Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2010/iii/paper-55/4/solution

Use coordinate indices and Lorentz-frame indices , and take . Locally choose four independent one-forms satisfying
One construction begins with a smooth timelike vector field in a sufficiently small neighborhood, normalizes it, and applies the Gram-Schmidt process to its spacelike orthogonal complement. The dual orthonormal coframe in spacetime gives the vierbein; equivalently its matrix factorizes the metric as . The inverse matrix gives the frame with . This is a local construction: a global frame is not guaranteed by a metric, and a globally defined spinor field requires a compatible spin structure.
The metric does not determine a unique vierbein. A local Lorentz transformation changes the coframe components by
The coordinate index is unchanged in this frame transformation. Restrict to the proper orthochronous Lorentz group for its connected spin lift; orientation-reversing transformations require further structure and are not part of this local spin-group discussion.
Let constant gamma matrices obey the Clifford algebra , and write . A spinor field transforms by the spin lift of the Lorentz transformation, not by its vector matrix:
For , with , the Clifford algebra identity
shows explicitly that
Indeed the commutator of with this infinitesimal spin matrix is . A finite transformation connected to the identity is obtained by exponentiating these generators along a path. Its lift has two possible signs, so spinors are not ordinary Lorentz vectors: a spatial rotation acts by , and by . Consistent transition lifts define the spin structure; the metric alone does not select it.
For the metric connection, take the Levi-Civita connection and determine the spin connection from the tetrad postulate
It is equivalently determined by and . Explicitly, in terms of the inverse frame,
Thus both the coordinate connection and the Lorentz connection 1-form are determined by the metric and chosen frame; no independent torsion has been supplied.
An ordinary derivative fails covariance because . Seek . Covariance requires
The coframe's connection obeys . Applying the spin representation of the same Lorentz algebra, whose infinitesimal generator was just determined, supplies
This proves the transformation law rather than choosing the coefficient arbitrarily. It is the spinor covariant derivative induced by the spin connection. With curved matrices , the same coefficient and tetrad postulate give
so differentiation is compatible with Clifford multiplication and .
Finally, expand the commutator of these derivatives:
The spin representation preserves the Lorentz algebra bracket. Consequently , where . In components the spinor curvature identity is
For the full second derivative, also includes , because its first derivative has a covector index. This term cancels on antisymmetrization for the torsion-free connection. With unit-weight brackets, , the requested expression is therefore
This convention distinguishes the antisymmetrized second derivative from the full commutator by its factor of two. In a noncoordinate orthonormal frame, an operator commutator must additionally subtract the derivative along the frame-vector commutator; using the full tensorial second derivative incorporates that correction.

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