---- Boldface notation $\boldsymbol R$ is reserved for objects that are best-viewed as elements of $\mathbb{R}^{n \times n}$, or functions on a manifold valued in $\mathbb{R}^{n \times n}$. > [!definition] Definition. ([[Riemannian curvature]]) — the (1,3) tensor > > > Let $(M,g)$ be a [[Riemannian manifold|Riemannian]] [[smooth manifold|manifold]] of dimension $n$. The **(full) (1,3) Riemannian curvature ([[tensor of type (p,q)|tensor]][^9]) of $g$** is the minus[^2] [[covariant derivative on a vector bundle|of]] [[higher covariant derivative|the]] [[Levi-Civita connection|Levi-Civita]] [[connection on a manifold|connection]] [[curvature form|curvature]]: $\begin{align} > R &\in \Omega^{2}_{M}(\text{End }TM) \\ > R &:= -D \circ D. > \end{align}$ > Locally ($U \subset M$), $R$ is a [[differential form with values in a vector bundle|matrix of]] [[differential form|two-forms]], variously organized as $\begin{align} > R |_{U}&=\boldsymbol R_{\ k \ell} \ dx^{k} \wedge dx^{\ell} \\ > &= [R^{i}_{j, k \ell}]_{j\in [n]}^{i \in [n]}\ dx^{k} \wedge dx^{\ell} \\ \\ > &= [R^{i}_{j, k \ell} \ dx^{k} \wedge dx^{\ell}]_{j\in [n]}^{i \in [n]}\ \\ > &= [R^{i}_{j}]_{j \in [n]}^{i \in [n]} > \end{align}$where $\boldsymbol R_{ \ k \ell} \in C^{\infty}(U; \mathbb{R}^{n \times n})$, $\underbrace{ R^{i}_{j, k \ell} }_{( R_{\ k\ell})^{i}_{j} } \in C^{\infty}(U)$, $R^{i}_{j} \in \Omega^{2}(M)$. > > Depending on whether $k,\ell$ are being indexed as $k,\ell \in [n]$ or $1 \leq k < \ell \leq n$, $R^{i}_{j, k \ell}$ might be scaled by $\frac{1}{2}$.[^1] > > > > > > > > The **curvature endomorphism of $g$** is the[^8] $C^{\infty}$-[[bilinear map|bilinear map]] on [[vector field|vector fields]] $\begin{align} > \Gamma(TM) \times \Gamma(TM) &\to \Gamma(\text{End }TM) \\ > X, Y & \mapsto R(X,Y) ,\\ > \text{where } R(X,Y)(p) &:= R_{p}(X_{p},Y_{p}). > \end{align}$ > Here, [[differential form with values in a vector bundle|we have identified]] $\Omega^{2}_{M}(\text{End }TM)_{p} \cong A(T_{p}M, T_{p}M; \text{End }T_{p}M)$. Locally: > > $\begin{align} > R\left( \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{k} }, \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{\ell} } \right) &= \boldsymbol R_{\ k \ell} = [R^{i}_{j, k \ell}]_{i=1,\dots,n}^{j=1,\dots,n} > \\ > R\left( X^{k} \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{k} } , Y^{\ell} \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{\ell} } \right) &= X^{k}Y^{\ell} \boldsymbol R_{ \ k \ell}. > \end{align}$ > $R(X,Y)$ evaluates against a [[vector field]] $Z \in \Gamma(TM)$ as $R(X,Y)Z= \big( \ \ p \mapsto R(X,Y)(p) (Z_{p}) \ \ \big) \in \Gamma(TM).