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In the geometry of GR, the metric tensor $g$ can determine the Riemannian connection and curvature tensor by combining the spatial derivatives (w.r.t. the 4d coordinate system) properly.

I am curious about the dimensional analysis of the metric tensor.

According to the geometric picture of GR, the connection as the potential is related with energy and the curvature tensor is related with force strength (with the mass to connect the connection/curvature with energy/force).

Then what's the dimension of the metric tensor? Intuitively it should be dimensionless, but how its first/secondary spatial derivative is related with energy/mass and force/mass=acceleration respectively?

Another observation is from the representation of Lorentz group. Where the rotation/boost is related with $SU(2)$ and $SL(2)$ transformations. If we take the $SU(2)$ or $SL(2)$ as transformations $U$ on quantum states, then they are dimensionless. So the acceleration (boost/time) can be regarded as $$dU/dt=H/\hbar=1/t$$ so we get boost is dimensionless, so time=length and energy=mass (these are normal conclusions since we usually take c=1). The reason that I check the Lorentz group representation is that the general metric tensor is generated from the Minkowski metric by dimensionless operation $GL(4)$, so this seems to confirm that the metric tensor should be dimensionless.

But if we go back to the former analysis, where the spatial derivative of the dimensionless metric tensor gives energy/mass, which is then also dimensionless since energy=mass. So we get the spatial derivative of a dimensionless value is still dimensionless.

There must be something wrong with my deduction. Can anybody help to clarify this?

XXDD
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3 Answers3

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The line element $ds^2 = g_{\mu \nu} dx^\mu dx^\nu$ has the dimensions of length$^2$. But there are several different conventions for how to distribute those dimensions across the factors:

  1. Some people like to have the metric dimensionless and have the coordinate $dx^\mu$ have the dimension of $L^1$. This is my personal favorite, because then you can figure out the dimension of the various curvature tensors by just counting how many spacetime derivatives they're made up from (one factor of $L^{-1}$ for each derivative).

  2. Some people like to have the coordinates $dx^\mu$ dimensionless, in which case the metric and all the curvature tensors have the dimensions of $L^2$.

  3. Some people like to have different coordinates and different components of the metric have different dimensions - e.g. for the Euclidean metric $ds^2 = dr^2 + r^2 d\theta^2$, $[r] = L^1$, $[\theta] = L^0$, $[g_{rr}] = L^0$, $[g_{r\theta} = L^1]$, and $[g_{\theta \theta}] = [L^2]$. In this case, the different components of the various curvature tensors have different dimensions as well.

No matter which convention you use, the dimensions always work out correctly at the end of the day, when all indices have been contracted down to physically observable Lorentz scalars.

tparker
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There's always a bit of confusion regarding coordinates and their dimensions. A coordinate is, from a physical point of view, a quantity associated with every event in a region of spacetime (the domain of the chart), in such a way that the values of a set of such quantities uniquely identify the events in that region. Any quantity will do: the distance from something, the time elapsed since something, an angle – but also a temperature or the value of a field. So we could have a local coordinate system where the coordinates have dimensions of length, angle (that is, "1"), magnetic flux, and temperature.

As tparker points out, this implies that different components of the metric tensor will have different dimensions. But every tensor has an absolute dimension, as Schouten (1989) calls it. It's the dimension of the tensor as a geometric object, independently of any coordinate system. It's the dimension of the sum $$g_{00}\;\mathrm{d}x^0 \otimes \mathrm{d}x^0 + g_{01}\;\mathrm{d}x^0 \otimes \mathrm{d}x^1 + \dotsb \equiv \pmb{g}.$$

There are different choices for the absolute dimension of the metric tensor: $\text{length}^2$, $\text{time}^2$, and so on. My favourite is $\text{time}^2$, because if we transport a clock from an event $E_1$ to an event $E_2$ (timelike separated) along a timelike path $s \mapsto c(s)$, the clock will show an elapsed time (proper time) $$\int_{c} \sqrt{\Bigl\lvert \pmb{g}[\dot{c}(s),\dot{c}(s)] \Bigr\rvert}\; \mathrm{d}s,$$ which is independent of the parametrization $s$. Assuming $c$ to be adimensional means that $\pmb{g}$ must have dimensions $\text{time}^2$. But some authors, eg Curtis & al (1985), define the elapsed time as $\frac{1}{c}$ times the integral above, so that $\pmb{g}$ has absolute dimension $\text{length}^2$ instead. Anyway, the point is that $\pmb{g}$, as an intrinsic geometric object, has a dimension that is independent of any coordinates.

Note that $\pmb{g}$'s absolute dimension causes differences in the absolute dimensions of tensors obtained from one another by raising or lowering indices.

