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Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Introduction to tensor 3: Exterior power and Exterior algebra, determinant, cross product

Exterior_Powers_and_Alternating_Map

作 者:克劳德·莫奈 - Claude Monet 作品名称:睡莲与日本式小桥 作品尺寸:90x94厘米 作品年代:1840-1926 作品 ...

Abstract

One of the aims of this blog is to prove that

(1)det⁡(φ∘ψ)=det⁡(φ)det⁡(ψ)

and point out that is the functorial property of

(2)⋀n(−)

Notice that we already view the chain rule of the differential operator as the functorial property as well. Click here to see details.

In addition, I will shows how could we using the exterior algebra and hodge star operator to deal with the inner product and cross product on R3, that is neat!

Exterior Powers and Alternating Map

Let M and N be two A− modules. An r− multilinear map α:Mr→N is called r−alternating if α(m1,...,mr)=0 whenever there exist i≠j with mi=mj.

The alternating map from Mr gives us a functor.

That is,

(3)Altr(M,−):A−Module⟶A−Module

For the object

(4)N⟼Altr(M,N)

For the morphism

(5)f⟼f∗

The f∗ here is the pushforward.

(6)f∗(α):=f∘α

Let Altr(M) be the image of this functor, that is, the category of alternating map from M.

Denote the initial object of Altr(M) as ⋀r(M), which is the exterior power.

The element in ⋀r(M) is x1∧x2∧...∧xr

Here the exterior power gives us a functor.

(7)⋀r(−):R−Mod⟶R−Mod
(8)M⟼⋀r(M)(T:x↦T(x))⟼x1∧x2∧...∧xr↦Tx1∧Tx2∧...∧Txr)

Let us construct it(up to isomorphism).

This form a functor because

(9)⋀r(TS)x1∧x2∧...∧xn=(TS)x1∧(TS)x2∧...∧(TS)xn=T(Sx1)∧T(Sx2)∧...∧T(Sxn)

But the right handside is just ⋀r(T)∘⋀r(S)x1∧x2∧...∧xn

Let Qr⊆Tr(M) be the A−​ submodule generated by the set

(10)Er:={m1⊗...⊗mr∈Tr(M);∃1≤i≠j≤r,mi=mj}

Then every r−alternating map pass-through Tr(M)/Qr, Hence Tr(M)/Qr≅⋀r(M).

By the universal property, we have the natural isomorphism between two functors.

(11)HomR−Mod(⋀r(M),−)≅Altr(M,−)

i.e. Altr(M,−) is representable.

The direct sum

(12)⨁r≥0⋀r(M)≅T(M)/I∧(M)

is called the exterior algebra of M.

Here I∧(M):=⟨x⊗x:x∈M⟩ is the ideal in the tensor algebra T(M).

If M is a free module, and rank(M)=n, let x1,...,xn be the basis of M.

Then

(13)rank(⋀r(M))=(nr)

When r>n, the rank will be zero.

Usually, we denote the product in ⨁r≥0⋀r(M) as

(14)μ:⋀p(M)×⋀q(M)⟶⋀p+q(M)
(15)(ω,η)↦ω∧η

Basic properties of multiplication

Form the construction

(16)⨁r≥0⋀r(M)≅T(M)/I∧(M)

We can see that

(17)∀x∈M,x∧x=0

Hence

(18)x∧y=x∧x+x∧y=x∧(x+y)=x∧(x+y)−(x+y)∧(x+y)=−y∧(x+y)=−y∧x−y∧y=−y∧x

Hence we have :

(19)For ω∈⋀p(M),η∈⋀q(M),ω∧η=(−1)pqη∧ω

Proof.

