Fluid Mechanics AS102

Class Note No: 04

Monday, August 6, 2007

Review: Curvilinear C. S. & Tensor Analysis

introduce curvilinear coordinate systems,

like cylindrical c.s.,
spherical c.s.

purpose:
to meet the need of writing equations of motion in
curvilinear c.s.

Review: Curvilinear C. S. & Tensor Analysis

example: cylindrical c.s.
x1 = r cos, x2 = r sin, x3 = z,
q
x2
r = (x1 )2 + (x2 )2 , = tan1 , z = x3
x1
x3
gz
P
i3 r z
i2
O
r
i1

g
gr

1(x1 , x2 )
r u1 = u
2(x1 , x2 )
u2 = u
3
3(x3 )
zu =u

x2

x1
Figure: cylindrical coordinates

Review: Curvilinear C. S. & Tensor Analysis

Generalize
 
xi = xi u j ,
 
 
r = xi ii = xi u j ii =: r u j


i xj ,
ui = u

u3
g1

x3

i3
O

x1

i1

u1
r

g3
g2

u2
i2

x2

Figure: curvilinear coordinates

(1)

Review: Curvilinear C. S. & Tensor Analysis

tangent to the curve of u k :

gk :=

(xi ii )
xi
r
=
=
ii , k = 1, 2, 3
k
k
u
u
u k

(2)

called the covariant / natural base vector for u k , k = 1, 2, 3

(g1 , g2 , g3 ) provides a base for the coordinates (u 1 , u 2 , u 3 )

ii =

u k
gk
xi

gk gl =

xi xi
u k u l

(3)

(4)

Review: Curvilinear C. S. & Tensor Analysis

normal to the surface of u k = const:

gk := u k =

u k
ii
xi

(5)

contravariant / dural base vector for u k , k = 1, 2, 3

(g1 , g2 , g3 ) provides another base for the coordinates
(u 1 , u 2 , u 3 )

gk gl = kl = kl

(6)

u k u l
xi xi

(7)

gk gl =

Review: Curvilinear C. S. & Tensor Analysis

the metric tensor gij :

ds2 := dxdx = gkl du k du l ,
gkl := gk gl =

xi xi
u k u l

= glk

(8)

covariant, symmetric

the conjugate metric tensor g kl :

u k u l
xi xi
kl
k
g glm = m

g kl := gk gl =

contravariant, symmetric
the inverse of gij .
memorize these two definitions

= g lk
(9)

Review: Curvilinear C. S. & Tensor Analysis

gk = gkl gl ,

gk = g kl gl

(10)

# gij can lower contravariant indices to covariant indices

# g ij can raise covariant indices to contravariant indices
# they can create new type tensors from the given (more
later)

Review: Curvilinear C. S. & Tensor Analysis

in a general curvilinear coordinate system,

several sets of base vectors:
# covariant/natural base (from the tangents)
(g1 , g2 , g3 )
# contravariant/dural base (from the normals)
(g1 , g2 , g3 )
(the bases may not be the same;
e.g. g1 not parallel to g1 ...)

Review: Curvilinear C. S. & Tensor Analysis

in a rectangular coordinate system,

#
(g1 , g2 , g3 ) (i1 , i2 , i3 ),

(g1 , g2 , g3 ) (i1 , i2 , i3 )

gij ij ,

g ij ij = ij

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

Todays topic:
# tensor transformations

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

Specific examples of finding

gi , gi , gij , g ij :

# cylindrical coordinate systems

# spherical coordinate systems

(last homework assignment)

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

cylindrical coordinate system:

x3
g3
P
i3

g1

i2

O
i1

u3

g2

u2

u1

x1
Figure: cylindrical coordinates

x2

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

cylindrical coordinate system:

x1 = u 1 cos (u 2 ), x2 = u 1 sin (u 2 ), x3 = u 3

xi
u j

cos (u 2 ) u 1 sin (u 2 ) 0
= sin (u 2 ) u 1 cos (u 2 ) 0,
0
0
1

g1 = cos (u 2 )i1 + sin (u 2 )i2 ,

g2 = u 1 cos (u 2 )i1 + u 1 sin (u 2 )i2 ,

g 3 = i3

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

cylindrical coordinate system:

1
0
0
1 0 0
[gkl ] = 0 (u 1 )2 0 = 0 r 2 0
0
0
1
0 0 1
# gkl = 0, k 6= l,

called orthogonal

# memorize the relation for gij

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

cylindrical coordinate system:

q
x2
1
u = (x1 )2 + (x2 )2 , u 2 = tan1 , u 3 = x3
x1

u k
xl

g1 = g1 ,

x1 /u 1
x2 /u 1
0
= x2 /(u 1 )2 x1 /(u 1 )2 0
0
0
1

g2 =

1
g2 ,
(u 1 )2

g3 = g3

only one base for the cylin. c.s.

