You can see the matrix contents of in different ways, for example:
or for generic expressions involving tensors that represent matrices use
Besides Library:-RewriteInMatrixForm, which shows the matrix contents of a tensorial expression, to perform those matrix operations you can use
Among the basic properties of Pauli matrices, there are
To see the algebra satisfied by the Pauli matrices at any moment use Library:-DefaultAlgebraRules
These equations can be verified in different ways. For example, construct an array with their components, then use its simplifier option to evaluate the commutators and anticommutators
Note that in the lines above the matricial operations are performed abstractly, with the 2x2 matrices 0 and 1 (identity) omitted. To represent the algebra of the Pauli matrices with those two matrices not omitted, see the approach used in the MaplePrimes post Algebra of the Dirac matrices with an identity matrix on the right-hand side.
Alternatively, for instance, rewrite in matrix form the equations before computing the commutators, then activate the inert commutators using value
A notational issue, correct but that could be seen as an inconvenience, happens when you set the signature with the timelike component in position 1, as in (+---) or (-+++), in that Psigma[1] points to Psigma[0], the identity 2x2 matrix instead of to Psigma[x]
You can still refer to indexing with the letter x
To avoid this potential inconvenience you could set Psigma to be a 3D tensor. One way of doing that is to set spaceindices and redefine Psigma using Define with its redo option (necessary)
Note that the redefinition requires passing Psigma indexed with a space index
Now we have =
Note that in this case the algebra is expressed in terms of the 3D metric, gamma_, displayed as .
Alternatively, to entirely detach the definition of the Pauli matrices from the details of the spacetime or space metric and signatures you can set Psigma as a tensor of a generic SU(2) space setting su2indices and redefining Psigma in the same way
Note that the redefinition requires passing Psigma indexed with a su2 index
Now, again, we have =
This time the algebra is expressed using , the KroneckerDelta, used to represent the metric in the SU(2) space, and the components of these tensorial equations are the same as those computed for Psigma as a 3D space tensor lines above
To activate the inert commutators and anticommutators use value