Metric Tensor Vs. Metric Extensor

Abstract

In this paper we give a comparison between the formulation of the concept of metric for a real vector space of finite dimension in terms of \emph{tensors} and \emph{extensors}. A nice property of metric extensors is that they have inverses which are also themselves metric extensors. This property is not shared by metric tensors because tensors do \emph{not} have inverses. We relate the definition of determinant of a metric extensor with the classical determinant of the corresponding matrix associated to the metric tensor in a given vector basis. Previous identifications of these concepts are equivocated. The use of metric extensor permits sophisticated calculations without the introduction of matrix representations.