format: text

text:
# Algebraic and Dirac-Hestenes Spinors and Spinor Fields published: Journal of Mathematical Physics 45(7), 2908-2944 (2004).

## 1 Introduction

Physicists usually make first contact with Dirac spinors and Dirac spinor fields when they study relativistic quantum theory. At that stage they are supposed to have had contact with a good introduction to relativity theory and know the importance of the Lorentz and Poincaré groups. So, they are told that Dirac spinors are elements of a complex $`4`$-dimensional space $`^4`$, which are the carrier space of a particular representation of the Lorentz group. They are told that when you do a Lorentz transformations Dirac spinors behave in a certain way, which is different from the way vectors and tensors behave under the same transformation. Dirac matrices are introduced as certain matrices on $`(4)`$ satisfying certain anticommutation rules and it is said that they close a particular Clifford algebra, known as Dirac algebra. The next step is to introduce Dirac wave functions. These are mappings, $`\mathrm{\Psi }:^4`$, from Minkowski spacetime $``$ (at that stage often introduced as an affine space) to the space $`^4`$. The set of all these mappings is trestricted by imposing to it the structure of a Hilbert space. After that, Dirac equation, which is a first order partial differential equation is introduced for $`\mathrm{\Psi }(x).`$ Physics come into play by interpreting $`\mathrm{\Psi }(x)`$ as the quantum wave function of the electron. Problems with this theory are discussed and it is pointed out that the difficulties can only be solved in relativistic quantum theory, where the Dirac spinor field, gains a new status. It is no more simply a mapping $`\mathrm{\Psi }:^4`$, but a more complicated object (it becomes an operator valued distribution in a given Hilbert space 111See, e.g.,  for a correct characterization of these objects.) whose expectation values on certain one particle states can be represented by objects like $`\mathrm{\Psi }`$. From a pragmatic point of view, only this knowledge this is more than satisfactory. However, that approach, we believe, is not a satisfactory one to any scientist with an enquiring mind, in particular to one with is worried with the foundations of quantum theory. For such person the first question which certainly occurs is: what is the geometrical meaning of the Dirac spinor wave function. From where did this concept came from?

Pure mathematicians, which study the theory of Clifford algebras, e.g., using Chevalley’s classical books  learn that spinors are elements of certain minimal ideals222Do not worry if you did not know the meaning of this concept. It is not a difficult one and is introduced in the Appendix. B. in Clifford algebras. In particular Dirac spinors are the elements of a minimal ideal in a particular Clifford algebra, the Dirac algebra. Of, course, the relation of that approach (algebraic spinors), with the one learned by physicists (covariant spinors) is known (see, e.g., ), but is not well known by the great majority of physicists, even for many which specialize in general relativity and more advances theories, like string and M-theory.

Now, the fact is that the algebraic spinor concept333Algebraic spinor fields on Minkowski spacetime will be studied in details in what follows, and in  where the concept is introduced using fiber bunde theory on general Lorentzian manifolds. (as it is the case of the covariant spinor concept) fail to reveal the true geometrical meaning of spinor in general and Dirac spinors in particular.

In 1966, Hestenes  introduced a new definition of spinor field, that he called later operator spinor field. These objects, which in this paper, will be called Dirac-Hestenes spinor fields have been introduced by Hestenes as mappings $`\psi :_{1,3}^0`$, where $`_{1,3}^0`$ is the even subalgebra of $`_{1,3}`$, a particular Clifford algebra, technically known as the spacetime algebra.444$`_{1,3}`$ is not the original Dirac algebra, which is the Clifford algebra $`_{4,1}`$ ), but is closed related to it, indeed $`_{1,3}`$ is the even subalgebra of the Dirac algebra (see the Appendix B for details). Hestenes in a series of remarkable papers  applied his new concept of spinor to the study of Dirac theory. He introduced an equation, now known as the Dirac-Hestenes equation, which does not contains (explicitly) imaginary numbers and obtained a very clever interpretation of that theory through the study of the geometrical meaning of the so called bilinear covariants, which are the observables of the theory. He further developed an interpretation of quantum theory from his formalism , that he called the zitterbewegung interpretation. Also, he showed how his approach it suggests a geometrical link between electromagnetism and the weak interactions, different from the original one of the standard model

