Question about Cartesian Tensors

In summary, the document addresses inquiries regarding Cartesian tensors, focusing on their definitions, properties, and applications in various fields such as physics and engineering. It emphasizes the importance of understanding tensor notation, operations, and transformations, providing insight into how these mathematical constructs are utilized to represent physical quantities in multi-dimensional spaces.
  • #1
Worn_Out_Tools
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I am not a mathematician but an Engineer-in-Training studying mechanics. That being said why does equation I-10 equal 1 when k equals i and 0 when k does not equal i?

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  • #2
Worn_Out_Tools said:
I am not a mathematician but an Engineer-in-Training studying mechanics. That being said why does equation I-10 equal 1 when k equals i and 0 when k does not equal i?
Consider the case of ##x'_0=1, x'_1=0, x'_2=0##. In this case, only the terms with ##k=0## contribute to the sum in the eqn. I-9, which becomes ##x'_i=a_{ij}a_{0j}##. For ##i=0## it becomes ##1=a_{0j}a_{0j}##, for ##i=1## it becomes ##0=a_{1j}a_{0j}##, etc. For all combinations of ##k## and ##i##, you get the eqn. I-10.
 
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  • #3
“a” is defined as shorthand for the cosine function earlier in the book. So 1 = cos(0,j) * cos (0,j)?
 
  • #4
Worn_Out_Tools said:
“a” is defined as shorthand for the cosine function earlier in the book. So 1 = cos(0,j) * cos (0,j)?
No. ##i, j, k## are indices.
 

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