Regarding a connection – independently of any metric – consider the action of its covariant derivative $\nabla$ on the coordinate vectors: $$\nabla \frac{\partial}{\partial x^\lambda} = \sum_{\mu\nu} \varGamma{}^{\nu}{}_{\mu\lambda}\; \frac{\partial}{\partial x^\nu}\otimes\mathrm{d}x^{\mu}.$$ To ensure that the terms in the sum and the left side have the same dimension, the Christoffel symbol $\varGamma{}^{\nu}{}_{\mu\lambda}$ must have dimensions $\mathrm{K}\,\dim(x^{\nu})\,\dim(x^{\mu})^{-1}\,\dim(x^{\lambda})^{-1}$, where $\mathrm{K}$ is arbitrary. The effect of the covariant derivative is thus to multiply the dimension of its argument by $\mathrm{K}$. It seems very natural to take $\mathrm{K}=1$, otherwise we would have troubles with the definition of the Riemann tensor: $$R(\pmb{u},\pmb{v})\pmb{w} = \nabla_{\pmb{u}}\nabla_{\pmb{v}}\pmb{w} -\nabla_{\pmb{v}}\nabla_{\pmb{u}}\pmb{w} -\nabla_{[\pmb{u},\pmb{v}]}\pmb{w},$$ where $\nabla$ appears twice in two summands and once in one summand.

From this it follows that the Riemann tensor $R{}^\bullet{}_{\bullet\bullet\bullet}$ and the Ricci tensor $R_{\bullet\bullet}$ are adimensional.

See this answer for a longer discussion.

References

  • Curtis, Miller (1985): Differential Manifolds and Theoretical Physics (Academic Press); chap. 11, eqn (11.21).
  • Schouten (1989): Tensor Analysis for Physicists (Dover, 2nd ed.); chap. VI.
pglpm
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Let $A$ denote the dimension of the line element $g_{μν} dx^μ dx^ν$, for the metric $g$, whose components with respect to the coordinates $x^μ$ are $g_{μν}$. Let $μ$ denote the dimension of the coordinate $x^μ$, and denote dimensions by brackets $[⋯]$. Then $$\left\{\left[g_{μν} dx^μ dx^ν\right] = A,\quad \left[x^μ\right] = μ = \left[dx^μ\right]\right\}\quad→\quad \left[g_{μν}\right] = \frac{A}{μν}.$$ The usual convention is to adopt $A = L^2$, where $L$ denotes the dimension for length; and it is the convention that will be adopted here and below.

Dimensional-Analysis: as gauge fields

You want to line the dimensional analysis up with the corresponding dimensional analysis for gauge fields and to also tie everything together with $GL(4)$. We'll do that here ... and more.

For the following, let $∂_μ = ∂/∂x^μ$. Then $$\left[∂_μ\right] = \frac1{μ}.$$

Dimensional-analysis: gravity as a $GL(4)$ gauge field

The dimension for the connection comes by ensuring that the terms in the expression for the covariant derivative of the metric $$∇_μ g_{νρ} = ∂_μ g_{νρ} - Γ^σ_{μν} g_{σρ} - Γ^σ_{μρ} g_{νσ} \left(= 0\right).$$ should each have the same dimensions. For metrical connections, the covariant derivative is 0, but we won't need that anywhere here. In particular, from $$\frac{A}{μνρ} = \left[∂_μ g_{νρ}\right] = \left[Γ^σ_{μν} g_{σρ}\right] = \left[Γ^σ_{μν}\right] \frac{A}{σρ}$$ follows $$\left[Γ^σ_{μν}\right] = \frac{σ}{μν}.$$

This can be thought of as the components of a gauge field associated with $GL(4)$, written with respect to a Lie algebra basis $Y_a$ as $A_μ = A^a_μ Y_a$. Here, the basis index $a$ is represented as a double index $a = \left({}^ρ_ν\right)$, written as $Y_a = e^ν_ρ$, while the components $A^a_μ$ are written as $A^a_μ = Γ^ρ_{μν}$. The Lie bracket is given by $$\left[e^μ_ν,e^ρ_σ\right] = δ^μ_σ e^ρ_ν - δ^ρ_ν e^μ_σ,$$ so the corresponding field strength $$F_{μν} = ∂_μ A_ν - ∂_ν A_μ + \left[A_μ, A_ν\right],$$ is just $F_{μν} = F^a_{μν} Y_a$, which, for the index $a = \left({}^σ_ρ\right)$, yields $$F^a_{μν} = R^σ_{ρμν} = ∂_μ Γ^σ_{νρ} - ∂_ν Γ^σ_{μρ} + Γ^σ_{μτ} Γ^τ_{νρ} - Γ^σ_{ντ} Γ^τ_{μρ}.$$ This is just the curvature tensor in component form, and its dimensions may be directly read off from this equation: $$\left[R^σ_{ρμν}\right] = \frac{σ}{ρμν}.$$