Hestenes papers and his book with Sobczyk  have been the inspiration for a series of international conferences on ‘Clifford Algebras and their Applications in Mathematical Physics’ which in 2002 have had its sixth edition. A consultation of the table of contents of the last two conferences  certainly will show that Clifford algebras and their applications generated a wider interest among many physicists, mathematicians and even in engineering and computer sciences. Physicists used555In what follows we quote some of the principal papers that we have had opportunity to study. We apologise, any author that thinks that his work is a worth one concerning the subject and is ot quoted in the present article. Clifford algebras concepts and Hestenes methods, in many different applications. As some examples, we quote some developments in relativistic quantum theory, as, e.g., . The papers by De Leo and collaborators, exhibit a close relationship between Hestenes methods and quaternionic quantum mechanics, as developed, e.g., by Adler , a subject that is finding a renewed interest. Also, Clifford algebra methods have been used \[102, 135, 149, 48WR2, 151, 152, 165, 166, 167, 168\] to give an intuitive and geometrical clear picture of the dynamics of superparticles \[6berezian\]. Also, that papers clarify the meaning of Grassmann variables and their calculus . The relation with the zitterbewegung model of Barut and collaborators  appear in a novel and less speculative way. Even more, in  it is shown that the concept of Dirac-Hestenes spinor field is closely related to the concepts of superfields as introduced by Witten . Clifford algebras methods have also been used in disclosing a surprising connection between the Dirac and Maxwell and Seiberg-Witten  equations, as studied, e.g., in , which suggest several physical developments. Applications of Clifford algebras methods in general relativity appeared also, e.g., in , and suggest new ways for looking to the gravitational field. Clifford algebras methods, have been applied successfully also in quantum field theory, as , e.g., in  and more recently in string and p-brane theories, with noticeable results (-,) which are worth to be more carefully investigated.

Of course, Clifford algebras and Dirac operators are a standard topics of research in Mathematics (see, e.g., ), but we must say that Hestenes ideas have been an inspiring idea for mathematicians also. In particular, the concept of Clifford valued functions with domain in a manifold (the operator spinor fields are particular functions of this type) developed in a new, beautiful and powerful branch of mathematics . Hestenes ideas, as we said, have found also their use in engineering and computer sciences, as in the study of neural circuits  and robotics and perception action systems .

Having making all this propaganda, which we hope have awaked the reader interest in studying Clifford algebras, we must remark, that (as often happen for every pioneer work) the concept of Dirac-Hestenes spinor field, as originally introduced by Hestenes, and used by many other researchers, is not a concept free of criticisms and objections from the mathematical point of view.

However, it is an important concept and one of the objectives of this paper and also of  is to give a presentation of the subject free of all previous criticisms, which are discussed in the next sections. The reader, may ask himself if the enterprising for learning the theory presented below is worth his time. We think that the answer is yes, be him a physicist or a mathematician. To encourage physicists, which may eventually become interested in the subject after he read the above propaganda, we say that the mathematical tools used, even if they may look complex at first sight, are indeed nothing more than easy additions to the contents of a linear algebra course. The main reward to someone that study what follows is that he will start seeing some subjects that he thought were well known, under a new and (we believe) illuminating point of view. This hopefully may help anyone who is in the searching for new physical theories. For mathematicians, we say that the point of view developed here is somewhat new in relation to the original Chevalley’s one and we believe, it is more satisfactory. In particular, the present paper serves as a preliminary step towards a rigorous theory of algebraic and Dirac-Hestenes spinor fields as sections of some well defined fiber bundles, and the theory of the covariant derivatives of these fields. Having said all that, what is the present paper about?

