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Contract an isotropic tensor with the Kronecker delta or the Levi-Civita symbol, using invariance under proper rotations. The three displayed contractions have ranks one, two and three. The only isotropic vector is zero; an isotropic second-rank tensor is a scalar delta, and an isotropic third-rank tensor is a scalar epsilon. For $T_{ijkl}=\alpha {\delta }_{ij}{\delta }_{kl}+\beta {\delta }_{ik}{\delta }_{jl}+\gamma {\delta }_{il}{\delta }_{jk}$, direct contraction gives $\mu =3\alpha +\beta +\gamma$ and $\nu =\beta -\gamma$.

The tensor contraction $C_{mkl}={ϵ}_{ijm}{T}_{ijkl}$ is an isotropic third-rank tensor under proper rotations. It therefore equals $\nu {ϵ}_{mkl}$. Cyclically permuting three indices is even, so ${ϵ}_{mkl}={ϵ}_{klm}$ and ${ϵ}_{ijm}{T}_{ijkl}=\nu {ϵ}_{klm}$.

For the given Kronecker delta expression, the $\alpha$ term vanishes by antisymmetry, while the $\beta$ and $\gamma$ terms give respectively $\beta {ϵ}_{klm}$ and $\gamma {ϵ}_{lkm}=-\gamma {ϵ}_{klm}$. HenceThese computations also illustrate isotropic contractions of a fourth-rank tensor.

Use the right-handed rotation matrix which sends the positive $x$ direction to the positive $y$ direction:The Cartesian second-rank tensor transformation law givesHere isotropic tensor means invariant under every proper rotation, as is needed for the rank-three assertion involving the Levi-Civita symbol. A passive coordinate rotation through the same angle uses $R^{\mathsf{T}}$ instead; the invariance conclusions are identical.

Setting $S^{\prime }=S$ forces $S_{11}=S_{22}$, $S_{12}=-S_{21}$, and $S_{13}=S_{23}=S_{31}=S_{32}=0$. No symmetry assumption on $S$ has been made: it now has the formInvariance under a right-handed quarter-turn about the $x$ axis next gives $S_{22}=S_{33}$ and $S_{12}=-S_{13}$, hence $a=c$ and $b=0$. Conversely $R(\lambda I)R^{\mathsf{T}}=\lambda I$ for every orthogonal matrix. The general isotropic second-rank tensor is therefore $S_{ij}=\lambda {\delta }_{ij}$.

An isotropic vector must be fixed by the half-turn about the $z$ axis, so its first two components vanish. The half-turn about the $x$ axis then forces its third component to vanish. Thus the only isotropic vector is zero. The general isotropic third-rank tensor under proper rotations is $A_{ijk}=\lambda {ϵ}_{ijk}$. If invariance under the whole orthogonal group were required of an ordinary rank-three tensor, inversion $R=-I$ would send $A$ to $-A$, forcing $A=0$ instead.

Here isotropic tensors are invariant under proper rotation matrices, $R^{T}R=I$ and $\det R=1$. The isotropic second-rank tensor and isotropic third-rank tensor forms in three dimensions arewith scalar coefficients $A,B$. One can see completeness directly. A half-turn about each coordinate axis kills every off-diagonal component of a rank-two tensor, and quarter-turns make its three diagonal components equal. For rank three, the half-turns require that each coordinate label occur an odd number of times in a nonzero component. Thus only permutations of $(1,2,3)$ survive. Quarter-turns interchange two labels while reversing one sign, forcing the surviving components to alternate with the parity of a permutation. This gives a multiple of the Levi-Civita symbol.

The tensor transformation law verifies invariance of these forms:The first equality uses orthogonality and the second uses the determinant formula. If reflections were also required while using the ordinary tensor transformation law, the rank-three coefficient would have to vanish. The proper-rotation convention is the one under which $B{ϵ}_{ijk}$ is an isotropic tensor.

The ball is unchanged by any rotation matrix, and rotating coordinates has Jacobian determinant one. Thus changing variables $\mathbf{y}=R\mathbf{x}$ givesThese moments are therefore isotropic tensor integrals. For the Cartesian moments of a three-dimensional ball, the second moment is $\alpha {\delta }_{ij}$. Taking its tensor contraction givesThe third moment vanishes: $\mathbf{x}\mapsto -\mathbf{x}$ preserves the ball and changes the sign of its integrand. Equivalently, its symmetry under index interchange excludes a nonzero multiple of the antisymmetric Levi-Civita symbol.

The fourth moment is symmetric under every permutation of its four indices. The general rank-four isotropic tensor form consequently has equal coefficients, yieldingFor example, comparing $T_{1122},T_{1212},T_{1221}$ shows that the three coefficients agree. Contracting $i=j$ and $k=l$ givesFinally the vector triple product identity gives $\mathbf{x}\times (\mathbf{\Omega }\times \mathbf{x})=r^2\mathbf{\Omega }-(\mathbf{\Omega }\cdot \mathbf{x})\mathbf{x}$. The first term integrates to $3\alpha \mathbf{\Omega }$ and the second to $\alpha \mathbf{\Omega }$, using the second moment. Hence