Lie derivative

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In differential geometry, the Lie derivative /ˈliː/, named after Sophus
Lie by Władysław Ślebodziński,[1][2] evaluates the change of a tensor field (including
scalar functions, vector fields and one-forms), along the flow defined by another
vector field. This change is coordinate invariant and therefore the Lie derivative is
defined on any differentiable manifold.
Functions, tensor fields and forms can be differentiated with respect to a vector field.
If T is a tensor field and X is a vector field, then the Lie derivative of T with respect
to X is denoted . The differential operator  is a derivation of the algebra of tensor
fields of the underlying manifold.
The Lie derivative commutes with contraction and the exterior
derivative on differential forms.
Although there are many concepts of taking a derivative in differential geometry, they
all agree when the expression being differentiated is a function or scalar field. Thus
in this case the word "Lie" is dropped, and one simply speaks of the derivative of a
function.
The Lie derivative of a vector field Y with respect to another vector field X is known
as the "Lie bracket" of X and Y, and is often denoted [X,Y] instead of . The space of
vector fields forms a Lie algebra with respect to this Lie bracket. The Lie derivative
constitutes an infinite-dimensional Lie algebra representation of this Lie algebra, due
to the identity
valid for any vector fields X and Y and any tensor field T.
Considering vector fields as infinitesimal generators of flows (i.e. one-
dimensional groups of diffeomorphisms) on M, the Lie derivative is
the differential of the representation of the diffeomorphism group on tensor fields,
analogous to Lie algebra representations as infinitesimal
representations associated to group representation in Lie group theory.
Generalisations exist for spinor fields, fibre bundles with connection and vector-
valued differential forms.

Contents

 1Motivation
 2Definition
o 2.1The (Lie) derivative of a function
o 2.2The Lie derivative of a vector field
o 2.3The Lie derivative of a tensor field
 2.3.1Definition in terms of flows
 2.3.2Algebraic definition
o 2.4The Lie derivative of a differential form
 3Coordinate expressions
o 3.1Examples
 4Properties
  5Generalizations
o 5.1The Lie derivative of a spinor field
o 5.2Covariant Lie derivative
o 5.3Nijenhuis–Lie derivative
 6History
 7See also
 8Notes
 9References
 10External links

Motivation[edit]
A 'naïve' attempt to define the derivative of a tensor field with respect to a vector
field would be to take the components of the tensor field and take the directional
derivative of each component with respect to the vector field. However, this
definition is undesirable because it is not invariant under changes of coordinate
system, e.g. the naive derivative expressed in polar or spherical
coordinates differs from the naive derivative of the components in Cartesian
coordinates. On an abstract manifold such a definition is meaningless and ill
defined. In differential geometry, there are three main coordinate independent
notions of differentiation of tensor fields: Lie derivatives, derivatives with respect
to connections, and the exterior derivative of completely anti symmetric
(covariant) tensors or differential forms. The main difference between the Lie
derivative and a derivative with respect to a connection is that the latter derivative
of a tensor field with respect to a tangent vector is well-defined even if it is not
specified how to extend that tangent vector to a vector field. However a
connection requires the choice of an additional geometric structure (e.g.
a Riemannian metric or just an abstract connection) on the manifold. In contrast,
when taking a Lie derivative, no additional structure on the manifold is needed,
but it is impossible to talk about the Lie derivative of a tensor field with respect to
a single tangent vector, since the value of the Lie derivative of a tensor field with
respect to a vector field X at a point p depends on the value of X in a
neighborhood of p, not just at p itself. Finally, the exterior derivative of differential
forms does not require any additional choices, but is only a well defined
derivative of differential forms (including functions).

Definition[edit]
The Lie derivative may be defined in several equivalent ways. To keep things
simple, we begin by defining the Lie derivative acting on scalar functions and
vector fields, before moving on to the definition for general tensors.
The (Lie) derivative of a function[edit]
Defining the derivative of a function  on a manifold is problematic because
the difference quotient  cannot be determined while the displacement  is
undefined.
The Lie derivative of a function  with respect to a vector field  at a point  is the
function
where  is the point to which the flow defined by the vector field  maps the
point  at time instant  In the vicinity of   is the unique solution of the system
 of first-order autonomous (i.e. time-independent) differential equations in
the tangent space , with 
For a coordinate chart  on the manifold  and  let  be the tangent linear
map. The above system of differential equations is more explicitly written
as a system
in  with the initial condition being  It is easily verifiable that the
solution  is independent from the choice of coordinate chart.
Setting  identifies the Lie derivative of a function with the directional
derivative.
The Lie derivative of a vector field[edit]
If X and Y are both vector fields, then the Lie derivative of Y with
respect to X is also known as the Lie bracket of X and Y, and is
sometimes denoted . There are several approaches to defining the Lie
bracket, all of which are equivalent. We list two definitions here,
corresponding to the two definitions of a vector field given above:

