1

The Hilbert-Einstein action is:

∫ ( )
1 √
SHE = R + LM −g d4 x.
2κ
Einstein equations (the evolution equations of the metrig g) can be found if we set δSHE = 0.
∫ [ ( √ ) √ ]
1 δR √ δ −g δ(LM −g)
δS = 0 = −g + R + δgµν d4 x.
2κ δgµν δgµν δgµν
Rearranging:
∫ [ ( √ ) √ ]
1 δR R δ −g 1 δ(LM −g) √
+√ +√ −g δgµν d4 x = 0
2κ δgµν −g δgµν −g δgµν
Since this must be true for any variation δgµν , what’s inside the brackets must be zero, so:
( √ ) √
1 δR R δ −g 1 δ(LM −g)
+√ +√ =0
2κ δgµν −g δgµν −g δgµν
or
( √ ) √
1 δR R δ −g 2 δ(LM −g)
+√ = −√
κ δgµν −g δgµν −g δgµν
The r.h.s. is defined as the energy-stress tensor:
√ ( √ ) ( )
2 δ(LM −g) 2 δ −g √ δLM 2 1 √ δLM
T µν = − √ = −√ LM + −g = −√ − √ g g µν LM + −g =
−g δgµν −g δgµν δgµν −g 2 −g δgµν
δLM
= −2 + g µν LM ,
δgµν
where
√ √
δ −g ∂ −g δg 1√
= =− −g g µν .
δgµν ∂g δgµν 2
Then
( √ ) ( )
1 δR R δ −g 1 δR 1
T µν = +√ = − Rg µν
κ δgµν −g δgµν κ δgµν 2
δR
Now we compute δgµν . First, the Riemann tensor has the following definition:

Rρ σµν = ∂µ Γρ νσ − ∂ν Γρ µσ + Γρ µλ Γλ νσ − Γρ νλ Γλ µσ ,
so
δRρ σµν = ∂µ δΓρ νσ − ∂ν δΓρ µσ + δΓρ µλ Γλ + Γρ µλ δΓλ νσ − δΓρ νλ Γλ µσ − Γρ νλ δΓλ µσ .
Γ is not a tensor, but since δΓ is the difference of two connections, it is a tensor. We can compute the
quantity ∇λ (δΓρ νµ ):
∇λ (δΓρ νµ ) = ∂λ (δΓρ νµ ) + Γρ σλ δΓσ νµ − Γσ νλ δΓρ σµ − Γσ µλ δΓρ νσ
We can identify then that δRρ σµν is just
δRρ σµν = ∇µ (δΓρ νσ ) − ∇ν (δΓρ µσ ).
Moreover:
ρ
δRµν = δRµρν = ∇ρ (δΓρ νµ ) − ∇ν (δΓρ ρµ ),
so
δR = Rµν δg µν +g µν δRµν = Rµν δg µν +g µν (∇ρ (δΓρ νµ ) − ∇ν (δΓρ ρσ )) = Rµν δg µν +∇σ (g µν δΓσ µν − g σµ δΓρ ρµ ) .
The last term is a boundary term that does not contribute when integrated. We obtain the result
δR = Rµν δg µν .
Finally, the Einstein equations are:
( )
1 1 1
T µν = Rµν − Rg µν =⇒ Rµν − Rg µν = κT µν
κ 2 2