We give definitions of algebraic spinor fields (*ASF*) and Dirac-Hestenes spinor fields (*DHSF*) living on Minkowski spacetime666Minkowski spacetime is parallelizable and as such admits a spin structure. In general, a spin structure does not exixt for an arbitrary manifold equipped with a metric of signature $`(p,q).`$The conditions for existence of a spin structure in a general manifold is discussed in , For the case of Lorentzian manifolds, see . and show how Dirac theory can be formulated in terms of these objects. We start our presentation in section 2 by studying a not well known subject, namely, the geometrical equivalence of representation modules of simple Clifford algebras $`𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)`$. This concept, together with the concept of spinorial frames play a crucial role in our definition of algebraic spinors (*AS)* and of *ASF*. Once we grasp the definition of *AS* and particularly of Dirac *AS* we define Dirac-Hestenes spinors (*DHS*) in section 4. Whereas *AS* may be associated to any real vector space of arbitrary dimension $`n=p+q`$ equipped with a non degenerated metric of arbitrary signature $`(p,q)`$, this is not the case for *DHS*777ASF can be defined on more general manifolds called spin manifolds. This will be studied in . There, we show that the concept of Dirac-Hestenes spinor fields which exists for $`4`$-dimensional Lorentzian spin manifolds modelling a relativistic spacetime, can be generalized for a  the case of general spin manifold of dimension $`n=p+q`$ (equiped with a metric of signature $`(p,q)`$, only if the spinor bundle structure P$`{}_{\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}^e}{}^{}M`$ is trivial.. However, these objects exist for a four dimensional vector space $`V`$ equipped with a metric of Lorentzian signature and this fact makes them very much important mathematical objects for physical theories. Indeed, as we shall show in section 5 it is possible to express Dirac equation in a consistent way using *DHSF* living on Minkowski spacetime. Such equation is called the Dirac-Hestenes equation (*DHE*). In section 7 we express the Dirac equation using *ASF*. In section 4 we define Clifford fields and then *ASF* and *DHSF*. We observe here that our definitions of *ASF* and *DHSF* as some equivalence classes of pairs $`(\mathrm{\Xi }_u,\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u})`$, where $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u`$ is a spinorial coframe888Take notice that in this paper the term spinorial (co)frame field (defined below) is related, but distinct from the concept of a spin (co)frame, which is a section of a particular principal bundle called the spin (co)frame bundle (see section 4 and . for more details). field and $`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ is an appropriated Clifford field, i.e., a sum of multivector (or multiform) fields are not the usual ones that can be found in the literature. These definitions that, of course, come after the definitions of *AS* and *DHS* are essentially *different* from the definition of spinors given originally by Chevalley (,). There, spinors are *simply* defined as elements of a minimal ideal carrying a *modular* representation of the Clifford algebra $`𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)`$ associated to a structure $`(V,𝐠)`$, where $`V`$ is a real vector space of dimension $`n=p+q`$ and $`𝐠`$ is a metric of signature $`(p,q)`$. And, of course, in that books there is no definition of *DHS*. Concerning *DHS* we mention that our definition of these objects is different also from the originally given in (-)999The definitions of *AS*, *DHS,* *ASF* and *DHSF* given below are an improvement over a preliminary tentative of definitions of these objects given in (). Unfortunately, that paper contains some equivocated results and errors (besides many misprints), which we correct here and in . We take the opportunity to apologize for any incovenients and misunderstandings that  may have caused. Some other papers where related (but not equivalent) material to the one presented in the present paper and in  can be found are (-,-,-,-,-,,).. In view of these statements a justification for our definitions must be given and part of section 5 and section 6 are devoted to such an enterprise. There it is shown that our definitions are the only ones compatible with the *DHE* and the meaning of the Fierz identities (,). We discuss in section 8 some misunderstandings resulting from the presentations of the standard Dirac equation when written with covariant Dirac spinors and also some misunderstandings concerning the *DHE*.It is important to emphasize here that the definitions of *ASF*, *DHSF* on Minkowski spacetime and of the spin-Dirac operator given in section 5 although correct are to be considered only as *preliminaries*. Indeed, these objects can be defined in a truly satisfactory way on a general Riemann-Cartan spacetime only after the introduction of the concepts of the Clifford and the left (and right) spin-Clifford bundles. Moreover, a comprehensive formulation of Dirac equation on these manifolds requires a theory of connections acting on sections of these bundles. This non trivial subject is studied in a forthcoming paper (). Section 9 present our conclusions. Finally we recall that our notations and some necessary results for the intelligibility of the paper are presented in Appendixes A-E. Although the Appendixes contain known results, we decided to write them for the benefit of the reader, since the material cannot be found in a single reference. In particular Appendix A contains some of the ‘tricks of the trade’ necessary to perform quickly calculations with Clifford algebras. If the reader needs more details concerning the theory of Clifford algebras and their applications than the ones provide by the Appendixes, the references (,,,,,,,) will certainly help. A final remark is necessary before we start our enterprise: the theory of the Dirac-Hestenes spinor fields of this (and the sequel paper ) does not contradict the standard theory of covariant Dirac spinor fields that is used by physicists and indeed it will be shown that the standard theory is no more than a matrix representation of theory described below.

