Cartan curvature of a planar warped spacetime Created 2026-10-07 Updated 2026-10-14
For the orthonormal coframe of a planar warped spacetime, Cartan's first structure equation gives and , where and . All other connection 1-forms vanish. Cartan's second structure equation gives and for . Lowering the first index makes both the connection 1-forms and the curvature 2-forms antisymmetric. Contraction yields , , and .
Curvature of a diagonal plane wave in Rosen coordinates Created 2026-10-06 Updated 2026-10-14
For , , with nowhere-zero smooth , take , , , , . In signature , Cartan's first structure equation and metric compatibility give the lower-index connection 1-forms and . Cartan's second structure equation gives and . All other independent curvature 2-forms vanish: in particular the component cancels between the time and longitudinal terms. Contracting yields . Thus the Vacuum Einstein equations are , while nonzero gives opposite transverse tidal curvatures and plus polarization relative to these axes.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 58 6 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Let be the constant diagonal metric matrix in a local pseudo-orthonormal frame, and define . The metric compatibility of the Levi-Civita connection givesThus the lowered connection matrix is antisymmetric, including in indefinite signature. Ordinary matrix antisymmetry of itself is not the corresponding assertion in indefinite signature.
Let be the dual coframe, and write a vector field as . ThenSubtract the same expression with exchanged and subtract . By the definition of the exterior derivative, this gives the components of the torsion tensor:The Levi-Civita connection is torsion-free, so Cartan's first structure equation is
Use and define its matrix of curvature two-forms by . Applying two covariant derivatives to yieldsThe first three terms are and the last two are . Therefore Cartan's second structure equation isThe associated Riemann curvature tensor components satisfy with this convention.
For a position-dependent change of pseudo-orthonormal frame, write the frame row as , with . The dual coframe obeys . Applying the Leibniz rule to givesThe connection one-form has an inhomogeneous term because differentiating the moving basis produces . The curvature two-form instead transforms homogeneously. Indeed, curvature is tensorial in the vector to which it is applied, so . ConsequentlyEquivalently, substituting the transformed connection into and using cancels all derivative terms and gives the same result. This transformation law holds for a general invertible frame change as well; the orthogonality condition ensures both frames remain pseudo-orthonormal.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 64 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
An orthonormal coframe writes a metric as with constant diagonal signature matrix . In Cartan's first structure equation, solveThese are the torsion-free and metric-compatibility conditions and determine the Levi-Civita connection. Then Cartan's second structure equation givesContract to obtain the Ricci tensor and then contract again for the scalar curvature. This fixes the curvature convention; reversing the definition of the Riemann curvature tensor reverses the resulting curvature signs.
On , choose , , , , with . For ,A torsion-free metric connection therefore hasFor example, , while for ,Metric antisymmetry supplies the remaining components, giving uniformlyThus the metric has constant sectional curvature . In four dimensions,It is an Einstein manifold, with Einstein constant in the stated curvature convention.
These are Poincare coordinates on anti-de Sitter spacetime of unit radius. Constant curvature gives the maximal ten-dimensional local isometry algebra . This can also be checked directly: set , and . The ten independent Killing vector fields areTranslations and Lorentz transformations leave the numerator and unchanged. A dilation rescales numerator and denominator equally. For , direct differentiation gives and , so the conformal factor cancels and .
Hence the maximally extended Anti-de Sitter spacetime has connected isometry group locally , with the appropriate covering group if one unwraps its time coordinate. The displayed coordinates cover only a patch. The ten local generators do not all give globally complete flows preserving that patch; for example special conformal flows can cross its horizon. The manifest complete patch symmetries include the boundary Poincare transformations and positive dilations. This distinguishes local maximal symmetry from the global isometries of a chosen coordinate domain.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 63 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
An orthonormal coframe is a collection of independent differential forms satisfying , with . Locally one can diagonalize the metric tensor and rescale the resulting covectors, or use Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization for a symmetric bilinear form, choosing a timelike direction first. The coframe is not unique: a local Lorentz transformation preserves the metric. For the Levi-Civita connection, solve Cartan's first structure equation and metric compatibility together:These determine the connection 1-forms. The antisymmetry applies to the lowered pair of indices; a mixed time-space pair instead has . Next Cartan's second structure equation gives the curvature 2-forms, and reading off their coefficients determines the Riemann curvature tensor:This also states the curvature-sign convention. Contracting gives the Ricci tensor, and its coordinate components are .
