182 Multilinear Function

A mapping of several vectors that is linear in each vector variable separately that is used to define tensors.

definition (Multilinear Function) A function from the \(k\)-fold product of a vector space to the real numbers, \(T: V^k \rightarrow \mathbb{R}\), where the following conditions apply for each argument \(i\) (\(1 \leq i \leq k\)):

  • \(T(v_1, \dots, v_i + v_i', \dots, v_k) = T(v_1, \dots, v_i, \dots, v_k) + T(v_1, \dots, v_i', \dots, v_k)\)
  • \(T(v_1, \dots, av_i, \dots, v_k) = a \cdot T(v_1, \dots, v_i, \dots, v_k)\)

where

  • \(V\) is a vector space over \(\mathbb{R}\).
  • \(V^k\) is the \(k\)-fold Cartesian product \(V \times \dots \times V\).
  • \(k\) is a positive integer representing the number of arguments, also called the degree of the function.
  • \(v_1, \dots, v_k, v_i' \in V\) are vectors.
  • \(a \in \mathbb{R}\) is a scalar.

182.1 Elementary Example

182.1.1 Simple

A bilinear map is linear in each slot separately. Values on two basis vectors need not change sign under a swap.

\[ T : V \times V \rightarrow \mathbb{R} \]

\[ V = \{ e_{1},\ e_{2},\ e_{3} \} \]

\[ T(e_{1},e_{2}) = 5,\quad T(e_{2},e_{1}) = 3,\quad T(e_{1},e_{1}) = 2 \]

where

  • \(T\) is a multilinear function with two inputs.