 Flow definition of the Lie derivative of a tensor field

For the local flow ${\varphi }_t$ of a smooth vector field $X$, pull a tensor field $T$ back to the fixed base point before differentiating. Pullback uses $d{\varphi }_t^{-1}$ on vector factors and the dual of $d{\varphi }_t$ on covector factors. The chain rule gives ${\mathcal{L}}_{X}f=Xf$. In coordinates, $d{\varphi }_t^{-1}Y({\varphi }_t(x))=Y+t(dYX-dXY)+O(t^2)$, so ${\mathcal{L}}_{X}Y=[X,Y]$. Differentiation of pullback preserves tensor contractions and obeys the Leibniz rule for tensor products; hence this is the tensor derivation defining the Lie derivative of a tensor field.