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Use the Minkowski metric $g^{\mu \nu }=\mathrm{diag}(1,-1,-1,-1)$ and Feynman slash notation $/p={\gamma }^{\mu }{p}_{\mu }$. The Pauli matrices satisfy ${\sigma }_j{\sigma }_k+{\sigma }_k{\sigma }_j=2{\delta }_{jk}{I}_2$. In the Dirac representation of the gamma matrices, direct block multiplication givesandThus the spatial anticommutators are $-2{\delta }_{jk}{I}_4$, proving the Clifford relationsSince partial derivatives commute, their symmetric product selects the symmetric part of the gamma matrices. Multiplying the Dirac equation by $i{\gamma }^{\mu }{\partial }_{\mu }+m$ givesHence every spinor component satisfies the Klein-Gordon equation with the same mass.

For parity, let $x_P=(t,-\mathbf{x})$ and ${\psi }_P(x)={\gamma }^0\psi (x_P)$. The chain rule gives ${\partial }_0\psi (x_P)=({\partial }_0\psi )(x_P)$ and ${\partial }_j\psi (x_P)=-({\partial }_j\psi )(x_P)$. Combining these signs with ${\gamma }^j{\gamma }^0=-{\gamma }^0{\gamma }^j$ provesThis establishes parity symmetry in quantum field theory for the free Dirac equation, rather than merely asserting its covariance.

A positive-energy plane wave $\psi =u(p)e^{-ip\cdot x}$ solves $(/p-m)u=0$. Write $u=(\chi ,\eta {)}^T$. The two block equations areThe second gives $\eta =(\mathbf{\sigma }\cdot \mathbf{p})\chi /(E_p+m)$. In the first, $(\mathbf{\sigma }\cdot \mathbf{p}{)}^2={\mathbf{p}}^2{I}_2$ and $E_p^2-{\mathbf{p}}^2=m^2$ make the remaining coefficient zero. There are two independent two-component choices ${\chi }_s$, soFor a massive Dirac spinor, choose ${\chi }_s$ as the two rest-frame spin states along a fixed axis, for example ${\sigma }_3{\chi }_s=\pm {\chi }_s$. The label $s$ distinguishes these canonical spin states after boosting; it is not automatically a helicity label.

Now $p\cdot x_P=p_P\cdot x$ and ${\gamma }^0{u}_s(p)=u_s(p_P)$ for the same fixed ${\chi }_s$. ThereforeThe parity action on canonical massive spin states leaves the canonical spin label unchanged while reversing the momentum. Spin is an axial vector under parity; its orientation is unchanged. Consequently helicity, the projection of spin along momentum, reverses. If $s$ had instead been chosen to denote helicity, the transformed label would have the opposite sign.

The Dirac adjoint is $\bar{\psi }={\psi }^{†}{\gamma }^0$, with ${\gamma }^{0†}={\gamma }^0$. ThusThe chirality matrix has ${\gamma }^5=i{\gamma }^0{\gamma }^1{\gamma }^2{\gamma }^3=\left(\begin{array}{cc}0& I_2\\ I_2& 0\end{array}\right)$ in this representation, so $({\gamma }^5{)}^2=I_4$ and it anticommutes with every ${\gamma }^{\mu }$. In particular ${\gamma }^0{\gamma }^5{\gamma }^0=-{\gamma }^5$. The parity transformation of a Dirac bilinear therefore yieldsThe first bilinear is a scalar under parity, whereas the second is a pseudoscalar.

For the requested gamma matrix trace identities, use the cyclic property of the trace. Conjugation of a product of $n$ gamma matrices by ${\gamma }^5$ multiplies it by $(-1{)}^n$, but leaves its trace unchanged. All odd products therefore have zero trace. Taking the trace of the Clifford algebra relation and using $\mathrm{Tr}{I}_4=4$ gives $\mathrm{Tr}({\gamma }^{\alpha }{\gamma }^{\beta })=4g^{\alpha \beta }$. For four factors, move the first gamma matrix successively past the next three using the anticommutators. If $A=\mathrm{Tr}({\gamma }^{\alpha }{\gamma }^{\beta }{\gamma }^{\rho }{\gamma }^{\delta })$, this givesThus $A=4(g^{\alpha \beta }{g}^{\rho \delta }-g^{\alpha \rho }{g}^{\beta \delta }+g^{\alpha \delta }{g}^{\beta \rho })$. Contracting with the relevant four-vectors proves all four answers:

Use units $c=\hslash =1$ and the Minkowski metric $g=\mathrm{diag}(1,-1,-1,-1)$. Composing two affine Poincaré group transformations, with the rightmost applied first, givesThe translations form a normal subgroup, so this is the semidirect product of the Lorentz group with ${\mathbb{R}}^{1,3}$. The transformations $(\mathrm{diag}(1,R),0)$, $R\in SO(3)$, fix time and the spatial origin. Their products and inverses correspond to $R{R}^{\prime }$ and $R^{-1}$, hence they form a subgroup isomorphic to SO(3).