Some few acronyms are used in the present paper (to avoid long sentences) and they are summarized below for the reader’s convenience.

AS- Algebraic Spinor

ASF\- Algebraic Spinor Field

CDS- Covariant Dirac Spinor

DHE\- Dirac-Hestenes Equation

DHSF- Dirac-Hestenes Spinor Field

## 2 Algebraic Spinors

This section introduces the algebraic ideas that motivated the theory of *ASF* (which will be developed with full rigor in ), i.e., we give a precise definition of *AS*. The algebraic side of the theory of *DHSF,* namely the concept of *DHS* is given in section 3. The justification for that definitions will become clear in sections 5 and 6.

### 2.1 Geometrical Equivalence of Representation Modules of Simple Clifford Algebras $`𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)`$

We start with the introduction of some notations and clarification of some subtleties.

(i) In what follows $`V`$ is a $`n`$-dimensional vector space over the real field $``$. The dual space of $`V`$ is denoted $`V^{}`$. Let

$$𝐠:V\times V$$
(1)
be a metric of signature $`(p,q).`$

(ii) Let $`\mathrm{SO}(V,𝐠)`$ be the group of endomorphisms of $`V`$ that preserves $`𝐠`$ and the space orientation. This group is isomorphic to SOp,q (see Appendix C), but there is no natural isomorphism. We write $`\mathrm{SO}(V,𝐠)`$SOp,q. Also, the connected component to the identity is denoted by $`\mathrm{SO}^e(V,𝐠)`$ and $`\mathrm{SO}^e(V,𝐠)`$SO$`{}_{}{}^{e}{}_{p,q}{}^{}`$. In the case $`p=1`$, $`q=3,`$ $`\mathrm{SO}^e(V,𝐠)`$ preserves besides *orientation* also the *time* orientation. In this paper we are mainly interested in $`\mathrm{SO}^e(V,𝐠).`$

