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Use the PDF's covector-first convention: its space ${\mathcal{T}}_l^k$ consists of tensor fields inThis reverses the order in which some texts list tensor type. For a finite-dimensional real vector space $V$, define the tensor contraction first on decomposable tensors:The hats mean omission, with the other factors left in their original order. The formula is a multilinear map of its individual factors, so the universal property of a tensor product gives a unique linear map with this formula.

Apply it with $V=T_{p}M$ at every $p$. Evaluation of a covector on a vector is basis independent: under a change of frame, one factor transforms by a matrix and the other by its inverse transpose, and the matrices cancel in the pairing. Thus the fiber maps agree on overlapping vector bundle trivializations. In a local dual basis, the coefficients of the contracted tensor are finite sums of coefficients with the selected covariant and contravariant indices set equal. They remain smooth. Henceis a globally defined smooth contraction for $k,l\ge 1$. It is also linear over $C^{\infty }(M)$.

The map takes one covector argument and returns two vector slots, so $S$ has two contravariant and one covariant index. Its tensor type isor type $(2,1)$, with components $S^{ab}{}_c$.