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vyali
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Varying $\partial_\lambda\phi\,\partial^\lambda\phi$ wrt the metric tensor $g_{\mu\nu}$ in two different ways gives me different results. Obviously I'm doing something wrong. Where am I going wrong?

Method 1: \begin{align}

(\delta g_{\mu\nu}),\partial^\mu\phi,\partial^\nu\phi

\end{align} \begin{align} (\delta g_{\mu\nu})\,\partial^\mu\phi\,\partial^\nu\phi \end{align}

Method 2: \begin{align} &\quad,, (\delta g^{\mu\nu}),\partial_\mu\phi,\partial_\nu\phi \nonumber \

&=(-g^{\mu\rho}g^{\nu\sigma}\delta g_{\rho\sigma}),\partial_\mu\phi,\partial_\nu\phi \quad (\because \delta g^{\mu\nu}=-g^{\mu\rho}g^{\nu\sigma}\delta g_{\rho\sigma} ,,\text{as can be checked by varying the identity},, g^{\mu\lambda}g_{\lambda\nu}=\delta^\mu_\nu) \nonumber\ &=-(\delta g_{\rho\sigma}),\partial^\rho\phi,\partial^\sigma\phi \end{align}\begin{align} &(\delta g^{\mu\nu})\,\partial_\mu\phi\,\partial_\nu\phi \nonumber \\ =&(-g^{\mu\rho}g^{\nu\sigma}\delta g_{\rho\sigma})\,\partial_\mu\phi\,\partial_\nu\phi \quad(\because \delta g^{\mu\nu}=-g^{\mu\rho}g^{\nu\sigma}\delta g_{\rho\sigma} \,\,\text{as can be checked by varying the identity}\,\, g^{\mu\lambda}g_{\lambda\nu}=\delta^\mu_\nu) \nonumber\\ =&-(\delta g_{\rho\sigma})\,\partial^\rho\phi\,\partial^\sigma\phi \end{align} The second result differs from the first one by a minus sign. What's going wrong?

Varying $\partial_\lambda\phi\,\partial^\lambda\phi$ wrt the metric tensor $g_{\mu\nu}$ in two different ways gives me different results. Obviously I'm doing something wrong. Where am I going wrong?

Method 1: \begin{align}

(\delta g_{\mu\nu}),\partial^\mu\phi,\partial^\nu\phi

\end{align}

Method 2: \begin{align} &\quad,, (\delta g^{\mu\nu}),\partial_\mu\phi,\partial_\nu\phi \nonumber \

&=(-g^{\mu\rho}g^{\nu\sigma}\delta g_{\rho\sigma}),\partial_\mu\phi,\partial_\nu\phi \quad (\because \delta g^{\mu\nu}=-g^{\mu\rho}g^{\nu\sigma}\delta g_{\rho\sigma} ,,\text{as can be checked by varying the identity},, g^{\mu\lambda}g_{\lambda\nu}=\delta^\mu_\nu) \nonumber\ &=-(\delta g_{\rho\sigma}),\partial^\rho\phi,\partial^\sigma\phi \end{align} The second result differs from the first one by a minus sign. What's going wrong?

Varying $\partial_\lambda\phi\,\partial^\lambda\phi$ wrt the metric tensor $g_{\mu\nu}$ in two different ways gives me different results. Obviously I'm doing something wrong. Where am I going wrong?

Method 1: \begin{align} (\delta g_{\mu\nu})\,\partial^\mu\phi\,\partial^\nu\phi \end{align}

Method 2: \begin{align} &(\delta g^{\mu\nu})\,\partial_\mu\phi\,\partial_\nu\phi \nonumber \\ =&(-g^{\mu\rho}g^{\nu\sigma}\delta g_{\rho\sigma})\,\partial_\mu\phi\,\partial_\nu\phi \quad(\because \delta g^{\mu\nu}=-g^{\mu\rho}g^{\nu\sigma}\delta g_{\rho\sigma} \,\,\text{as can be checked by varying the identity}\,\, g^{\mu\lambda}g_{\lambda\nu}=\delta^\mu_\nu) \nonumber\\ =&-(\delta g_{\rho\sigma})\,\partial^\rho\phi\,\partial^\sigma\phi \end{align} The second result differs from the first one by a minus sign. What's going wrong?

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vyali
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Variation of the kinetic term wrt the metric in scalar field theory

Varying $\partial_\lambda\phi\,\partial^\lambda\phi$ wrt the metric tensor $g_{\mu\nu}$ in two different ways gives me different results. Obviously I'm doing something wrong. Where am I going wrong?

Method 1: \begin{align}

(\delta g_{\mu\nu}),\partial^\mu\phi,\partial^\nu\phi

\end{align}

Method 2: \begin{align} &\quad,, (\delta g^{\mu\nu}),\partial_\mu\phi,\partial_\nu\phi \nonumber \

&=(-g^{\mu\rho}g^{\nu\sigma}\delta g_{\rho\sigma}),\partial_\mu\phi,\partial_\nu\phi \quad (\because \delta g^{\mu\nu}=-g^{\mu\rho}g^{\nu\sigma}\delta g_{\rho\sigma} ,,\text{as can be checked by varying the identity},, g^{\mu\lambda}g_{\lambda\nu}=\delta^\mu_\nu) \nonumber\ &=-(\delta g_{\rho\sigma}),\partial^\rho\phi,\partial^\sigma\phi \end{align} The second result differs from the first one by a minus sign. What's going wrong?