(iii) We denote by $`𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)`$ the Clifford algebra101010We reserve the notation $`_{p,q}`$ for the Clifford algebra of the vector space $`^n`$ equipped with a metric of signature $`(p,q)`$, $`p+q=n`$. $`C\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)`$ and $`_{p,q}`$ are isomorphic, but there is no canonical isomorphism. Indeed, an isomorphism can be exhibit only after we fix an orthonormal basis of $`V`$. of $`V`$ associated to $`(V,𝐠)`$ and by $`\mathrm{Spin}^e(V,𝐠)`$ $`(\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}^e)`$ the connected component of the spin group $`\mathrm{Spin}(V,𝐠)`$ $`\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}`$ (see Appendix C for the definitions). Let $`𝐋`$ denote $`2:1`$ homomorphism $`𝐋:\mathrm{Spin}^e(V,𝐠)\mathrm{SO}^e(V,𝐠)`$, $`u𝐋(u)𝐋_u`$. $`\mathrm{Spin}^e(V,𝐠)`$ acts on $`V`$ identified as the space of $`1`$-vectors of $`𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)_{p,q}`$ through its adjoint representation in the Clifford algebra $`𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)`$ which is related with the vector representation of $`\mathrm{SO}^e(V,𝐠)`$ as follows111111$`\mathrm{Aut}(C\mathrm{}(V,𝐠))`$ denotes the (inner) automorphisms of $`C\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)`$.:

$`\mathrm{Spin}^e(V,g)\text{ }\text{ }u`$ $`\mathrm{Ad}_u\mathrm{Aut}(𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠))`$
$`\mathrm{Ad}_u|_V`$ $`:VV,\text{ }𝐯u𝐯u^1\text{ }=𝐋_u𝐯.`$ (2)
In Eq.(2) $`𝐋_u𝐯`$ denotes the standard action $`𝐋_u`$ on $`𝐯`$ (see Eq.(5)) and where identified (without much ado) $`𝐋_u\mathrm{SO}^e(V,𝐠)`$ with $`𝐋_u𝐕𝐕^{}`$, $`𝐠(𝐋_u𝐯,𝐋_u𝐯)=𝐠(𝐯,𝐯)`$

(iv) We denote by $`𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)`$ the Clifford algebra121212We reserve the notation $`_{p,q}`$ for the Clifford algebra of the vector space $`^n`$ equipped with a metric of signature $`(p,q)`$, $`p+q=n`$. $`C\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)`$ and $`_{p,q}`$ are isomorphic, but there is no canonical isomorphism. Indeed, an isomorphism can be exhibit only after we fix an orthonormal basis of $`V`$. of $`V`$ associated to $`(V,𝐠)`$ and by $`\mathrm{Spin}^e(V,𝐠)`$ $`(\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}^e)`$ the connected component of the spin group $`\mathrm{Spin}(V,𝐠)`$ $`\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}`$ (see Appendix C for the definitions).

(v) Let $``$ be the set of all oriented and time oriented orthonormal basis131313We will call the elements of $``$ (in what follows) simply by orthonormal basis. of $`V`$. Choose among the elements of $``$ a basis $`b_0=\{𝐄_1,\mathrm{}.,𝐄_{p,}𝐄_{p+1,}\mathrm{}.,𝐄_{p+q}\}`$, hereafter called the fiducial frame of $`V`$. With this choice, we define a $`11`$ mapping

$$\mathrm{\Sigma }:\mathrm{SO}^e(V,𝐠),$$
(3)
given by

$$𝐋_u\mathrm{\Sigma }(𝐋_u)𝚺_{𝐋_u}=𝐋b_0$$
(4)
where $`𝚺_{\mathrm{𝐋𝐮}}=𝐋_ub_0`$ is a short for $`\{𝐞_1,\mathrm{}.,𝐞_{p,}𝐞_{p+1,}\mathrm{}.,𝐞_{p+q}\}`$, such that denoting the action of $`𝐋_u`$ on $`𝐄_ib_0`$ by $`𝐋_u𝐄_i`$ we have

$$𝐞_i=𝐋_u𝐄_iL_i^j𝐄_j\text{}i,j=1,2,\mathrm{},n.$$
(5)
In this way, we can identify a given vector basis $`b`$ of $`V`$ with the isometry $`𝐋_u`$ that takes the fiducial basis $`b_0`$ to $`b`$. The fiducial basis $`b_0`$ will be also denoted by $`𝚺_{𝐋_0}`$, where $`𝐋_0=e`$, is the identity element of $`\mathrm{SO}^e(V,𝐠)`$.

