 Solution

At an oriented internal surface with unit normal vector $\mathbf{n}$, the traction $\mathbf{t}(\mathbf{x},t;\mathbf{n})$ is the limiting contact force per unit surface area exerted by the material on the positive-$\mathbf{n}$ side on the material on the negative-$\mathbf{n}$ side:For a boundary of a chosen material volume, this convention gives the external traction when $\mathbf{n}$ is outward. The Cauchy stress tensor has componentsso the second index specifies the surface orientation and the first specifies the force component. The vectors ${\mathbf{e}}_i$ form the standard Cartesian coordinate system basis of unit vectors.

Cauchy's stress theorem states that the dependence of traction on the normal vector is linear:Repeated indices are summed according to Einstein notation. In particular, reversing the normal vector reverses the traction, and knowing the tractions on three mutually perpendicular coordinate planes determines the traction on every plane. Symmetry of the Cauchy stress tensor, for an ordinary fluid without body couples, follows separately from angular momentum conservation.