Transformation from cartesian to cylindrical coordinates

In summary, the conversation is about the attempt to confirm Godel's transformation to cylindrical coordinates using Maple, specifically focusing on the line element in cartesian coordinates and its substitution equations. The attempt involved differentiating four equations and using Maple to simplify the results, but the output was not zero. Further investigation led to finding issues with the differentiation of ##dx_0##, with the correct equation being provided by the expert summarizer.
  • #1
Otacon23
3
0

Homework Statement



I'm trying to get to grips with Godel's 1949 Paper on Closed Time-like Curves (CTCs). Currently I'm trying to confirm his transformation to cylindrical coordinates using maple but seem to keep getting the wrong answer.

Homework Equations



The line element in cartesian coordinates is: ##dS^2 = a^2[dx_0^2-dx_1^2+\frac{1}{2}##e##2x_1####dx_2^2-dx_3^2+2##e##x_1####dx_0dx_2]## using the following substitutions:
##e####x_1#### = \cosh(2r) + \cos(\phi)\sinh(2r)##
##x_2e####x_1####= \sqrt{2}\sin(\phi)sinh(2r)##
##\tan(\frac{\phi}{2} + \frac{x_0 - 2t}{2\sqrt{2}}) = e####2r####\tan(\frac{\phi}{2})##
##x_3 = 2y##
I need to show that the line element is ##dS^2 = 4a^2[dt^2 -dr^2 -dy^2 + (\sinh^4(r) - \sinh^2(r))d\phi^2 + 2\sqrt{2}\sinh^2(r)d\phi dt]##

The Attempt at a Solution



I started by differentiating these four equations to obtain expressions for ##dx_0, dx_1, dx_2, dx_3##

## dx_0 = 2e####-2r####\sqrt{2}cos^2(\frac{\phi}{2} + \frac{x_0 - 2t}{2\sqrt{2}})(\frac{1}{2}\sec^2(\frac{\phi}{2})d\phi - 2\tan(\frac{\phi}{2})dr) + 2dt - \sqrt{2}d\phi##

##dx_1 =2e####-x_1####(sinh(2r) + cos(\phi)cosh(2r))dr - e####-x_1####sin(\phi)sinh(2r)d\phi##

##dx_2 = e####-x_1####sinh(2r)(\sqrt{2}cos(\phi) +x_2\sin(\phi))d\phi + 2e####-x_1####(\sqrt{2}sin(\phi)\cosh(2r)-x_2\sinh(2r)-cos(\phi)\cosh(2r))dr##

##dx_3 = 2dy##

In maple I then defined the variable 'X' to be
##X := a^2[dx_0^2-dx_1^2+\frac{1}{2}##e##2x_1####dx_2^2-dx_3^2+2##e##x_1####dx_0dx_2] - 4a^2[dt^2 -dr^2 -dy^2 + (\sinh^4(r) - \sinh^2(r))d\phi^2 + 2\sqrt{2}\sinh^2(r)d\phi dt];##

Then defined 'XX' to be
##XX:=(subs(dx_0 = ..., dx_1 = ..., dx_2 = ..., dx_3 = ..., X));##
Then simplified the result hoping it to be zero.
##simplify(XX);##
Instead of zero I receive 4 pages or so of trash, so basically can anyone point out where or how I have gone askew?

Many thanks!
 
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  • #2
I tried letting all the variables equal to a random constant and managed to get ##'XX'## to equal 0. It seems that I get a non-zero value of ##'XX'## whenever I let any of ##t, r, \phi## remain a variable and not a constant, which leads me to believe that my substitution and hence my differentiation is incorrect. If anyone has the time to double check any of my differentiations I would really appreciate it!
Maths Love xx
 
  • #3
Narrowed it down to there just being a problem with ##dx_0##
Anyone care to look?
 
  • #4
Otacon23 said:
## dx_0 = 2e####-2r####\sqrt{2}cos^2(\frac{\phi}{2} + \frac{x_0 - 2t}{2\sqrt{2}})(\frac{1}{2}\sec^2(\frac{\phi}{2})d\phi - 2\tan(\frac{\phi}{2})dr) + 2dt - \sqrt{2}d\phi##
You have an x0 on the RHS side there. Assuming you want rid of that, I get
## dx_0 = 2dt - \sqrt{2}d\phi + \sqrt{2}\frac{2 sin(\phi)dr+d\phi}{e^{-2r}cos^2(\phi/2)+e^{2r}sin^2(\phi/2))} ##
The denominator could also be written ## cosh(2r) - sinh(2r)cos(\phi) ##
 

FAQ: Transformation from cartesian to cylindrical coordinates

1. What is the formula for converting cartesian coordinates to cylindrical coordinates?

The formula for converting cartesian coordinates (x, y, z) to cylindrical coordinates (ρ, φ, z) is ρ = √(x² + y²), φ = arctan(y/x), and z = z.

2. How do I know which quadrant my cylindrical coordinates are in?

In cylindrical coordinates, the angle φ represents the position around the z-axis. The quadrant can be determined by the sign of x and y values. If x and y are both positive, φ is in the first quadrant. If x is negative and y is positive, φ is in the second quadrant. If both x and y are negative, φ is in the third quadrant. And if x is positive and y is negative, φ is in the fourth quadrant.

3. Can negative values be used in cylindrical coordinates?

Yes, both positive and negative values can be used in cylindrical coordinates. The ρ coordinate represents the distance from the origin, so it can be negative if the point is in the opposite direction from the origin. The φ coordinate represents the angle, so it can be negative if it is in the opposite direction from the positive angle direction. The z coordinate can also be negative if the point is below the xy-plane.

4. How do I convert from cylindrical coordinates to cartesian coordinates?

To convert from cylindrical coordinates (ρ, φ, z) to cartesian coordinates (x, y, z), the formulas are x = ρcos(φ), y = ρsin(φ), and z = z. Simply plug in the values for ρ and φ into the formulas to obtain the cartesian coordinates.

5. What are some practical applications of using cylindrical coordinates?

Cylindrical coordinates are commonly used in engineering and physics, especially in fields such as fluid dynamics, electromagnetics, and solid mechanics. They are also used in computer graphics and 3D modeling to represent the position and orientation of objects in 3D space. Additionally, cylindrical coordinates are useful in calculating integrals in certain scenarios, as the equations can be simplified compared to cartesian coordinates.

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