Use the geodesic Lagrangian
where here the overdot on a coordinate means differentiation with respect to the affine parameter. Applying the Euler-Lagrange equation to each coordinate and comparing with the geodesic equation
determines the Christoffel symbols. To display derivatives of the metric coefficients unambiguously, write , , and similarly for . The nonzero symbols, together with those obtained by symmetry in the two lower indices, are
This is the Christoffel symbols of a diagonal spherical spacetime metric.
The coordinate expression for the Lie bracket of vector fields is
For the Levi-Civita connection,
The final term vanishes because the Christoffel symbols are symmetric in while the vector product in parentheses is antisymmetric. Hence
For a smooth curve on a Riemannian surface, its energy of a curve is
Choose a local parameterization and write . With coefficients of the first fundamental form
the Lagrangian is
The Euler-Lagrange equations are equivalently
After multiplying by the inverse metric these become the geodesic equation
where the Christoffel symbols are determined by .
If a straight line segment lies in the surface, parameterize it by
Then , so its acceleration has zero tangential component. The two displayed equations hold directly, and the segment is a geodesic.
For the one-sheeted hyperboloid
put
Two distinct ruling lines through are
Indeed, the direction satisfies
so substitution shows that every point of the line lies in . These are geodesics by the straight-line argument.
A third geodesic is the meridian through . Choose with ; then
Its acceleration is , which is normal to , so it is a geodesic. If , these give the required three distinct subsets.
If , there is also the equatorial circle. Writing ,
Its acceleration is normal to along , so it is a fourth geodesic distinct from the meridian and the two rulings.
Finally, write . Clairaut's relation gives the conserved quantity
Choose initial data in with
Since , every point of the resulting geodesic satisfies , and therefore
Continuity keeps the geodesic in the component , and the stated completeness assumption defines it for every real time. The continuum of choices of supplies infinitely many such geodesics.
In the absence of scalar anisotropic stress, the traceless spatial Einstein field equations give
The photon mass-shell condition , together with and , gives to first order
Use the time component of the geodesic equation, divide it by , and substitute the stated Christoffel symbols. Keeping the perturbed ratios where they multiply the background terms makes those terms cancel. Comparing the result with the total derivative of yields
The first term is the time-dependent gravitational redshift and the second is the gravitational frequency shift along the photon direction.
The Schwarzschild exterior is vacuum, so
and consequently . Put
The relevant Christoffel symbols are
With the convention
one finds
Since ,
This is the leading Radial Weyl curvature of Schwarzschild spacetime. The opposite convention for the Riemann tensor reverses the sign but not the physical tidal magnitude.
For the Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker metric in Cartesian spatial coordinates, the only time-dependent components are . The Christoffel symbol formula therefore gives
Substituting these into the definition of the Ricci tensor gives
Thus, with no summation over , the requested components are , , and .
Writing , orthogonality from part a gives
The needed Christoffel symbols are
The radial and azimuthal transport equations reduce to
Hence
With the stated initial direction,
For
the nonzero Christoffel symbols needed here are
On a line of constant longitude, , and the geodesic equation reduces to after choosing an affine parameter. Thus every meridian is a geodesic.
For a nonconstant line of constant latitude, and the equation requires
Away from the coordinate-degenerate poles, this holds only when
so only the equator is a constant-latitude geodesic.
Let
The Euler-Lagrange equation gives
Since and , this becomes
Expanding the derivative, multiplying by the inverse metric, and using the Christoffel symbol
gives the geodesic equation
At an arbitrary point choose normal coordinates, so the Christoffel symbols vanish there. Torsion freedom and commutation of partial derivatives then give the algebraic first Bianchi identity
Differentiate the coordinate curvature expression and cyclically antisymmetrize. Third derivatives cancel, giving the second Bianchi identity
Both statements are tensorial and hence hold in every coordinate system. Contracting the differential identity, using the curvature symmetries and metric compatibility, yields
the contracted Bianchi identity.
Apply the definition to the coordinate basis, for which and . Comparing coefficients gives
equivalent to the paper's ordering after commuting scalar factors. Although the individual Christoffel symbols are not tensors, the preceding intrinsic definition proves that this complete combination is tensorial.
The background spatial metric is . For the large spatial diffeomorphism
homogeneity and isotropy imply that the purely spatial background Christoffel symbols vanish. Hence
The shift is constant, transverse and traceless, and is therefore the zero-momentum adiabatic tensor mode.
A scalar transforms by its Lie derivative:
Fourier transformation and integration by parts in momentum space give
The term proportional to vanishes because the deformation is traceless.
For coordinates , the Christoffel symbols of the Levi-Civita connection are
where is the inverse metric.
For the two-dimensional hyperbolic metric in polar coordinates,
Only has a nonzero derivative, namely
It follows that the nonzero connection coefficients are
An affinely parameterized geodesic satisfies
For the conformally flat metric , its Christoffel symbols are
Let . Along a null geodesic, , so the equation reduces to
The acceleration is parallel to the tangent. A change of parameter removes it, leaving a straight null line of the Minkowski metric. Thus conformal rescaling changes the affine parameter but not the unparametrized light ray.
Consequently Nordstrom theory of gravitation predicts
for light passing a star. This contradicts the observed nonzero deflection and the successful general-relativistic value .
For local coordinates , a curve is an affinely parametrized geodesic exactly when it satisfies the geodesic equation
where the Christoffel symbols of the Levi-Civita connection are
Write and . Varying with fixed endpoints and then choosing proper time as parameter, for which , gives the Euler-Lagrange equation
Expanding the derivative, raising the free index with the inverse metric, and using the symmetry of gives the geodesic equation
These are the Christoffel symbols of the Levi-Civita connection.
Put . Varying gives
The determinant identity gives
Finally, varying the formula for the Christoffel symbols and rewriting partial derivatives covariantly gives the tensor
These are the basic metric variation identities.
Using the stated Christoffel symbols in the definition of the Riemann curvature tensor, the two nontrivial contractions are
Hence
and the vacuum Einstein field equations reduce to
This is the diagonal Rosen coordinates for a plane gravitational wave equation.
For the plus-polarized wave, set
Comparison of the transverse metric components gives, to linear order,
or
Therefore
The Vacuum Einstein equations are consequently satisfied at linear order. A real gravitational wave is obtained by taking the real part of the complex plane-wave notation.
Affinely parametrized geodesics are the critical curves of the geodesic Lagrangian
For and , the nonzero Christoffel symbols, up to symmetry in the lower indices, are
They follow either from the Euler-Lagrange equations or directly from the Levi-Civita connection formula.