Since the group $`\mathrm{SO}^e(V,𝐠)`$ is not simple connected their elements cannot distinguish between frames whose spatial axes are rotated in relation to the fiducial vector frame $`\mathrm{\Sigma }_{𝐋_0}`$ by multiples of $`2\pi `$ or by multiples of $`4\pi `$. For what follows it is crucial to make such a distinction. This is done by introduction of the concept of spinorial frames.

###### Definition 1

Let $`b_0`$ be a fiducial frame and choose an arbitrary $`u_0\mathrm{Spin}^e(V,𝐠)`$. Fix once and for all the pair $`(u_0,b_0)`$ with $`u_0=1`$ and call it the fiducial spinorial frame.

###### Definition 2

The space $`\mathrm{Spin}^e(V,𝐠)\times `$ $`=\{(u,b),ubu^1=u_0b_0u_0^1\}`$ will be called the space of spinorial frames and denoted by $`𝚯`$.

###### Remark 3

It is crucial for what follows to observe here that the definition 2 implies that a given $`b`$ determines two and only two spinorial frames, namely $`(u,b)`$ and $`(u,b)`$, since $`\pm ub(\pm u^1)=u_0b_0u_0^1`$.

(vi) We now parallel the construction in (v) but replacing $`\mathrm{SO}^e(V,𝐠)`$ by its universal covering group $`\mathrm{Spin}^e(V,𝐠)`$ and $``$ by $`𝚯`$. Thus, we define the $`11`$ mapping

$$\begin{array}{cccc}\mathrm{\Xi }:& \mathrm{Spin}^e(V,𝐠)& & 𝚯,\\ & u& & 𝚵(u)𝚵_u=(u,b\text{),}\end{array}$$
(6)
where $`ubu^1=b_0`$ .

The fiducial spinorial frame will be denoted in what follows by $`𝚵_0`$. It is obvious from Eq.(6) that $`𝚵(u)=𝚵_{(u)}=(u,b`$)$`𝚵_u`$.

###### Definition 4

The natural right action of $`a`$ $`\mathrm{Spin}^e(V,𝐠)`$ denoted by $``$ on $`𝚯`$ is given by

$$a𝚵_u=a(u,b)=(ua,Ad_{a^1}b)=(ua,a^1ba)$$
(7)
Observe that if $`𝚵_{u\stackrel{´}{}}=(u\stackrel{´}{},b\stackrel{´}{})=u\stackrel{´}{}\mathrm{\Xi }_0`$ and $`𝚵_u=(u,b)=u\mathrm{\Xi }_0`$ then,

$$𝚵_{u\stackrel{´}{}}=(u^1u\stackrel{´}{})𝚵_u=(u\stackrel{´}{},u\stackrel{´}{}^1ubu^1u\stackrel{´}{})$$

Note that there is a natural $`21`$ mapping

$$𝐬:𝚯,𝚵_{\pm u}b=(\pm u^1)b_0(\pm u),$$
(8)
such that

$$𝐬((u^1u\stackrel{´}{})𝚵_u))=\mathrm{Ad}_{(u^1u\stackrel{´}{})^1}(𝐬(𝚵_u)).$$
(9)
Indeed, $`𝐬((u^1u\stackrel{´}{})𝚵_u))=𝐬((u^1u\stackrel{´}{})(u,b))=u^1ub(u^1u)^1=b\stackrel{´}{}=\mathrm{Ad}_{(u^1u\stackrel{´}{})^1}b=\mathrm{Ad}_{(u^1u\stackrel{´}{})^1}(𝐬(𝚵_u))`$. This means that the natural right actions of $`\mathrm{Spin}^e(V,𝐠)`$, respectively on $`𝚯`$ and $``$, commute. In particular, this implies that the spinorial frames $`𝚵_u,𝚵_u𝚯`$, which are, of course distinct, determine the same vector frame $`\mathrm{\Sigma }_{𝐋_u}=𝐬(𝚵_u)=𝐬(𝚵_u)=\mathrm{\Sigma }_{𝐋_u}`$. We have,

