I am following lecture notes on SR. The author writes that the following is equivalent:
ΛTηΛ=η⟺ημνΛμρΛνσ=ηρσ. This surprises me, because
(ΛT)μν=Λνμ.
And so I expected it to be ΛTηΛ=η⟺ημνΛρμΛνσ=ηρσ. Why is this wrong?
Answer
OP's three equations should read ΛTηΛ = η⟺(ΛT)ρμ ημν Λνσ = ηρσ, (ΛT)νμ := Λμν, ΛTηΛ = η⟺Λμρ ημν Λνσ = ηρσ.
In more detail: Let V be n-dimensional R-vector space with a basis (eμ)μ=1,…,n. Let V∗ be the dual vector space with the dual basis (e∗ν)ν=1,…,n. Let Λ = eμ Λμν⊗e∗ν ∈ V⊗V∗ ≅ L(V;V) be a linear map from V to V. Let us call the positions of the indices on Λμν for the NW-SE convention, cf. a compass rose. Let ΛT = e∗ν (ΛT)νμ⊗eμ ∈ V∗⊗V ≅ L(V∗;V∗) be the transposed linear map from V∗ to V∗. Note that (ΛT)νμ is written in the SW-NE convention. Let η = e∗μ ημν⊙e∗ν ∈ Sym2V∗ = V∗⊙V∗ be an (indefinite) metric, i.e. an invertible element in the symmetrized tensor product. A (pseudo)orthogonal map Λ satisfies by definition ΛTηΛ = η. See also this related Phys.SE post.
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