Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2010/iii/paper-54/1/a/i/solution

Use signature and the Riemann curvature tensor convention . Lower the index of the Killing vector field and set . Differentiating the Killing equation gives , while the Ricci identity gives
Define . The first-pair antisymmetry of the Riemann curvature tensor gives . The pair symmetry and the first Bianchi identity give
Thus is symmetric in its first two indices and antisymmetric in its last two. These two symmetries force it to vanish:
Consequently . Raising using metric compatibility proves the required second covariant derivative of a Killing vector:

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