 The Lie bracket of X and Y at p is given in local coordinates

by the formula
where  and  denote the operations of taking the directional derivatives with
respect to X and Y, respectively. Here we are treating a vector in n-
dimensional space as an n-tuple, so that its directional derivative is simply the
tuple consisting of the directional derivatives of its coordinates. Although the
final expression  appearing in this definition does not depend on the choice of
local coordinates, the individual terms  and  do depend on the choice of
coordinates.
 If X and Y are vector fields on a
manifold M according to the second definition, then
the operator  defined by the formula
is a derivation of order zero of the algebra of smooth functions of M, i.e. this
operator is a vector field according to the second definition.
The Lie derivative of a tensor field[edit]
Definition in terms of flows[edit]
The Lie derivative is the speed with which the tensor
field changes under the space deformation caused by
the flow.
Formally, given a differentiable (time-independent)
vector field  on a smooth manifold  let  be the
corresponding local flow and  the identity map. Since  is
a local diffeomorphism, for each  and  the inverse
of the differential  extends uniquely to
the homomorphism
between the tensor algebras of the tangent
spaces  and  Likewise, the pullback map
 lifts to a unique tensor algebra
homomorphism
For every  there is, consequently, a
tensor field  of the same valence as 's.
If  is an - or -type tensor field, then the
Lie derivative  of  along a vector field  is
defined at point  to be
The resulting tensor field  has the
same valence as 's.
Algebraic definition[edit]
We now give an algebraic definition.
The algebraic definition for the Lie
derivative of a tensor field follows
from the following four axioms:
Axiom 1. The Lie derivative of a function is equal to the directional derivative
of the function. This fact is often expressed by the formula
Axiom 2. The Lie derivative obeys the following version of Leibniz's rule: For
any tensor fields S and T, we have
Axiom 3. The Lie derivative obeys the Leibniz rule with respect to contraction:
Axiom 4. The Lie derivative commutes with exterior derivative on functions:
If these axioms hold,
then applying the Lie
derivative  to the
relation  shows that
which is one of the
standard definitions
for the Lie bracket.
The Lie derivative
acting on a
differential form is
the anticommutator 
of the interior
product with the
exterior derivative.
So if α is a
differential form,
This follows
easily by
checking that
the expression
commutes with
exterior
derivative, is a
derivation
(being an
anticommutator
of graded
derivations) and
does the right
thing on
functions.
Explicitly,
let T be a
tensor field of
type (p, q).
Consider T to
be a
differentiable m
ultilinear
map of smooth 
sections α1, α2, .
.., αp of the
cotangent
bundle T∗M and
of
sections X1, X2, .
.., Xq of
the tangent
bundle TM,
written T(α1, α2, .
.., X1, X2, ...)
into R. Define
the Lie
derivative
of T along Y by
the formula
The analytic
and
algebraic
definitions
can be
proven to be
equivalent
using the
properties of
the
pushforward
and
the Leibniz
rule for
differentiatio
n. The Lie
derivative
commutes
with the
contraction.
The Lie
derivativ
e of a
differenti
al
form[edit]
See
also: Interio
r product
A
particularly
important
class of
tensor fields
is the class
of differentia
l forms. The
restriction of
the Lie
derivative to
the space of
differential
forms is
closely
related to
the exterior
derivative.
Both the Lie
derivative
and the
exterior
derivative
attempt to
capture the
idea of a
derivative in
different
ways.
These
differences
can be
bridged by
introducing
the idea of
an interior
product,
after which
the
relationship
s falls out as
an identity
known
as Cartan's
formula.
Cartan's
formula can
also be
used as a
definition of
the Lie
derivative
on the
space of
differential
forms.
Let M be a
manifold
and X a
vector field
on M.
Let  be
a (k + 1)-
form, i.e. for
each ,  is
an alternatin
g multilinear
map from 
 to the real
numbers.
The interior
product of X 
and ω is
the k-form 
 defined as
The
differenti
al
form  is
also
called
the cont
raction 
of ω with 
X, and
and 
 is
a 
 
