Vector and Tensor Components Transform
Vector and Tensor Components Transform
Vector and Tensor Components Transform
[(a + b) ⊗ c] x = (a + b) (c · x) = a (c · x) + b (c · x)
= (a ⊗ c) x + (b ⊗ c) x = (a ⊗ c + b ⊗ c) x,
= αβa (b · x) = αβ (a ⊗ b) x, ∀x ∈ En .
For the “left” mapping by the tensor a⊗ b we obtain from (1.73) (see Exercise
1.19)
y (a ⊗ b) = (y · a) b, ∀y ∈ En . (1.80)
We have already seen that the set of all second-order tensors Linn repre-
sents a vector space. In the following, we show that a basis of Linn can be
constructed with the aid of the tensor product (1.75).
Theorem 1.7. Let F = {f 1 , f 2 , . . . , f n } and G = {g 1 , g 2 , . . . , g n } be two
arbitrary bases of En . Then, the tensors f i ⊗ g j (i, j = 1, 2, . . . , n) represent
a basis of Linn . The dimension of the vector space Linn is thus n2 .
Proof. First, we prove that every tensor in Linn represents a linear combi-
nation of the tensors f i ⊗ g j (i, j = 1, 2, . . . , n). Indeed, let A ∈ Linn be an
arbitrary second-order tensor. Consider the following linear combination
A′ = f i Ag j f i ⊗ g j ,
where the vectors f i and g i (i = 1, 2, . . . , n) form the bases dual to F and G,
respectively. The tensors A and A′ coincide if and only if
A′ x = Ax, ∀x ∈ En . (1.81)
Let x = xj g j . Then
A′ x = f i Ag j f i ⊗ g j xk g k = f i Ag j f i xk δjk = xj f i Ag j f i .
Aij = g i Ag j , Aij = g i Ag j ,
Ix = x, ∀x ∈ En . (1.84)
With the aid of (1.25), (1.82) and (1.83) the components of the identity tensor
can be expressed by
I = gij g i ⊗ g j = g ij g i ⊗ g j = g i ⊗ g i = g i ⊗ g i . (1.86)
It is seen that the components (1.85)1,2 of the identity tensor are given by
relation (1.25). In view of (1.30) they characterize metric properties of the
Euclidean space and are referred to as metric coefficients. For this reason, the
identity tensor is frequently called metric tensor. With respect to an orthonor-
mal basis relation (1.86) reduces to
n
#
I= ei ⊗ ei . (1.87)
i=1
x = xi g i = xi g i , (1.88)
1.9 Special Operations with Second-Order Tensors 19
x = xi g i = x̄i ḡ i , (1.93)
ij
A = Aij g i ⊗ g j = Ā ḡ i ⊗ ḡ j . (1.94)
By means of the relations
g i = aji ḡ j , i = 1, 2, . . . , n (1.95)
A = Aij g i ⊗ g j = Aij aki ḡ k ⊗ alj ḡ l = Aij aki alj ḡ k ⊗ ḡ l
kl
⇒ Ā = Aij aki alj , k, l = 1, 2, . . . , n. (1.97)
In Sect. 1.6 we have seen that the set Linn represents a finite-dimensional
vector space. Its elements are second-order tensors that can be treated as
2
vectors in En with all the operations specific for vectors such as summation,
multiplication by a scalar or a scalar product (the latter one will be defined
for second-order tensors in Sect. 1.10). However, in contrast to conventional
vectors in the Euclidean space, for second-order tensors one can additionally
define some special operations as for example composition, transposition or
inversion.
20 1 Vectors and Tensors in a Finite-Dimensional Space
Cx = A (Bx) , ∀x ∈ En . (1.98)
In order to prove the last relation we use again (1.73) and (1.98):
y (AB) x = y · [(AB) x] = y · [A (Bx)]
A0 = 0A = 0, AI = IA = A, (1.100)
A (B + C) = AB + AC, (B + C) A = BA + CA, (1.101)
A (BC) = (AB) C. (1.102)
For example, the distributive rule (1.101)1 can be proved as follows
[A (B + C)] x = A [(B + C) x] = A (Bx + Cx) = A (Bx) + A (Cx)
(a ⊗ b) (c ⊗ d) = (b · c) a ⊗ d, a, b, c, d ∈ En . (1.103)
= (d · x) (b · c) a = (b · c) (a ⊗ d) x
= [(b · c) a ⊗ d] x, ∀x ∈ En .
Thus, we can write
AB = Aik Bk·j g i ⊗ g j = Aik Bkj g i ⊗ g j
Am = AA . . . A' ,
$ %& m = 1, 2, 3 . . . , A0 = I (1.105)
m times
AT x = xA, ∀x ∈ En , (1.110)
Indeed,
x · (Ay) = (xA) · y = y · AT x = yAT x = x · yAT , ∀x, y ∈ En .
Consequently,
T T
A = A. (1.112)
and