Let ω=x1∧...∧xp,η=y1∧...∧yn,

(20)ω∧η=x1∧...∧xn∧y1∧...∧yn

Break it step by step, it is not hard to see that

(21)x1∧...∧xn∧y1∧...∧yn=(−1)qx1∧...∧η∧xn=(−1)2qx1∧...∧η∧xn−1∧xn...=(−1)pqη∧ω

Here we obtain an isomorphism

(22)⋀p(M)⊗⋀q(M)≅⋀q(M)⊗⋀p(M)
(23)ω∧η⟼(−1)pqη∧ω

Remark

Let (I,+) be an abelian monoid and ϵ:I→Z/2Z be a monoid homomorphism. If graded algebra A satisfies

(24)xy=(−1)ϵ(deg⁡x)ϵ(deg⁡y)yx

Then we say that A is ϵ commutative.

If ϵ is zero map, then A is commutative.

Usually, we choose I⊆Z, and ϵ:Z→Z/2Z . In this case, A is anti-commutative.

I will write a blog about it. It is neat. We will deal with the functorial properties of the exterior algebra in that blog.

Determinant

Let E be a free module over a commutative ring R and rank(E)=n.

Definition. Let φ∈EndR(E), the functor ⋀n(−) gives us a map

(25)⋀n(φ)∈End(⋀n(E))=R

Remark. The claim

(26)End(⋀n(E))=R

follows from

(27)rank(⋀n(E))=(nn)=1

We define that

(28)det⁡φ:=⋀n(φ)

That is, choose x1,...,xn be a basis of E.

(29)det⁡(φ)x1∧x2∧...∧xn=φ(x1)∧φ(x2)∧...∧φ(xn)=∑i=1nai,1xi∧...∧∑i=1nai,nxn

Using the distributive law and xi∧xi=0 we get that

(30)det⁡(φ)x1∧x2∧...∧xn=∑1≤j1,...,jn≤naj11...ajnnxj1∧...∧xjn=∑σ∈Snsgn(σ)aσ(1),1...aσ(n)nx1∧x2∧...∧xn

Where ji≠jk and σ(i)=ji. We get that

(31)det⁡(φ)=∑σ∈Snsgn(σ)aσ(1),1...aσ(n)n

Corollary. det⁡(φ)=det⁡(tφ).

Proof. Since the transpose (ai,j)⟼(aj,i) gives us that

(32)∑σ∈Snsgn(σ)aσ(1),1...aσ(n)n⟼∑σ∈Snsgn(σ)a1,σ(1)...an,σ(n)=det⁡(tφ)

But ai,j=ai,σ(i)=aσ−1(j),j , hence

(33)det⁡(tφ)=∑σ∈Snsgn(σ)a1,σ(1)...an,σ(n)=∑σ∈Snsgn(σ)aσ−1(1),1...aσ−1(n),n

Since sgn(σ)=sgn(σ−1), hence we get

(34)det⁡(tφ)=∑σ−1∈Snsgn(σ−1)aσ−1(1),1...aσ−1(n),n=∑σ∈Snsgn(σ)aσ(1),1...aσ(n)n=det⁡(φ)

Proposition. det⁡(φ∘ψ)=det⁡φdet⁡ψ​​​​​.

Proof.

(35)φ∘ψ(x1)∧φ∘ψ(x2)∧...∧φ∘ψ(xn)=φ(ψ(x1))∧φ(ψ(x2))∧...∧φ(ψ(xn))

According to (28),

(36)det⁡(φ)ψ(x1)∧ψ(x2)∧...∧ψ(xn)=det⁡(φ)det⁡(ψ)x1∧x2∧...∧xn

That is the property of functor,

(37)det⁡(φ∘ψ)=⋀n(φ∘ψ)=⋀n(φ)⋀n(ψ)=det⁡φdet⁡ψ

Proposition. φ∈EndR(E) is invertible if and only if det⁡φ∈R∗.

Let x1,...,xn be a basis of E.

The proof follows from

(38)φ is invertible ⟺φx1∧...∧φxn is a basis of⋀n(E)

and

(39)det⁡φx1∧...∧xn=φx1∧...∧φxn

directly.

⟹

Since det is a monoid homomorphism, hence it preserve the invertible elements.

⟸

Since φx1∧...∧φxn is a basis.