$$\mathrm{\Sigma }_{𝐋_u}=\mathrm{\Sigma }_{𝐋_u}=𝐋_{u^1u_0}\mathrm{\Sigma }_{𝐋_{u_0}},\text{ }𝐋_{u^1u_0}\mathrm{SO}_{p,q}^e,$$
(10)
Also, from Eq.(9), we can write explicitly

$$u_0\mathrm{\Sigma }_{𝐋_{u_0}}u_0^1=u\mathrm{\Sigma }_{𝐋_u}u^1,\text{ }u_0\mathrm{\Sigma }_{𝐋_{u_0}}u_0^1=(u)\mathrm{\Sigma }_{𝐋_u}(u)^1,u\mathrm{Spin}^e(V,𝐠),$$
(11)
where the meaning of Eq.(11) of course, is that if $`\mathrm{\Sigma }_{𝐋_u}=\mathrm{\Sigma }_{𝐋_u}=b=\{𝐞_1,\mathrm{}.,𝐞_{p,}𝐞_{p+1,}\mathrm{}.,𝐞_q\}`$ and $`\mathrm{\Sigma }_{𝐋_{u_0}}=b_0`$ is the fiducial frame, then

$$u_0𝐄_ju_0^1=(\pm u)𝐞_j(\pm u^1).$$
(12)
In resume we can say that the space $`𝚯`$ of spinorial frames can be thought as an extension of the space space $``$ of vector frames, where even if two vector frames have the same ordered vectors, they are considered distinct if the spatial axes of one vector frame is rotated by a odd number of $`2\pi `$ rotations relative to the other vector frame and are considered the same if the spatial axes of one vector frame is rotated by an even number of $`2\pi `$ rotations relative to the other frame. Even if this construction seems to be impossible at first sight, Aharonov and Susskind  warrants that it can be implemented physically.

(vii) Before we proceed an important digression on our notation used below is necessary. We recalled in appendix B how to construct a minimum left (or right) ideal for a given real Clifford algebra once a vector basis $`b`$ for $`V𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)`$ is given. That construction suggests to label  a given primitive idempotent and its corresponding ideal with the subindex $`b`$. However, taking into account the above discussion of vector and spinorial frames and their relationship we find useful for what follows (specially in view of the definition 5 and the definitions of algebraic and Dirac-Hestenes spinors (see definitions 6 and 8 below)) to label a given primitive idempotent and its corresponding ideal with the subindex $`𝚵_u`$. Recall after all, that a given idempotent is according to definition 6 representative of a particular spinor in a given spinorial frame $`𝚵_u`$.

(viii) Next we recall Theorem 49 of Appendix B which says that a minimal left ideal of $`𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)`$ is of the type

$$I_{𝚵_u}=𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)\mathrm{e}_{𝚵_u}$$
(13)
where $`e_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ is a primitive idempotent of $`𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)`$.

It is easy to see that all ideals $`I_{𝚵_u}=𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)\mathrm{e}_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ and $`I_{𝚵_u^{}}=𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)\mathrm{e}_{𝚵_u^{}}`$ such that

$$\mathrm{e}_{𝚵_u^{}}=(u^1u)\mathrm{e}_{𝚵_u}(u^1u)^1$$
(14)
$`u,u^{}\mathrm{Spin}^e(V,g)`$ are isomorphic. We have the

###### Definition 5

Any two ideals $`I_{𝚵_u}=𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)\mathrm{e}_{𝚵_u}`$ and $`I_{𝚵_u^{}}=𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)\mathrm{e}_{𝚵_u^{}}`$ such that their generator idempotents are related by Eq.(14) are said geometrically equivalent.