The terms in the equation for $F_{μν}$ have matching dimensions with respect to each other provided the dimensions are set as: $$\left[e^ρ_σ\right] = \frac{ρ}{σ},\quad \left[A_μ\right] = \frac1{μ},\quad \left[F_{μν}\right] = \frac1{μν}.$$ For the associated one-form $A = A_μ dx^μ$ and two-form $F = ½ F_{μν} dx^μ ∧ dx^ν$, the dimensions are just: $$[A] = 1,\quad [F] = 1.$$

Dimensional-analysis: electromagnetism as a $U(1)$ gauge field

You can compare this to the dimensions for the electromagnetic field. Indexing the coordinates as $x^0 = t$, $\left(x^1, x^2, x^3\right)$ (in the flat-space Minkowski limit), the dimensions are $0 = T$, $1 = 2 = 3 = L$, where $T$ denotes the dimension of duration. Then the field potential $A_μ$ has components $A_0 = -φ$, the electric or scalar potential and $\left(A_1, A_2, A_3\right) = $, the magnetic or vector potential. Their dimensions are $$[φ] = \frac{P}{T},\quad [] = \frac{P}{L},$$ where $P$ denotes the dimension of magnetic charge or magnetic flux. Correspondingly, the potential 1-form $A = A_μ dx^μ$ and its components $A_μ$ have dimensions $$\left[A_μ dx^μ\right] = P,\quad \left[A_μ\right] = \frac{P}{μ}.$$

This can be reconciled with $[A] = 1$ by noting that the electromagnetic field - as a gauge field - is associated with a one-dimensional Lie algebra, so it has a hidden index $A_μ → A^γ_μ$ associated with the one-dimensional Lie algebra basis $\left(Y_γ\right)$. So, the actual dimensions for the potential 1-form and its components are: $$\left[A^γ_μ\right] = \frac{P}{μ},\quad \left[A_μ\right] = \left[A^γ_μ Y_γ\right] = \frac{P}{μ} \left[Y_γ\right],\quad [A] = P \left[Y_γ\right],$$ and can be made consistent with the $[A] = 1$, by setting $$\left[Y_γ\right] = \frac1{P}.$$ The resulting dimensions for the components $A_μ$ are, then, $$\left[A_μ\right] = \frac1{μ}.$$

The corresponding field strength is given, component-wise, by $ = \left(F^γ_{23}, F^γ_{31}, F^γ_{12}\right)$ and $ = \left(F^γ_{10}, F^γ_{20}, F^γ_{30}\right)$, with the dimensions $$[] = \frac{P}{L^2},\quad [] = \frac{P}{LT}.$$ This yields the resulting dimensions $$\left[F^γ_{μν}\right] = \frac{P}{μν},\quad \left[F_{μν}\right] = \left[F^γ_{μν} Y_γ\right] = \frac{P}{μν} \frac1{P} = \frac1{μν},\quad [F] = 1.$$

So, that's how you reconcile the dimensional analysis for the gravity/inertia field with that for gauge fields, like the Maxwell field and align them all.

Extra commentary on the response fields, action and couplings

For the following, let $d^n x = dx^0 ∧ dx^1 ∧ ⋯ ∧ dx^{n-1}$ and $Ω = \left[d^n x\right]$. Then $$Ω = 0 1 ⋯ (n-1).$$ Let $g^{μν}$ denote the components of the inverse metric, and $g$ the determinant of the metric. Then $$g^{μν} = \frac{μν}{A},\quad g = \frac{A^n}{Ω^2}\quad →\quad \left[\sqrt{|g|} d^n x\right] = A^{n/2},$$ for $n$ dimensions independently of how you index the coordinates. Let $H$ denote the dimension of the action and of Planck's constant $h$. Then $$[h] = H = \frac{ML^2}{T},$$ where $M$ is the dimension of mass. Finally, for an action integral $S = ∫ d^4x$ given by a Lagrangian density $$, the respective dimensions are $$[S] = H,\quad [] = \frac{H}{Ω}.$$

Electro-magnetism

In the presence of an action $S = ∫ d^4x$, given by a Lagrangian density $$, the response fields would be given by $$ = +\frac{∂}{∂},\quad = -\frac{∂}{∂},$$ the archetypical case being the Maxwell-Lorentz Lagrangian density $$ = -\frac14 ε_0 c \sqrt{|g|} g^{μρ} g^{νσ} F_{μν} F_{ρσ} = ε_0 \frac{E^2 - B^2 c^2}2,\quad = ε_0 ,\quad = ε_0 c^2 .$$ The dimensions of the response fields are $$[] = \frac{Q}{L^2},\quad [] = \frac{Q}{LT},$$ where $Q$ is the dimension for electric charge, which yields the following as the dimension for the Lagrangian density: $$[] = \left[\frac{∂}{∂}\right] = \frac{[]}{[]}\quad⇒\quad [] = [][] = \frac{PQ}{L^3T}.$$

