Further useful ideas

Abstract

The chapter discusses several further aspects of the physics and mathematics that prove very useful in practice. First we define 4-velocity, 4-momentum and 4-acceleration. Then we introduce the tetrad and show how it can be used to relate a given 4-momentum to the energy and momentum observed in a LIF (local inertial frame). Then we define covariant version of the vector operators div, grad, curl, and obtain simplified expressions for the divergence of a vector and an antisymmetric tensor. The generalized Gauss divergence theorem is then presented.