The Dirac equation and gamma matrices

We start out this article by introducing how Dirac came up with the Dirac equation in
somewhat historical perspective by closely following chapter 1.1. of The Quantum The-
ory of Fields by Steven Weinberg which readers interested in more details can turn to.
First, notice that the following equation is satisfied for Schrödinger equation (Problem
1.):
∂ i~
|ψ|2 − ∇ · (ψ ∗ ∇ψ − ψ∇ψ ∗ ) = 0


(1)
∂t 2m
Compare the above equation with the following continuity equation:
∂ρ
+ ∇ · J~ = 0 (2)
∂t
Therefore, we can identify the charge density as probability (i.e. ρ = |ψ|2 ). Now,
Remember that we had a similar equation in complex Klein-Gordon equation. We had:

ρ = i(φ∗ ∂0 φ − φ∂0 φ∗ ) (3)

and
J~ = i(φ∗ ∇φ − φ∇φ∗ ) (4)

which coincides with that of Schrödinger one. Therefore, it seemed natural to identify
ρ in complex Klein-Gordon field as probability. However, probability is always positive
definite while ρ here isn’t. Dirac worried about this fact. (Of course, we now know that
he didn’t need to worry about this since ρ is the charge density of particles with charge
1 and −1.)
Dirac found the solution in 1928 while staring into a fireplace. The reason why ρ
could be negative was because it involved time-derivative. This was so because Klein-
Gordon equation had a term of a second derivative in time. Therefore, this negative
probability problem would be solved if a first order equation was found.
Let me somewhat rephrase his line of thinking to accord with modern notation and
for the sake of clarity. Klein-Gordon equation is given by

m2 ψ = −ψ = −η µν ∂µ ∂ν ψ (5)

which is a second order equation. To make this first order, let’s take a square root:
√ p
m2 ψ = i η µν ∂µ ∂ν ψ (6)

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Dirac proposed the square root on the right-hand side is given by γ µ ∂µ where γ µ are
matrices, which are now called “gamma matrices” or “the Dirac matrices.” In other
words, we have:
mψ = iγ µ ∂µ ψ (7)

or
(iγ µ ∂µ − m)ψ = 0 (8)

This is now called “Dirac equation” and ψ “Dirac field.” Then, we have

η µν ∂µ ∂ν = (γ µ ∂µ )2
= γ µ γ ν ∂µ ∂ν
1 µ ν
= (γ γ + γ ν γ µ )∂µ ∂ν (9)
2
Therefore, he concluded
1 µ ν
(γ γ + γ ν γ µ ) = η µν I (10)
2
where I is an identity matrix.
Problem 2. By multiplying (−iγ µ ∂µ − m) to (8), show that if the Dirac equation
is satisfied, the Klein-Gordon equation is satisfied.
Now, all we need to do is finding γs. In space-time dimension 4, the lowest size of
the gamma matrices satisfying the above relation is 4 × 4. Of course, as long as they
are 4×4 matrices, there are many alternate ways to represent them as one way can be
linked to the other by a similarity transformation.
As γs are 4×4 matrices, Dirac field ψ has now four components unlike the scalar
field (i.e. Klein-Gordon field φ) which has only one component.
Problem 3. Simplify the followings

γ0γ0γ1, γ0γ1γ0, γ1γ2γ1, γ1γ2γ3 + γ3γ2γ1 (11)

Before giving you the actual representations of the gamma matrices, let’s find out
some of their properties. To this end, notice that Hamiltonian can be written as follows,
using (8) (Problem 4.):

Hψ = i∂0 ψ = γ 0 γ i (−i∂i ψ) + mγ 0 ψ (12)

As Hamiltonian must be Hermitian, and remembering that i∂i is Hermitian, we have

(γ µ )† = γ 0 γ µ γ 0 (13)

We also have,
(γ i )† = γ 0 γ i γ 0 = −γ i γ 0 γ 0 = −γ i (14)

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 Now, let’s evaluate the trace of the gamma matrices. We have:

Tr(γ 0 ) = −Tr(γ 0 (−1)) = −Tr(γ 0 γ 1 γ 1 ) = Tr((−γ 0 γ 1 )γ 1 ) = Tr(γ 1 γ 0 γ 1 )

where from the first line to the second line we used the cyclic property of trace (i.e.
Tr(ABC) = Tr(BCA). Therefore, we conclude Tr(γ 0 ) = 0. Similarly, one can show
Tr(γ i ) = 0. In conclusion, the trace of the gamma matrices is zero.
Also, it turns out that it is useful to introduce an extra gamma matrix as follows:

γ 5 = iγ 0 γ 1 γ 2 γ 3 (16)

Problem 6. Prove the followings:

(γ 5 )2 = 1, γ µ γ 5 + γ 5 γ µ = 0, Tr(γ 5 ) = 0 (17)

Now, we will present a representation of Dirac matrices. This is called “Weyl repre-
sentation.” ! ! !
0 0 I i 0 σi 5 −I 0
γ = , γ = , γ = (18)
I 0 −σ i 0 0 I
where I is a 2 × 2 identity matrix, and σ the Pauli matrices. (Each entry in the above
matrices are 2 × 2 matrices.) Some physicists use the following more compact notation:
!
0 σµ
γµ = , σ µ ≡ (1, σ i ), σ̄ µ ≡ (1, −σ i ) (19)
σ̄ µ 0

Finally, some physicists use the following notation: a/ := γ µ aµ . Using this notation,
the Dirac equation becomes:
(i∂/ − m)ψ = 0 (20)

Problem 7. Show Tr(γ µ γ ν ) = 4η µν . (Hint: Use (10) and the fact that the trace of
4 × 4 identity matrix is 4.)
Problem 8. Prove followings:

//b) = 4(a · b),