A complete set of Riemann invariants (Q1361847)

The authors give a comprehensive review and exhaustive analysis of the problem of exhibiting the fourteen independent real algebraic invariants of the Riemann tensor for a four-dimensional Lorentzian manifold. These are called Riemann invariants, or more briefly RI, and a complete set of RI is obtained for each Petrov type of the Weyl spinor and each Segre type of the trace-free Ricci tensor. In the following, the components of the Weyl and Ricci spinor will be called Weyl and Ricci scalars, respectively. Contents include: an introduction; basic equations; basic definitions; methods for calculating the maximum number of RI in various cases; the maximum number of independent pieces of information contained in the Weyl and Ricci scalars, respectively; the degrees of freedom which leave the Weyl and Ricci scalars in standard forms; the number of RI; three types of RI; previously exhibited sets of RI; new spinors; method for constructing RI; new complete set of RI; RI for different Petrov and Segre types; the syzygies; some more RI; an example; conclusions; two appendices; and a forty item bibliography. The present study makes use of two unpublished papers of the authors on the general classification problem for the Riemann tensor.