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Index Notation Problems in Classical Physics

This document contains a collection of 12 problems related to index notation intended to help understand index notation. The problems cover topics such as writing scalar and vector point functions, quantities, and expressions in index notation, defining the Kronecker delta and Levi-Civita symbol, writing tensor products and contractions in index notation, and applying concepts like homogeneous functions to evaluate expressions.

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Rahul Vasanth ee18b068
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8 views1 page

Index Notation Problems in Classical Physics

This document contains a collection of 12 problems related to index notation intended to help understand index notation. The problems cover topics such as writing scalar and vector point functions, quantities, and expressions in index notation, defining the Kronecker delta and Levi-Civita symbol, writing tensor products and contractions in index notation, and applying concepts like homogeneous functions to evaluate expressions.

Uploaded by

Rahul Vasanth ee18b068
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

PH3500 Classical Physics Aug-Dec 2019

Problem sheet 01

This random collection of 12 problems is to help you understand the index notation.

1. Give at least two examples for the following scalar and vector point functions.
! ! ! ! !
i)F(x, y), ii) F(x, y, z), iii) f (r), iv) f ( r ), v) F( r ), vi)F( ρ ) and F(r,θ )

2. Guess what the following quantities might denote? Also write them in index
notation.
!
i)B, ii) B and iii)B . Also expand them.

3. Assuming Cartesian coordinates expand the following: ai = bi + ci and a jj

4. Identify the free and dummy indices with reasoning: ai = α ijk b j ck + βij d j . Rewrite
this after “renaming” first the free index and then a dummy index.

5. Define the Kronecker delta and the Levi-Civita symbol. Are they tensors?
! ! ! !!
6. Express α A, A⋅ B (scalar multiplication and scalar product) and A B (tensor or
dyadic product) in index notation.

7. Write the components of Ajj Bkk explicitly, for any tensor A and B.

8. Write δ iiδ k l explicitly.

⎛1 2 6 ⎞
⎜ ⎟ !
9. Find Aij b j and Aij bi , given Aij = ⎜ 2 1 9 ⎟ and b = 2êx + êz .
⎜0 6 4⎟
⎝ ⎠

10. Write ε ijk ε lmn in terms of a determinant, the elements of which are Kronecker
deltas. Find ε ijk ε lmk .
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
11. Write down (i) A i ( B × C) , (ii) A × ( B × C) and (iii) ( A × B) i ( A × B) in index
notation.

12. Read about homogeneous functions and the Euler’s theorem for homogeneous
∂T
functions. Evaluate the sum α i , where T = Ajkα jα k , and Ajk is a constant
∂α i
matrix.

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