Christoffel symbol

Meaning

Noun

• For a surface with parametrization $\backslash vec\; x\; (u,v)$, and letting $i,\; j,\; k\; \backslash in\; \backslash \{u,\; v\backslash \}$, the Christoffel symbol $\backslash Gamma\_\{i\; j\}^k$ is the component of the second derivative $\backslash vec\; x\_\{i\; j\}$ in the direction of the first derivative $\backslash vec\; x\_k$, and it encodes information about the surface's curvature. Thus,

Origin

• Named for Elwin Bruno Christoffel (1829–1900).