$ > > > So far this is all just notations and conventions for applicable to any element of $\Omega^{2}_{M}(\text{End }TM)$. At last invoking the definition of the [[curvature form]] with $A=D$ the [[Levi-Civita connection]] (see below), one finds $R(X,Y)=D_{[X,Y]}-[D_{X}, D_{Y}],$ where $D_{X}, D_{Y}: \Gamma(TM) \to \Gamma(TM)$ denote the [[partial covariant derivative|partial covariant differential operators]] in the directions of $X$, $Y$ respectively and $[-,-]$ the [[Lie algebra|Lie bracket]] (of vector fields or of differential operators thereof). [^8]: Exercise to check $C^{\infty}$-bilinearity. [^9]: Identifying $\text{End}(TM) \cong T^{*}M \otimes TM$ and thus $\Omega^{2}_{B}(\operatorname{End}TM) \cong \Lambda^{2} T^{*}M \otimes T^{*}M \otimes TM \subset (T^{*}M)^{\otimes 3} \otimes TM,$we see that $R \in \Omega^{2}_{B}(\operatorname{End}TM)$ is indeed a $(1,3)$-[[tensor of type (p,q)|tensor]]. one finds in coordinates $\boldsymbol R_{ \ k \ell}= \frac{ \partial \boldsymbol A_{\ell} }{ \partial x^{k} } - \frac{ \partial \boldsymbol A_{k} }{ \partial x^{\ell} } + \boldsymbol A_{k} \boldsymbol A_{\ell} - \boldsymbol A _{\ell} \boldsymbol A_{k} $ and $R^{i}_{j, k \ell}= \frac{ \partial \Gamma ^i_{j \ell} }{ \partial x^{k} } - \frac{ \partial \Gamma^{i}_{jk} }{ \partial x^{\ell} } + \Gamma^{i}_{pk} \Gamma^{p}_{j\ell} - \Gamma^{i}_{p \ell} \Gamma^{p}_{jk} $ and the coordinate-free expression > [!definition] Definition. ([[Riemannian curvature]]) — the (0,4) tensor > Define a map on 4-tuples of [[vector field|vector fields]] thus: $(X,Y,Z,T) \mapsto g\big( R(X,Y)Z , T \big)$ > Locally, have $\begin{align} > g\big( R(X^{k} \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{k} },& Y^{\ell} \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{\ell} } ) Z^{j}\frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{j} } , T^{i} \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{i} } \big)\\&= X^{k} Y^{\ell} Z^{j} T^{i}\underbrace{ g(\boldsymbol R_{\ k \ell} \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{j} }, \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{i} } ) }_{ := R_{ij,k\ell} }. > \end{align}$ > Observe that, in terms of the (1,3) tensor above, we have[^3] > $R_{ij, k\ell}=g_{iq}R^{q}_{j, k \ell};$ > This is called the **(0,4) curvature tensor**. > By invoking the [[symmetries of the Riemann curvature tensor]], we see that the Riemann curvature tensor $(R_{ij,k \ell})_{p}$ defines, at any point $p \in M$, a [[symmetric multilinear map|symmetric]] [[bilinear map|bilinear form]] on $\Lambda^{2}T_{p}^{*}M$ as $(\omega_{ij} dx^{i} \wedge dx^{j}, \eta_{k \ell}dx^{k} \wedge dx^{\ell}) \mapsto R_{ij, k \ell}\omega_{ij} \eta_{k \ell}$. > [!basicproperties] > - [[symmetries of the Riemann curvature tensor]] ^properties [^1]: Don't worry too much about this. [^2]: This is a convention, and unfortunately our course appears to go back and forth on using it... [^3]: Indeed, $\boldsymbol R_{\ k \ell} \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{j} }$ is the $j$th column $\boldsymbol R^{:}_{j, k \ell}$ of $\boldsymbol R_{k \ell}$; in the standard coordinate basis it is $R^{q}_{j, k \ell} \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{q} }$. Now, $\begin{align} g\big(\overbrace{ \boldsymbol R_{\ k\ell} \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{j} } }^{ j\text{th col.