For the particular choice of coordinate indexing, this works out to: $$Ω = \left[dt ∧ dx ∧ dy ∧ dz\right] = L^3 T,$$ thus $$\frac{PQ}{L^3T} = [] = \frac{H}{L^3T}\quad⇒\quad PQ = H.$$ In SI, the units for $(P,Q,M,L,T)$ are, respectively, Weber, Coulomb, kilogram, meter and second, so Weber·Coulomb = kilogram·meter²/second - reflecting the widely-known fact that electric and magnetic charge are "complementary".

Gravity

For general relativity, the Einstein-Hilbert action $S = ∫ (1/2κ) R \sqrt{|g|} d^4 x$, where $κ$ is the associated coupling coefficient. This involves the curvature scalar $R = g^{μν} R_{μν}$ and the components $R_{μν} = R^ρ_{νρμ}$ of the Ricci tensor, with the respective dimensions being: $$\left[R_{μν}\right] = \frac1{μν},\quad \left[R\right] = \frac1{A}.$$ In $n = 4$ dimensions $$\left[\sqrt{|g|} d^4x\right] = A^2.$$ Putting all of this together leads to the following for $[κ]$: $$H = [S] = \left[\frac1{2κ}\right] [R] \left[\sqrt{|g|} d^4x\right] = \frac1{[κ]} \frac{1}{A} A^2\quad⇒\quad [κ] = \frac{A}{H} = \frac{T}{M}.$$ For a space-time of $n$ dimensions, this would generalize to $[κ_n] = A^{(n-2)/2}/H$.

The two wide-spread oopsies in the literature (and on the net)

Since the dimensions of Newton's coefficient and in-vacuuo light speed are, respectively $$[G] = \frac{L^3}{MT^2},\quad [c] = \frac{L}{T},$$ then it follows that $$[κ] = \frac{[G]}{[c]^3} = \left[\frac{8πG}{c^3}\right].$$ That is: the correct value of the coupling coefficient $κ$ is not $8πG/c^4$ - as stated nearly everywhere on the net - but $$κ = \frac{8πG}{c^3}.$$ You'll notice, by the way, that they even try to fudge their way around that in the reference provided by the PDG listings by just arbitrarily sticking in an extra factor of $c$! From 21. Experimental Tests of Gravitational Theory $$S_{\text{tot}}\left(g_{μν},ψ,A_μ,H\right) = c^{-1}\int d^4 x (_{\text{Ein}} + _{\text{SM}}),\tag{21.2}$$ $$_{\text{Ein}}\left(g_{αβ}\right) = \frac{c^4}{16πG} \int \sqrt{g}g^{μν} R_{μν}\left(g_{αβ}\right).\tag{21.3}$$ (And even that fix, of putting the $c^{-1}$ out the outside, botches it up, because now you have $_{\text{SM}}$ getting the wrong dimensions.)

In fact, one will see $8πG/c^n$ in the literature for $n = 2, 3, 4$. Einstein thought originally had it as $n = 2$. The wall over at Leiden University, with Einstein's equation on it, uses $n = 4$, but only $n = 3$ is correct.

Another wide-spread error is the use of $8π$ in the coefficient $κ_n$ for dimensions $n ≠ 4$, where (in fact) the number is specific to 4-dimensions and ultimately has to do with the surface area of the 3-sphere. The $n$-dimensional analogue $G_n$ of Newton's coefficient $G_4 = G$ would involve the area of the ($n-1$)-dimensional hyper-sphere and, after going through the analysis carefully (e.g. as in Gravitational coupling constant in higher dimensions), you'd end up getting $κ_n = A_n G_n/c^3$, where $$A_n = \frac{(n-1)(n-2)}{n-3} \frac{π^{(n-1)/2}}{((n-1)/2)!},$$ adopting the convention that $(-½)! = \sqrt{π}$.

The dimension $[h κ_n] = A^{(n-2)/2}$, where $h$ is Planck's constant (with dimension $[h] = H$) will always that for the dimension of the $n - 2$ (hyper-)area in $n$ dimensions. That shows that in whatever way general relativity and quantum theory combine, there will probably be something that has to do with the quantization of (hyper-)areas. For 4-dimensions, the associated area is $hG$.

NinjaDarth
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