IJPAM: Volume 49, No. 4 (2008)

CALCULATING ISOMETRY GROUPS
IN GENERAL RELATIVITY

José Arnaldo F. Roveda$^1$, James E.F. Skea$^2$, Marcelo E. Araújo$^3$
$^1$UNESP - Sao Paulo State University
Sorocaba Campus, Sorocaba, 18087-180, BRAZIL
e-mail: roveda@sorocaba.unesp.br
$^2$UERJ - Rio de Janeiro State University
Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL
e-mail: jimsk@dft.if.uerj.br
$^3$UFRJ - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL
e-mail: marcelo@if.ufrj.br


Abstract.This paper treats the equivalence problem for General Relativity (GR), which decides whether or not two metrics describe the same space-time. Part of this problem involves calculating invariant characteristics of the space-time. One of the characteristics currently calculated by programs that implement the equivalence problem is the dimension of the isometry group. It is more useful to know the actual isometry group. Here we present the package isometry, implemented in the computer algebra system Maple which, given a basis for an orbifold, calculates the isometry group if this is of dimension 2, 3 or 4. An example of the use of the package is shown.

Received: August 14, 2008

AMS Subject Classification: 78A88

Key Words and Phrases: general relativity, calculating invariant characteristics of the space-time, Maple

Source: International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics
ISSN: 1311-8080
Year: 2008
Volume: 49
Issue: 4