On a static patch with , chooseWrite , , , and . The exterior derivative givesThe nonzero independent connection 1-forms are consequentlywith , spatial mixed pairs antisymmetric, and the remaining forms zero. For example,Similarly , and the angular derivatives in cancel against . The resulting Cartan curvature forms for a static spherical metric areFor the last entry, and . The remaining curvature 2-forms follow from .
Put , , and . Reading the Riemann curvature tensor from the forms and contracting gives the diagonal orthonormal Ricci tensorFor example , while . All off-diagonal entries vanish because the curvature 2-forms only involve their own index planes. In the coordinate basis the nonzero components areThe angular Einstein field equations with the negative cosmological constant give . Integrating introduces one real constant, conventionally written :Substitution gives , so the time and radial Einstein field equations hold as well. The solution is the Schwarzschild--anti-de Sitter black hole family, including its zero and negative mass limits.
For , increases strictly from at to at infinity. Its unique positive simple zero satisfies . This zero is a coordinate singularity, not a curvature singularity: with the ingoing coordinate , the radial metric is and is regular there. Inside the future black-hole region, is future timelike, so every future-directed causal trajectory decreases and cannot return to the asymptotic anti-de Sitter boundary. Conversely, every exterior radius admits an outward radial null geodesic reaching that boundary, since converges. Thus gives an event horizon at the unique positive zero of . Here the event horizon is defined relative to the asymptotic timelike boundary of Anti-de Sitter spacetime. For , and the spacetime is pure Anti-de Sitter spacetime, with no black-hole event horizon. For , , so there is also no event horizon; the mass term produces a naked singularity at . The field equation itself does not impose a positive mass integration constant.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 58 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Choose a local orthonormal coframe with . The Levi-Civita connection is represented by the connection 1-forms satisfyingThe gamma matrices satisfy the Clifford algebra relations . The matrices represent the infinitesimal orthogonal transformations on spinor fields; lifting the frame connection to this representation defines the spinor covariant derivativeBoth frame indices are summed, so each antisymmetric pair occurs twice. Under a local Lorentz transformation with spin lift , the spin connection transforms as and ; consequently . This establishes covariance. Global construction requires a compatible spin structure (and the appropriate orientation and time orientation); the formulas themselves work on a local orthonormal frame patch.
The supplied gamma matrices have squares and anticommute pairwise, so . Work on a connected regular patch with and . Since the metric depends only on , we may use its positive smooth square root . TakeTheir exterior derivatives are , , and . Solving Cartan's first structure equation and imposing Lorentzian connection-form antisymmetry givesIn particular and . The parallel spinor equations are thereforeDifferentiate the angular equation with respect to and use . This gives . Since , this matrix is invertible. A parallel spinor that vanishes at any point vanishes everywhere on the connected domain, by uniqueness of parallel transport. Thus a nonzero parallel spinor implies throughout the patch. There are no nonzero parallel spinors unless is constant. The zero spinor field is always a solution, so “nonzero” is essential in interpreting the printed assertion. A smooth original of either sign is constant on such a patch exactly when is constant; is excluded because the given metric is not defined there.
Write the constant as , and introduce , , and . The metric becomesA circle at small has circumference if has period , whereas its proper radius is . Smoothness requires circumference divided by radius to tend to , not a multiple of . Conversely, when , the coordinates , exhibit a smooth flat spatial disk. HenceFor a prescribed period , this requires ; otherwise there is a conical singularity at the apex.
