Learn About Tensors: Simple Explanations & Examples

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of tensors and how all observers in different reference frames agree on the combination of components and basis vectors. The question asks why this happens and where to find simple explanations and examples. The response provides several videos on tensors and asks the listener to refer to a text if necessary. The videos also address the notation and concept of velocity in different coordinate systems and how observers can agree on the velocity of an object.
  • #1
gianeshwar
226
14
Dear Friends!
I am learning Tensors so my question may look simple to you.
"All observers in all reference frames agree not on the basis vectors not on the components but on the combination of components and basis vectors"
Q Why this happens?
Please guide me where I can study it in brief and in very simple explanations.
I need to study examples too.
 
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  • #2
Here's a couple of videos on tensors:



and this one which derives the metric tensor:



and this one (the voice may be a bit irritating):

 
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Likes m4r35n357 and bcrowell
  • #3
Suppose you have a two dimensional coordinate system, an an observer O1 with coordinates x and y. Suppose you have a care moving 30 m/s in the x direction in O1.

Try and answer the following questions referring to your text on tensors (I hope you have a text of some sort) as necessary.

When we say the car is moving in the "x direction", do you understand what that means? Would the notation ##v = 30 \hat{x}## make sense to you?

Is ##\hat{x}## a vector? Is it a basis vector?

What is the role of the number 30 in the notational expression ##v = 30 \hat{x}##?

Now consider a coordinate system O2, with coordinates p and q, which are rotated by 45 degrees with respect to x and y, so that if y=x, q is zero, and ##\hat{p}## is perpendicular to ##\hat{q}##

How would we write the velocity of the car in terms of ##\hat{p}## and ##\hat{q}##?

Are ##\hat{p}## and ##\hat{q}## basis vectors?

What are the components of the vector representing the car's velocity in O2?

What does it mean for the observers O1 and O2 to "agree on the velocity of the car"?
 
  • #4
Thankyou jedishrufu and pervect !Will respond soon.
 

Related to Learn About Tensors: Simple Explanations & Examples

What is a tensor?

A tensor is a mathematical object that describes a geometric relationship between vectors, scalars, and other tensors. It is represented by a multidimensional array of numbers and can be used to model physical quantities such as forces, stress, and electromagnetic fields.

How are tensors different from vectors and matrices?

Tensors are different from vectors and matrices in that they can have any number of dimensions, while vectors are one-dimensional and matrices are two-dimensional. Tensors can also represent both magnitude and direction, whereas vectors only represent direction.

What are some real-world applications of tensors?

Tensors have a wide range of applications in physics, engineering, and machine learning. They are used to model physical phenomena such as fluid dynamics, elasticity, and quantum mechanics. In machine learning, tensors are used to represent data in high-dimensional spaces and are essential for tasks such as image recognition and natural language processing.

How do tensors relate to Einstein's theory of general relativity?

Einstein's theory of general relativity is based on the concept of spacetime, which can be described using tensors. Tensors are used to represent the curvature of spacetime and the gravitational field in this theory.

Are there any real-life examples that can help understand tensors better?

One example of a tensor in everyday life is stress tensors, which are used in engineering to analyze the distribution of stress in a material. Another example is the electromagnetic tensor, which is used to describe the electric and magnetic fields in physics.

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