(wed
ge
prod
uct
on
differ
ential
form
s)-
antid
eriva
tion.
That
is, 
 is R-
linea
r,
and
f
o
r 
 
a
n
d
η
a
n
o
t
h
e
r
di
ff
e
r
e
n
ti
al
f
o
r
m
.
A
ls
o
,
f
o
r
a
f
u
n
ct
io
n 
,
t
h
a
t
is
,
a
r
e
al
-
o
r
c
o
m
pl
e
x
-
v
al
u
e
d
f
u
n
ct
io
n
o
n 
M
,
o
n
e
h
a
s
w
h
er
e 
 
d
e
n
ot
e
s
th
e
pr
o
d
u
ct
of 
f 
a
n
d 
X.
T
h
e
re
la
ti
o
n
s
hi
p
b
et
w
e
e
n 
e
xt
er
io
r
d
er
iv
at
iv
e
s 
a
n
d
Li
e
d
er
iv
at
iv
e
s
c
a
n
th
e
n
b
e
s
u
m
m
ar
iz
e
d
a
s
fo
ll
o
w
s.
Fi
rs
t,
si
n
c
e
th
e
Li
e
d
er
iv
at
iv
e
of
a
fu
n
ct
io
n 
f 
wi
th
re
s
p
e
ct
to
a
v
e
ct
or
fi
el
d 
X 
is
th
e
s
a
m
e
a
s
th
e
di
re
ct
io
n
al
d
er
iv
at
iv
e 
X
(f)
,
it
is
al
s
o
th
e
s
a
m
e
a
s
th
e 
c
o
nt
ra
ct
io
n 
of
th
e
e
xt
er
io
r
d
er
iv
at
iv
e
of 
f 
wi
th 
X:
For a
gener
al
differ
ential
form,
the
Lie
deriv
ative
is
likewi
se a
contr
actio
n,
takin
g into
acco
unt
the
variat
ion
in X:
This
identity is
known
variously
as Carta
n
formula, 
Cartan
homoto
py
formula 
or Carta
n's
magic
formula.
See inter
ior
product f
or
details.
The
 Cartan
formula
can be
used as
a
definition
of the Lie
derivativ
e of a
differenti
al form.
Cartan's
formula
shows in
particular
that
The Lie
derivative
also satisfies
the relation

Coordina
expressio
s[edit]
Note: the Einstein summation convention of summing on repeated indices is
used below.
In
local coordina
ation, for a
type (r, s) tens
field , the Lie
derivative alon
here, the
notation  mean
the partial der
with respect to
coordinate .
Alternatively, i
using a torsion
free connectio
the Levi Civita
connection), th
partial derivati
be replaced w
the covariant
derivative whic
replacing  with
 abuse of
notation)  whe
the  are the Ch
coefficients.
The Lie deriva
tensor is anoth
of the same ty
even though th
individual term
expression de
the choice of
coordinate sys
expression as
results in a ten
which is indep
any coordinate
of the same ty
The definition
extended furth
densities. If T 
density of som
number valued
weight w (e.g.
density of weig
its Lie derivati
density of the
and weight.
Notice the new
the expression
For a linear co
derivative alon
Examples[e
For clarity we
examples in lo
For a scalar fie
.
Hence for the
field  the corre
becomes

For an examp
form, consider
field  from the
 Some more ab
.
Hence for a co
form,  we have
The coefficien
coordinate exp
For a covarian

If  is the symm

with respect to
covariant deriv
use the conne
replacing all d
derivatives, gi

Propertie
The Lie deriva
Let  be the alg
the manifold M
is a derivation
Similarly, it is
fields on M (cf
Unification Th
2019, 8, 60):
which may als
where the tens
that the produ
over the entire
Additional pro
Thus, for exam
one finds the a
important resu
the Lie bracke
The Lie deriva
differential form
let X and Y be
  where i de
denotes th

Generaliz
Various gener
differential geo
The Lie der
A definition for
vector fields, n
(pseudo) Riem
by Yvette Kos
which justifies
Lie derivatives
bundles which
covariant) field
In a given spin
a spin structur
first defining it
fields) via the 
where , as  is
It is then poss
(generic infinit
expression for
antisymmetric
given in 1972
where  is the c
corresponding
multiplication.
the metric, and
right-hand side
to depend on
dualisation of
multiplication o
right-hand side
metric and con
To gain a bett
of spinor fields
Lie derivative
theory of Lie d
by Y. Kosman
the form of a n
Covariant L
If we have a p
group, and we
space of the p
then the covar
over the princi
Now, if we're g
we also have
field X over th
matches Y an
covariant Lie d
See connectio
Nijenhuis–
Another gener
derivative of a
differential form
differential p-fo
α. The Nijenhu
product and th

History[ed
In 1931, Wład
called by Davi
scalars, vecto
powerful instru
The Lie deriva
bundles) were
For a quite lon
to the work of
1921[11]) Wolfga
geometric obje