Equipping a vector space with an inner product
results in a natural isomorphism $\CV\to\CV^\ast$, where
the metric tensor can be interpreted as the linear mapping $\Bg:\CV\to\CV^\ast$
and its inverse $\Bg\inv:\CV^\ast\to\CV$.
Notation: Given two real vector spaces $\CV$ and $\CW$, we denote their inner products
as \(\dabrn{\cdot,\cdot}_{\CV}\) and \(\dabrn{\cdot,\cdot}_{\CW}\) respectively.
Given vectors $\Bv\in\CV$ and $\Bw\in\CW$, we define their lengths as
To fully appreciate the symmetry that originates from the duality, we can think
of not just the mappings between $\CV$ and $\CW$, but also between their dual
spaces.
To this end we can enumerate four mappings corresponding to
$\cbr{\CV,\CV^\ast}\to\cbr{\CW,\CW^\ast}$
and their duals, corresponding to
$\cbr{\CW,\CW^\ast}\to\cbr{\CV,\CV^\ast}$. Their definitions can be found in
the table below.
Tensors $\BP$, $\BQ$, $\BR$ and $\BS$ as linear mappings (top),
and their duals
$\BP^\ast$, $\BQ^\ast$, $\BR^\ast$ and $\BS^\ast$ (bottom).
In the respective tables, the first row displays the tensor spaces, basis
vectors and components of the subsequent mappings,
and the second and third row display the representations of
the tensor as linear and bilinear mappings respectively.
The results of the mappings are given in the mapping, matrix
and index representations respectively.
The mappings are over vectors $\Bv\in\CV$, $\Bw\in\CW$ and one-forms
$\Balpha\in\CV^\ast$, $\Bbeta\in\CW^\ast$.
The commutative diagrams pertaining to these mappings
can be found in the figure below
Commutative diagrams involving
the linear mappings $\BP,\BQ,\BR,\BS$ and
their dual $\BP^\ast,\BQ^\ast,\BR^\ast,\BS^\ast$
based on the metrics $\BG$ and $\Bg$
of $\CV$ and $\CW$.