} } , \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{i} } \big) &= g(R^{q}_{j, k \ell} \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{q} } , \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{i} } ) \\ &= R_{j, k \ell}^{q} g_{qi} \\ &= g_{iq} R^{q}_{j, k \ell}. \end{align}$ ---- #### ##### Scratchwork ~~operator can be looked at as a field of matrices of bilinear forms... so compute in terms of $R_{k \ell} \in \Gamma(\text{End }TM)$ 'basis curvature endomorphisms': $R_{k \ell}= R\left( \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{k} } , \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{\ell} }\right):U \subset M \to \text{End } TM$. ~~ ~~$^{i}_{j}$th component of $R_{k \ell}$ corresponds to a single field of bilinear forms, ~~ ~~$R\left( \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{k} }, \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{\ell} } \right)^{i}_{j}=$ ~~ Have a bilinear map $\Gamma(TM) \times \Gamma(TM) \to \Gamma(\text{End }TM)$ " **curvature endomorphism** " $R(X,Y)(p) \in \text{End }T_{p}M$ is given by $R(X,Y)(p)=R(p)(X_{p}, Y_{p})$ If $Z \in \Gamma(TM)$ a vector field, $R(X,Y)Z=(p \mapsto R(X,Y)(p)(Z_{p}))$ or something (should be obvious) can look at it like $R=[R^{i}_{j}]_{j \in [n]}^{i \in [n]} , \text{ where } R^{i}_{j}= \frac{1}{2} R^{i}_{j, k \ell} \ dx^{k} \wedge dx^{\ell}, \ \ R^{i}_{j} \in \Omega^{2}(M), \tag{$*$}$ for $R^{i}_{j, k \ell} \in C^{\infty}(U \subset M)$, or can "pull the $dx^{k} \wedge dx^{\ell}s outside" and look at $R= \boldsymbol R_{ \ k \ell} \ dx^{k} \wedge dx^{\ell}= \overbrace{ \begin{bmatrix} R^{1}_{1} & \cdots & R^{1}_{n} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ R^{n}_{1} & \dots & R^{n}_{n} \end{bmatrix}_{k \ell} }^{ [R^{i}_{j}] ^{i \in [n]}_{j \in [n]}} dx^{k} \wedge dx^{\ell} , \ \ \ \boldsymbol R_{\ k \ell} \in \Gamma(\text{End }TM). \tag{$**$}$ so that $R$ is viewed as an $\Omega^{2}(M)$-linear combination of 'basis matrices/endomorphisms' $\boldsymbol R_{ \ k \ell}$. Or as a linear combination of basis differential forms $dx^{k} \wedge dx^{\ell}$ with matrix coefficients... where now $R^{i}_{j} \in C^{\infty}(U \subset M)$. Not sure which way is 'correct' Locally, can compute (looking at $(**)$, but either $(*)$ or $(* *)$ would work) $R\left( \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{k} } , \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{\ell} } \right)=\boldsymbol R_{ \ k \ell}=(R^{i}_{j, k \ell})_{i \in [n]}^{j \in [n]} \in \Gamma(\text{End }TM),$ so that $R\left( X^{k} \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{k} }, Y^{\ell} \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{\ell} } \right)= X^{k} Y^{\ell} \boldsymbol R_{ \ k \ell} .