Hence

(40)x1∧x2∧....∧xn=λφx1∧...∧φxn=λdet⁡φx1∧x2...∧xn⟹λdet⁡φ=1R◻

Definition. Adjugate map.

Let E to a free module over R and rank(E)=n. Then we have ⋀n−1(E)≅E,⋀n(E)=1.

Hence we have the following isomorphism:

(41)E≅HomR−Mod(E,R)≅HomR−Mod(⋀n−1E,⋀nE)

Let ψ:E→HomR−Mod(⋀n−1E,⋀nE) be the isomorphism defined as:

(42)v⟼(ϕv:⋀n−1E→⋀nE,α→v∧α)

For an R−module homomorphism T, we can define the adjugate of T, i.e. T∨ as

(43)ϕT∨(v)=ϕv∘⋀n−1T

if e1,...,en form a basis of E, then

(44)T∨e1∧e2∧....∧en=e1∧T(e2)∧...∧T(en)

Notice that ϕv∘⋀n−1T∈HomR−Mod(⋀n−1E,⋀nE) and ϕ is an isomorphism. Hence for each v∈E, there exists an unique T∨(v) such that ϕT∨(v)=ϕv∘⋀n−1 . Hence T∨ is well defined.

Proposition. T∨T=det⁡T⋅I.

Proof. Replace e1 by T(e1) then T∨T(e1)∧e2∧...∧en=det⁡Te1∧e2∧...∧en.◻

Inner product and Cross product

Now let us consider a special exterior algebra: ⋀(R3), which is an excellent example.

Observe that ⋀(V)=⨁r≥0⋀r(V) and ⋀i(V)≅⋀n−i(V), where n=dim⁡V, since (ni)=(nn−i).

There exists a way to define an isomorphism between ⋀i(V) and ⋀n−i(V) called Hodge duality. We will deal with the general case in the future. In this essay, we will use the particular case to consider the inner and cross products in R3.

Let e1,e2,e3 be the standard orthogonal basis of R3.

Define the Hodge star operator ∗:⋀i(V)→⋀n−i(V) as follows:

(45)ei∧∗ei=e1∧e2∧e3

For example, ∗e1=e2∧e3 and ∗(e2∧e3)=e1.

Remark. ∗(∗v)=v.

Let

(46)ω=ae1+be2+ce3,η=a′e1+b′e2+c′e3∈⋀1(R3)

Proposition. ∗(ω∧∗η)=⟨ω,η⟩.

Proof.

(47)∗(ω∧∗η)=∗[(ae1+be2+ce3)∧(a′∗e1+b′∗e2+c′∗e3)]

i.e.,

(48)∗[aa′e1∧∗e1+bb′e2∧∗e2+cc′e3∧∗e3]=∗[(aa′+bb′+cc′)e1∧e2∧e3]=⟨ω,η⟩◻

Proposition. ω×η=∗(ω∧η)

Proof. One can simply prove by observation by the definition, but I will show the calculations to provide a friendly explanation for readers who are still not familiar with the Hodge star operator.

(49)∗(ω∧η)=∗(ab′e1∧e2+ba′e2∧e1+ac′e1∧e3+ca′e3∧e1+bc′e2∧e3+cb′e3∧e2)

Using the fact that ei∧ej=−ej∧ei, we get:

(50)∗(ω∧η)=∗[(ab′−a′b)e1∧e2+(bc′−b′c)e2∧e3+(ca′−c′a)e3∧e1]

Finally,

(51)(ab′−a′b)e3+(bc′−b′c)e1+(ca′−c′a)e2=ω×η◻

Proposition. ⟨ω,ω×η⟩=0=⟨η,ω×η⟩.

Proof. We only need to prove ⟨ω,ω×η⟩=0.

Since ∗(ω∧∗η)=⟨ω,η⟩, we have ⟨ω,ω×η⟩=∗(ω∧∗(ω×η)). But ω×η=∗(ω∧η)!

Thus, we have

(52)⟨ω,ω×η⟩=∗(ω∧∗(ω×η))=∗(ω∧ω∧η)=∗(0)=0◻

 

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