formulas in Gibbs’s notation using the symbol ∇. Convert
the expressions to Cartesian notation and prove that the equations are correct.
div (φv)= φ div v + v . grad φ
div (u × v)= v · curl u − u · curl v
curl (u × v)= v · grad u − u · grad v + u div v − v div u
Solution:-
div (φv)= φ div v + v . grad φ
Using Gibb’s Notation we can rewrite
In order to write the equation in index notation, starting from the left hand side we
have:
Then for the first term on the right hand side, following the same method as above:
Now we are able to get the dot product of two vector quantities.
Also we know that in index notation:
(Proved)
div (u × v)= v · curl u − u · curl v
The above equation can be rewritten in Gibb’s notation:
In order to prove, we start from left hand side and use chain rule to open the derivative:
Then multiplying the first term by δkk and the second term by δjj
proved)
curl (u × v)= v · grad u − u · grad v + u div v − v div u
The above equation can be rewritten in Gibb’s notation:
For the index notation, starting from the left hand side of equation:
The first term in the above equation is only non-zero when m=j and i=k:
The second term in the above equation is only non-zero when i=j and m=k:
The third term in the above equation is only non-zero when m=j and i=k:
The fourth term in the above equation is only non-zero when m=k and i=j:
Exercise numerical
1. Show that δii = 3
2. Show that δij𝜖ijk = 0
3. Show that 𝜖ipq𝜖jpq = 2δij
4. Show that 𝜖ijk𝜖ijk = 6
5. Simplify each of the following by employing the summation property of the
Kronecker delta. Perform sums on the summation indices only if you are unsure
of the result.
(a) 𝜖ijkδkn (b) 𝜖ijkδisδjm
(c) 𝜖ijkδisδjmδkn (d) aijδin
(e) δijδjn (f) δijδjnδni
6. Simplify and perform the indicated summations over the range 1; 2; 3
(a) δii (b) δijδij
(c) 𝜖ijkAiAjAk (d) 𝜖ijk𝜖ijk
(e) 𝜖ijkδjk (f) AiBjδji − BmAnδmn
7. Express each of the following in index notation. Be careful of the notation you use.
Note that Ᾱ = Ai is an incorrect notation because a vector cannot equal a scalar.
The notation A͞ .êi = Ai should be used to express the ith component of a vector.
(a) A· (B ⤬ C) (b) A ⤬ (B ⤬ C )
(c) B (A C). (d) B (A . C) − C (A . B )
8. Show the 𝜖 permutation symbol satisfies:
(a) 𝜖ijk = 𝜖jki = 𝜖kij
(b) 𝜖ijk = −𝜖jik = −𝜖ikj = −𝜖kji