Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-2-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2012/paper-2/6/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2012 Paper 2 6 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
A Cartesian tensor of order is a multilinear geometric object whose components under an orthogonal change of axes obey the tensor component transformation law,An isotropic tensor has the same components under every proper rotation. For the Kronecker delta,Thus is isotropic, even under improper orthogonal transformations.
To prove multiplicativity of the determinant from the given formula, first consider . Exchanging any two of changes its sign, so it is proportional to the Levi-Civita symbol. Its component is the determinant, as follows by expanding the given double-epsilon expression. ThereforeSubstitute into that same determinant formula:HenceNo invertibility assumption was used, so this identity includes singular matrices.
Now differentiate the double-epsilon formula for a differentiable . Its three differentiated terms are equal after renaming the paired dummy indices: the simultaneous swaps in both epsilon symbols cancel their signs. Thuswhere is the cofactor of entry . For an invertible matrix, the adjugate matrix identity gives . Consequently the Jacobi determinant derivative formula isThe order of the factors inside the trace follows from the reversed cofactor indices; no commutativity of and is assumed. The cofactor version is also Jacobi's formula and remains valid when is singular, although the inverse version then cannot be used.
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