$ ---- Put $A=\boldsymbol A_{k} \ dx^{k}$, where $\boldsymbol A_{k} \in C^{\infty}(U; \mathbb{R}^{n \times n})$, $(A_{k})^{i}_{j}=\Gamma^{i}_{jk} \in C^{\infty}(U)$. By definition, $d_{A} \circ d_{A}=dA+ A \wedge A$. Start with the $dA$ term: $\begin{align} dA &= d (\boldsymbol A_{k} \ dx^{k}) \\ &= \frac{ \partial \boldsymbol A_{k} }{ \partial x^{\ell} } dx^{\ell} \wedge dx^{k} \text{ for } \ell,k=1,\dots,n\\ &= (\frac{ \partial \boldsymbol A_{\ell} }{ \partial x^{k} } - \frac{ \partial \boldsymbol A_{k} }{ \partial x^{\ell} } ) dx ^{k} \wedge dx^\ell \text{ for } 1 \leq \ell < k \leq n \end{align}$ hence $[dA]^{i}_{j, k \ell}= \frac{ \partial \Gamma ^i_{j \ell} }{ \partial x^{k} } - \frac{ \partial \Gamma^{i}_{jk} }{ \partial x^{\ell} } .$ Next, the $A \wedge A$ term: $\begin{align} A \wedge A & = \boldsymbol A_{k} \ dx^{k} \wedge \boldsymbol A_{\ell} \ dx^{\ell} \\ &= \boldsymbol A_{k} \boldsymbol A_{\ell} \ dx^{k} \wedge dx^{\ell} \text{ for } \ell,k=1,\dots,n \\ &= (\boldsymbol A_{k} \boldsymbol A_{\ell} - \boldsymbol A _{\ell} \boldsymbol A_{k} ) \text{ for } 1 \leq \ell < k \leq n. \end{align}$ hence $[A \wedge A]^{i}_{j, k \ell}=\Gamma^{i}_{pk} \Gamma^{p}_{j\ell} - \Gamma^{i}_{p \ell} \Gamma^{p}_{jk} \text{ for } 1 \leq \ell < k \leq n. $ Adding the terms, one obtains $\boldsymbol R_{ \ k \ell}= \frac{ \partial \boldsymbol A_{\ell} }{ \partial x^{k} } - \frac{ \partial \boldsymbol A_{k} }{ \partial x^{\ell} } + \boldsymbol A_{k} \boldsymbol A_{\ell} - \boldsymbol A _{\ell} \boldsymbol A_{k} $ and $\begin{align} R^{i}_{j, k \ell} &=(dA + A \wedge A)^{i}_{j, k \ell} \\ &= \frac{ \partial \Gamma ^i_{j \ell} }{ \partial x^{k} } - \frac{ \partial \Gamma^{i}_{jk} }{ \partial x^{\ell} } + \Gamma^{i}_{pk} \Gamma^{p}_{j\ell} - \Gamma^{i}_{p \ell} \Gamma^{p}_{jk} \\ \end{align}$ In what follows, we use $D_{X}=X^{k}D_{k}$, where $D_{k}$ is shorthand for $D_{\frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{k} }}$, the [[partial covariant derivative]] operator in the direction of $\frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{k} }$, i.e., $D_{k}Y=(DY)\left( \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{k} } \right)=(DY)^{k}$. $\begin{align} [D_{X}, D_{Y}] Z &= X^{k} Y^{\ell} \left[ \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{k} }+ \boldsymbol A_{k} , \frac{ \partial }{ \partial x^{\ell} } + \boldsymbol A_{\ell} \right] Z \\ &= X^{k} Y^{\ell} \big((\partial_{k} + \boldsymbol A_{k})(\partial_{\ell}+ \boldsymbol A_{\ell}) - (\partial_{\ell} + \boldsymbol A_{\ell} )(\partial_{k}+\boldsymbol A_{k})\big) Z \\ &= X^{k} Y^{\ell} \big( \partial_{k} \boldsymbol A_{\ell} - \partial_{\ell} \boldsymbol A_{k} + \boldsymbol A_{k} \boldsymbol A_{\ell} - \boldsymbol A_{\ell} \boldsymbol A_{k} \big)Z \\ & + (X^{k} \partial_{\ell} Y^{\ell} -Y^{\ell} \partial_{\ell} X^{k} )(\partial_{\ell} + \boldsymbol A_{\ell}) Z \end{align}$ ---- #### References > [!backlink] > ```dataview > TABLE rows.file.link as "Further Reading" > FROM [[]] > FLATTEN file.tags as Tag > WHERE Tag = "#definition" OR Tag = "#theorem" OR Tag = "#MOC" OR Tag = "#proposition" OR Tag = "#axiom" > GROUP BY Tag > ``` > [!frontlink] > ```dataview > TABLE rows.file.link as "Further Reading" > FROM outgoing([[]]) > FLATTEN file.tags as Tag > WHERE Tag = "#definition" OR Tag = "#theorem" OR Tag = "#MOC" OR Tag = "#proposition" OR Tag = "#axiom" > GROUP BY Tag > ```