2005/08/31 by Alex Harvey, Engelbert L. Schucking, Eugene J. Surowitz · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #gr-qc
paper · pdf · doi:10.1119/1.2338544
published as Am.J.Phys.74:1017-1024,2006 · 16 Latex pages, 6 postscript figures, submitted to Am. J. Phys
arxiv created 2005/08/31 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01
Courses in introductory special and general relativity have increasingly become part of the curriculum for upper-level undergraduate physics majors and master's degree candidates. One of the topics rarely discussed is symmetry, particularly in the theory of general relativity. The principal tool for its study is the Killing vector. We provide an elementary introduction to the concept of a Killing vector field, its properties, and as an example of its utility apply these ideas to the rigorous determination of gravitational and cosmological redshifts.