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

cylindrical coordinate system:

h

g kl

1
0
0
1 0 0
= 0 (u 1 )2 0 = 0 r 2 0
0
0
1
0 0 1

# the inverse of gij

# memorize this relation

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

spherical coordinate system:

x3
g1
g3
P
u2 u1
i3
i2
O
i1

g2

u3

x1
Figure: spherical coordinates

x2

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

spherical coordinate system:

x1 = u 1 sin(u 2 ) cos(u 3 ),

x2 = u 1 sin(u 2 ) sin(u 3 ),

x3 = u 1 cos(u 2 )



xi
=
u j

sin(u 2 ) cos(u 3 ) u 1 cos(u 2 ) cos(u 3 ) u 1 sin(u 2 ) sin(u 3 )

sin(u 2 ) sin(u 3 ) u 1 cos(u 2 ) sin(u 3 ) u 1 sin(u 2 ) cos(u 3 )
cos(u 2 )
u 1 sin(u 2 )
0


g1 = sin(u 2 ) cos(u 3 )i1 + sin(u 3 )i2 + cos(u 2 )i3 ,


g2 = u 1 cos(u 2 ) cos(u 3 )i1 + sin(u 3 )i2 u 1 sin(u 2 )i3 ,


g3 = u 1 sin(u 2 ) sin(u 3 )i1 + cos(u 3 )i2

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

spherical coordinate system:

1
0
0
1 0
0
= 0 r 2
0
0
[gkl ] = 0 (u 1 )2
1
2
2
0
0
(u sin(u ))
0 0 (r sin)2
# gkl = 0, k 6= l, orthogonal

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

spherical coordinate system:

q
u = (x1 )2 + (x2 )2 + (x3 )2 ,
1

x3

u 2 = cos1 p
(x1 )2 + (x2 )2 + (x3 )2
 
x2
u 3 = tan1
.
x1


u k
xl

=?

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

spherical coordinate system:

1
0
0
h i  
1

0
g kl = gij
= 0 (u 1 )2
1
2
2
0
0
(u sin(u ))
g1 = g 11 g1 ,

g2 = g 22 g2 ,

g3 = g 33 g3

only one base for the spher. c.s.

only one base for a curvilinear c.s. with orthogonal gij

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

if we have a cylindrical c.s. & a spherical c.s.

g1

x3
g3 g
3
P

g2

g1
r
u 3 u 1

g2
1
2 u

u 2

x2

u 3

x1
Figure: cylindrical & spherical coordinate systems sketch

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

# between (xi ) & cylindrical c.s. u i ,
q
x2
u 1 = (x1 )2 + (x2 )2 , u 2 = tan1 ,
x1


# between (xi ) & spherical c.s. u i ,
sketch)
x1 = u 1 sin(u 2 ) cos(u 3 ),

u 3 = x3

(bit off from the

x2 = u 1 sin(u 2 ) sin(u 3 ),

x3 = u 1 cos(u 2 )
# (spher.c.s.) & (cylind.c.s.) linked:
u 1 = u 1 sin(u 2 ), u 2 = u 3 , u 3 = u 1 cos(u 2 );
p
1
u 1 = (u 1 )2 + (u 2 )2 , u 2 = tan1 uu 3 , u 3 = u 2 .

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

generalize to arbitrary (u i ), (u i )
xi = xi (u j ), xi = xi (u j );
i (u j ), u i = u
i (u j )
ui = u

(11)

(with the help of chain rule)

u m
u k m
k
g ,
g
,
g
=
m
u m
u k
u m u n
gmn ,
gkl =
u k u l
u k u l mn
g
g kl =
u m u n

gk =

(12)

2nd order covariant tensor & 2nd order contravariant

tensor
#
understand the transformation rules

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

0th order tensors (scalars):

i ) = (u
i ) = (u
i )
= (x

(13)

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

1st order tensors (vectors):
a = ai ii = ai (u)gi = ai (u)gi
= ak (u )gk = ai (u )gi

(14)

Here u represents u m and u represents u m .

(HW)
u i m
u i
a
(u)
=
am
u m
xm
u m
xm
ai (u ) =
am (u) =
am
i
u
u i
ai (u) = g ij aj (u)

ai (u ) =

ai (u) = gij aj (u)

#
#

covariant tensor & contravariant tensor

understand the transformation rules

(15)

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

other 2nd order tensors:
A = Aij ii ij = Aij (u) gi gj = Aij (u) gi gj = Aij gi gj
= Aij (u ) gi gj = Aij (u ) gi gj = Aij gi gj

(16)

(HW)
u i u j mn
u i u j
A
(u)
=
Amn
u m u n
xm xn
u m u n
xm xn
Aij (u ) =
Amn (u) =
Amn
i
j
u u
u i u j
u i u n m
u i xn
Aij (u ) =
A
(u)
=
Amn
u m u j n
xm u j
Aij (u) = g im g jn Amn (u), Aij (u) = gim gjn Amn (u)

Aij (u ) =

Aij (u) = g im Amj (u) = gjn Ain (u) ...

(17)

Curvilinear Coordinate Systems & Tensor Analysis

tomorrows topic:
tensor differentiations