For constant , the time and radial equations make the components independent of . The angular equation has all solutionswhere is an arbitrary constant two-component spinor field and . There are two independent real solutions for real spinor fields, or two independent complex solutions if complex spinors are used. At the smooth angular period, these polar-frame components change sign. This is exactly the polar-frame parallel spinor transformation under the spin lift of a full rotation: the rotating polar orthonormal frame does not extend through the origin. The spin structure extending over the disk uses this antiperiodic polar trivialization; in a Cartesian orthonormal frame the same parallel spinors have constant components and extend smoothly. Requiring periodic components in the rotating frame would select the other spin structure on the punctured disk, which does not extend over its center.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 58 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Work on a regular patch with a smooth nonzero conformal factor. Its sign is constant there, so replace it by if necessary and assume . Put , and let all partial derivatives, index raising on , and the operators in the following formulas use the flat Cartesian metric . The orthonormal coframe hasThe proposed connection 1-forms reduce toLowering the first frame index with makes these antisymmetric, which establishes metric compatibility. Moreover,Thus Cartan's first structure equation has zero torsion. Uniqueness of the metric-compatible torsion-free connection identifies these forms as the Levi-Civita connection; this also explains why merely guessing a skew connection would not have sufficed.
To calculate the Riemann curvature tensor, use Cartan's second structure equation. Direct differentiation and multiplication giveIntroduce the Schouten tensor in Cartesian coordinate components,The preceding calculation groups into the curvature 2-formsKeep the convention , with , as in the first solution. Converting frame indices to coordinate indices gives the curvature of a conformally Euclidean metric:These are coordinate components. Components in the dual orthonormal frame are , hence the same expression with the overall factor . This distinction is important when contracting the Riemann curvature tensor.
Contract with . In four dimensions the Ricci tensor becomes , and thereforeTaking the remaining metric trace yields the Ricci scalarThe cancellation of the gradient-squared terms in the last expression is special to dimension four.
For the Tolman wormhole, compute on :Substitution into the Ricci tensor and Ricci scalar givesFor example, the coordinate radial eigenvalue is , while each of the three tangential eigenvalues is . Their sum vanishes, but none vanishes when . The Vacuum Einstein equations with zero cosmological constant require and hence . The metric is scalar-flat but not a vacuum solution for any nonzero ; only gives flat vacuum space. A nonzero cosmological constant does not rescue it: its trace would force , so would first force .
The smooth wormhole interpretation uses ; is another asymptotically flat end, not an included origin, as inversion shows. For , the conformal factor vanishes at , where the metric is degenerate. The local non-vacuum calculation remains valid on each regular region away from that sphere, but such a metric is not a smooth wormhole across it.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 iii Paper 55 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Treat the orthonormal coframe in spacetime and the Lorentz connection 1-form as independent variables, with nondegenerate coframe and . Fix the curvature conventionThe second expression is Cartan's first structure equation; the first is Cartan's second structure equation. Use compactly supported variations, or boundary data that make the variation's surface term vanish.
For a connection variation, , where is the covariant exterior derivative. Since , its graded product rule givesFor a coframe variation, relabeling the dummy indices makes the three variations of the cubic term identical. HenceThe independent variations therefore give and . In three dimensions the alternating symbol identifies an antisymmetric index pair with a single index, so these equations are equivalent toThese are the equations of first-order three-dimensional gravity. The first selects the Levi-Civita connection; the second fixes constant sectional curvature . The factor of three follows from varying the coefficient exactly as printed.
On a static coordinate patch where , choose the Lorentz frame metric and coframePut and . Exterior differentiation gives , , and . Solving the equation of vanishing torsion forms givesHere antisymmetry is in the two raised or two lowered frame indices; mixed time-space components have equal, rather than opposite, signs. This is the Lorentzian connection-form antisymmetry needed to retain the curvature signs.