A rotationless Lorentz boost changes the velocity of a frame without adding a spatial rotation. For $|\mathbf{v}|<1$ a convenient active convention iswith $B(0)=I$. It satisfies $B^{T}gB=g$, $\det B=1$, and $B(m,0)=(m\gamma ,m\gamma \mathbf{v})$. Collinear boosts form a one-parameter subgroup with additive rapidity, but general boosts do not. For nonzero boosts along $x$ and $y$, $(B_x{B}_y{)}_{02}={\gamma }_x{\gamma }_y{v}_y$ while $(B_x{B}_y{)}_{20}={\gamma }_y{v}_y$: their product is not symmetric, whereas every rotationless boost above is symmetric. The product contains a Wigner rotation. Infinitesimally, the Poincare algebra gives $[K_i,K_j]=-i{ϵ}_{ijk}{J}_k$ for Hermitian generators, so the boost generators do not close amongst themselves.

There is a group-versus-cover qualification in the spin range: an honest unitary representation of the proper orthochronous Poincaré group permits integer spin only. Half-integer spin requires its double cover $SL(2,\mathbb{C})⋉{\mathbb{R}}^{1,3}$, or a projective unitary representation of the ordinary group. The construction below gives the requested range on that double cover and descends for integer spin.

Fix $m>0$ and the rest momentum $k=(m,0)$. Its little group consists of rotations: if a proper orthochronous Lorentz transformation fixes $k$, its time column is $(1,0)$, the metric condition forces the corresponding time row, and the remaining block belongs to SO(3). On the Lorentz spinor double cover, this little group is SU(2). Choose its irreducible spin-$s$ representation, with rest-frame states $|k,s,\sigma ⟩$, $\sigma =-s,-s+1,\dots ,s$, and matrices $D^{(s)}$, the Wigner D-matrices.

For each $p$ on the forward mass shell, $p^2=m^2$, $p^0>0$, choose the standard rotationless Lorentz boost $L(p)=B(\mathbf{p}/p^0)$ and defineThe labels are canonical spin projections, defined by this choice of boosts. For any proper orthochronous $\Lambda$, factorThe last factor fixes $k$ and hence is a Wigner rotation. On the double cover, use its lift to SU(2). Taking the translation convention $U[I,a]|p,s,\sigma ⟩=e^{ip\cdot a}|p,s,\sigma ⟩$ yields the massive induced representation of the Poincare double cover:The argument of the translation phase is $\Lambda p$, since $U[\Lambda ,a]=U[I,a]U[\Lambda ,0]$. The Wigner rotation identityproves the Lorentz part of the representation law; the phases multiply according to the affine product already derived.

Normalize the generalized momentum states by $⟨p,s,\sigma |q,s,\tau ⟩=2p^0(2\pi {)}^3{\delta }^3(\mathbf{p}-\mathbf{q}){\delta }_{\sigma \tau }$. The invariant mass shell measure $d^{3}p/(2p^0)$ and unitarity of $D^{(s)}$ make the induced representation unitary on $L^2(d^{3}p/(2p^0))\otimes {\mathbb{C}}^{2s+1}$. This covariant normalization accounts for the absence of an energy square-root factor in the displayed transformation law. To see irreducibility, translations force an operator in the commutant to act within momentum fibres; the little-group action and Schur lemma make its action scalar on each irreducible spin fibre. Lorentz transitivity on the forward mass shell makes this scalar constant. The commutant is therefore scalar, so the unitary representation is irreducible. Conversely, the simultaneous translation spectrum and its little-group representation give the massive positive-energy sector of Wigner's classification.

Thus every $m>0$ and $s\in \{0,\frac{1}{2},1,\dots \}$ gives such an irreducible representation on the double cover. Its central element over a $2\pi$ spatial rotation acts as $(-1{)}^{2s}$. Since this rotation is the identity in the ordinary Poincaré group,

For the parity operator, put $\Pi =\mathrm{diag}(1,-1,-1,-1)$ and $\bar{p}=\Pi p=(p^0,-\mathbf{p})$. The extension obeys $PU[\Lambda ,a]P^{-1}=U[\Pi \Lambda \Pi ,\Pi a]$. At rest, $P$ commutes with the rotations; Schur lemma therefore gives $P|k,s,\sigma ⟩={\eta }_P|k,s,\sigma ⟩$ with a common phase $|{\eta }_P|=1$. Since $\Pi L(p)\Pi =L(\bar{p})$, the parity action on canonical massive spin states isFor the usual reflection convention $P^2=I$, ${\eta }_P=\pm 1$ is the intrinsic parity. Canonical spin is an axial quantity and its label $\sigma$ is unchanged; a helicity label instead changes sign because momentum is reversed. Either intrinsic parity extends a given massive spin representation.