Bianchi and Weyl equations as sufficient equations for Einstein spaces (Q1842090): Difference between revisions

The author assumes the Bianchi identities and the Weyl wave equations (in the form which they take for an Einstein space) for an arbitrary symmetric 4-spinor, with the background space being unspecified. It is then proven that -- in general -- the consistency of these equations demands that the background space be an Einstein space and that the arbitrary symmetric 4-spinor be the Weyl 4-spinor. In other words, the Bianchi identities and the Weyl wave equations are sufficient conditions for an Einstein space. The implications of this result for the Newman- Penrose and Geroch-Held-Penrose spin-coefficient formalisms are briefly discussed.