Using Cartan's second structure equation, the nonzero curvature 2-forms areFor example, , while the form is the product . Thus the field equations require and . Integrating the latter gives ; the former is then satisfied automatically. The origin condition fixes , yieldingAs a sign and normalization check, the Ricci tensor is and the scalar curvature is . The coframe calculation applies initially in the region with ; if , vanishes at , delimiting that static chart without changing the derived function.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2012 iii Paper 56 4 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The displayed are one-forms, so they form an orthonormal coframe, dual to the orthonormal frame , , , . Use and abbreviateFor , , while . The Levi-Civita connection is fixed by Cartan's first structure equation together with Lorentzian connection-form antisymmetry, , where . Its nonzero connection 1-forms areIn particular, the time-index pair has the same sign with one index raised; incorrectly imposing would lose the Lorentzian sign. All diagonal and all other entries vanish.
Apply Cartan's second structure equation. For ,For distinct in , putting and gives . Thus a complete independent set of curvature 2-forms isAll diagonal entries vanish. The remaining entries follow from : for , and . These relations and the displayed six entries specify all sixteen curvature 2-forms. This computation is Cartan curvature of a planar warped spacetime.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 49 4 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Treat the printed as an orthonormal coframe, with frame metric . Work on a patch and , so the given real coframe exists. Define and . The exterior derivatives areThe connection 1-forms satisfying Cartan's first structure equation and metric compatibility areAll other forms vanish. With a Lorentzian frame, it is the lowered forms that are antisymmetric; the two mixed time–space forms are equal. These displayed forms solve the torsion-free structure equation, and uniqueness of the Levi-Civita connection identifies them as the required connection.
Apply Cartan's second structure equation. For example,The remaining derivatives give and , with analogous forms for index 2. Put and . From ,Therefore all six independent curvature 2-forms areThe other six are fixed by for , with no sum: equal for time–space pairs and opposite for spatial pairs. All diagonal forms are zero. The Lorentzian connection-form antisymmetry is essential to these signs.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 309 4 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Put , , , , with primes denoting . The exterior derivatives are , , . For a Levi-Civita connection, the connection 1-forms obey both Cartan's first structure equation and metric compatibility. With lower indices , the result isAll other lower-index forms vanish or follow from . Raising the first time index changes its sign: for example , whereas and .
For direct verification, , and the same holds for index two. For indices zero and three each term wedges or with itself, so it is zero. These forms are metric-compatible, and uniqueness follows from the existence and uniqueness of the Levi-Civita connection. The printed uniqueness statement implicitly includes metric compatibility: the torsion equation alone permits adding nonzero forms with , since their wedge with vanishes.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 309 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
At each point, apply the indefinite-signature version of the Gram-Schmidt process to any local coframe, choosing one timelike and three spacelike one-forms. This produces an orthonormal coframe in spacetime satisfyingIt is unique only up to a local Lorentz transformation. The torsion-free connection 1-forms are then determined by Cartan's first structure equation and metric compatibility,Cartan's second structure equation gives the curvature 2-formsand contraction gives the Ricci tensor .
For the displayed metric, takeThen and . The nonzero connection forms are thereforewith . A second application of the structure equations givesEquivalently,so this is a constant sectional curvature spacetime with . In four dimensions,The Vacuum Einstein equations with a cosmological constant are , and henceThe metric is the contracting flat slicing of de Sitter spacetime with curvature radius one.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 iii Paper 309 4 b Solution 2026-09-28
The exterior derivatives of the coframe areInsert the proposed connection into Cartan's first structure equation and use . The three equations giveThus
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 309 4 c Solution 2026-09-28
Since and , Cartan's first structure equation givesCartan's second structure equation then givesUsing yieldswith no time-index curvature components. Contraction givesand therefore
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 309 4 b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
SetDirect exterior differentiation givesSolving Cartan's first structure equation and imposing gives the independent mixed-index connection 1-formsThe remaining forms follow from Lorentz-signature antisymmetry: , , , and for spatial indices.