English

Electrodynamics in geometric algebra

Classical Physics 2022-10-12 v1

Abstract

We consider the electrodynamics of electric charges and currents in vacuum and then generalise our results to the description of a dielectric and magnetic material medium : first in spatial algebra (SA) and then in space-time algebra (STA). Introducing a polarisation multivector P~=p~1cM~\tilde{P} = \boldsymbol{\tilde{p}} -\,\frac{1}{c}\,\boldsymbol{\tilde{M}} and an auxiliary electromagnetic field multivector G=ε0F+P~G = \varepsilon_0\,F + \tilde{P}, we express the Maxwell equation in the material medium in SA. Introducing a bound current vector J~=JcP~\tilde{J} = J -\,c\,\nabla\cdot\tilde{P} in space-time, the Maxwell equation is then expressed in STA. The wave equation in the material medium is obtained by taking the gradient of the Maxwell equation. For a uniform electromagnetic medium consisting of induced electric and magnetic dipoles, the stress-energy momentum vector is written as T˙(˙)=1cJF=f\dot{T}\left(\dot{\nabla}\right) = \frac{1}{c}\,J \cdot F = f where ff is the electromagnetic force density vector in space-time. Finally, the Maxwell equation in the material medium can be written in STA as a wave equation for the potential vector AA.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2210.05601,
  title  = {Electrodynamics in geometric algebra},
  author = {Sylvain D. Brechet},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2210.05601},
  year   = {2022}
}

Comments

92 pages

R2 v1 2026-06-28T03:16:05.729Z