Arminjon, Mayeul; Reifler, Frank Four-vector versus four-scalar representation of the Dirac wave function. (English) Zbl 1271.53049 Int. J. Geom. Methods Mod. Phys. 9, No. 4, Paper No. 1250026, 23 p. (2012). In the standard formulation of the Dirac equation on a curved space-time, the four components of the Dirac wave function transform as complex scalars under coordinate changes. This is called the quadruplet representation of the Dirac theory (QRD). Recently, the first author [Found. Phys. 38, No. 11, 1020–1045 (2008; Zbl 1161.81339)] suggested another version of the Dirac equation where the four components of the Dirac wave function transform as a complex four-vector. This is called the tensor representation of the Dirac theory (TRD). It is the purpose of the present paper to further explore the relation between the QRD and the TRD. To that end, the authors formulate a common geometric framework. A spinor structure is defined as a complex vector bundle \(E\) with certain properties over space-time \(V\), and it is shown that any connection on \(E\) defines a Dirac equation for sections in \(E\). The QRD is recovered by choosing for \(E\) the trivial bundle, \(E= V \times \mathbb{C}^4\), and the TRD is recovered by choosing for \(E\) the complexified tangent bundle, \(E = T_{\mathbb{C}}{}V\). As a main result, it is proven that any form of the QRD can be equivalently rewritten as a TRD. Several other results on equivalence or non-equivalence of different versions of the Dirac equation are shown. Reviewer: Volker Perlick (Lancaster) Cited in 3 Documents MSC: 53C27 Spin and Spin\({}^c\) geometry 53C50 Global differential geometry of Lorentz manifolds, manifolds with indefinite metrics 83C60 Spinor and twistor methods in general relativity and gravitational theory; Newman-Penrose formalism Keywords:Dirac equation; vector bundle; spin structure Citations:Zbl 1161.81339 PDFBibTeX XMLCite \textit{M. Arminjon} and \textit{F. Reifler}, Int. J. Geom. Methods Mod. Phys. 9, No. 4, Paper No. 1250026, 23 p. (2012; Zbl 1271.53049) Full Text: DOI arXiv References: [1] DOI: 10.1007/BF01339504 · doi:10.1007/BF01339504 [2] DOI: 10.1007/BF01339714 · doi:10.1007/BF01339714 [3] DOI: 10.1007/BF02816716 · Zbl 0102.21606 · doi:10.1007/BF02816716 [4] DOI: 10.1119/1.10256 · doi:10.1119/1.10256 [5] DOI: 10.1007/s10701-008-9249-6 · Zbl 1161.81339 · doi:10.1007/s10701-008-9249-6 [6] DOI: 10.1007/s10702-006-0514-7 · Zbl 1119.83310 · doi:10.1007/s10702-006-0514-7 [7] DOI: 10.1590/S0103-97332008000200007 · doi:10.1590/S0103-97332008000200007 [8] Pauli W., Ann. Inst. Henri Poincaré 6 pp 109– [9] DOI: 10.1590/S0103-97332010000200020 · doi:10.1590/S0103-97332010000200020 [10] DOI: 10.1007/BF01811234 · doi:10.1007/BF01811234 [11] DOI: 10.1002/andp.201100060 · Zbl 1223.81110 · doi:10.1002/andp.201100060 [12] DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/222/1/012042 · doi:10.1088/1742-6596/222/1/012042 [13] DOI: 10.1088/0264-9381/23/12/001 · Zbl 1096.83003 · doi:10.1088/0264-9381/23/12/001 [14] R. P. Feynman, Quantum Electrodynamics (Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1998) p. 42. [15] DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4757-4008-0 · doi:10.1007/978-1-4757-4008-0 [16] DOI: 10.1016/j.geomphys.2007.11.001 · Zbl 1140.53025 · doi:10.1016/j.geomphys.2007.11.001 [17] DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4612-0337-7 · doi:10.1007/978-1-4612-0337-7 [18] Pauli W., Ann. der Phys. 18 pp 337– [19] DOI: 10.1063/1.1664507 · Zbl 0165.29402 · doi:10.1063/1.1664507 [20] DOI: 10.1098/rspa.1978.0219 · Zbl 0396.53031 · doi:10.1098/rspa.1978.0219 [21] DOI: 10.1017/CBO9780511524486 · doi:10.1017/CBO9780511524486 [22] DOI: 10.1142/3812 · doi:10.1142/3812 [23] P. D. Lax, Hyperbolic Partial Differential Equations (Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York, 2006) p. 61. · Zbl 1113.35002 · doi:10.1090/cln/014/06 [24] P. R. Garabedian, Partial Differential Equations (John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1964) p. 448. · Zbl 0124.30501 [25] DOI: 10.1142/S0219887811005051 · Zbl 1213.83024 · doi:10.1142/S0219887811005051 This reference list is based on information provided by the publisher or from digital mathematics libraries. Its items are heuristically matched to zbMATH identifiers and may contain data conversion errors. In some cases that data have been complemented/enhanced by data from zbMATH Open. This attempts to reflect the references listed in the original paper as accurately as possible without claiming completeness or a perfect matching.