But take care, no equivalence relation has been defined until now. We observe moreover that we can write

$$I_{𝚵_u^{}}=I_{𝚵_u}(u^1u)^1,$$
(15)
a equation that will play a key role in what follows.

### 2.2
Algebraic Spinors of Type $`I_{𝚵_u}`$

Let $`\{I_{𝚵_u}\}`$ be the set of all ideals geometrically equivalent to a given minimal $`I_{𝚵_{u_o}}`$ as defined by Eq.(15). Let be

$$𝔗\text{ }=\{(𝚵_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u})\text{ }|\text{ }u\mathrm{Spin}^e(V,𝐠)\text{}𝚵_u𝚯\text{}\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u}I_{𝚵_u}\}.$$
(16)
Let $`𝚵_u,𝚵_u^{}𝚯`$, $`\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u}I_{𝚵_u}`$, $`\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u^{}}I_{𝚵_u^{}}`$. We define an equivalence relation $``$ on $`𝔗`$ by setting

$$(𝚵_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u})(𝚵_u^{},\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}})$$
(17)
if and only if $`u𝐬(\mathrm{\Xi }_u)u^1=u^{}𝐬(\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{})u^1`$and

$$\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u^{}}u^1=\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u}u^1.$$
(18)
###### Definition 6

An equivalence class

$$𝚿_{𝚵_u}=[(𝚵_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u})]𝔗/$$
(19)
*is called an algebraic spinor of type* $`I_{𝚵_u}`$ *for* $`𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)`$*.* $`\psi _{𝚵_u}I_{𝚵_u}`$ *is said to be a representative of the algebraic spinor* $`𝚿_{𝚵_u}`$ *in the spinorial frame* $`𝚵_u`$.

We observe that the pairs $`(𝚵_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u})`$ and $`(𝚵_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u})=(𝚵_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u})`$ are equivalent, but the pairs $`(𝚵_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u})`$ and $`(𝚵_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u})=(𝚵_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u})`$ are not. This distinction is essential in order to give a structure of linear space (over the real field) to the set $`𝔗`$. Indeed, a natural linear structure on $`𝔗`$ is given by

$`a[(𝚵_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u})]+b[(𝚵_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u}^{})]`$ $`=[(𝚵_u,a\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u})]+[(𝚵_u^{},b\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u}^{})],`$
$`(a+b)[(𝚵_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u})]`$ $`=a[(𝚵_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u})]+b[(𝚵_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u})].`$ (20)
The definition that we just given is not a standard one in the literature (,). However, the fact is that the standard definition (licit as it is from the mathematical point of view) is *not* adequate for a comprehensive formulation of the Dirac equation using algebraic spinor fields or Dirac-Hestenes spinor fields as we show in a preliminary way in section 5 and in a rigorous and definitive way in a sequel paper .

As observed on Appendix D a given Clifford algebra $`_{p,q}`$ may have minimal ideals that are not geometrically equivalent since they may be generated by primitive idempotents that are related by elements of the group $`_{p,q}^{}`$ which are not elements of $`\mathrm{Spin}^e(V,𝐠)`$ (see Appendix C where different, non geometrically equivalent primitive ideals for $`_{1,3}`$ are shown). These ideals may be said to be of different *types*. However, from the point of view of the representation theory of the real Clifford algebras (Appendix B) all these primitive ideals carry equivalent (i.e., isomorphic) *modular* representations of the Clifford algebra and no preference may be given to any one141414The fact that there are ideals that are algebraically, but not geometrically equivalent seems to contain the seed for new Physics, see (,).. In what follows, when no confusion arises and the ideal $`I_{𝚵_u}`$ is clear from the context, we use the wording algebraic spinor for any one of the possible types of ideals.

###### Remark 7

We observe here that the idea of defintion of algebraic spinor fields as equivalent classes has it seed in a paper by M. Riez . However, Riez used in his defintion simply orthonormal frames instead of the spinorial frames of our approach. As such, Riez defintion generates contradicitons, as it is obvious from our discussion above.

### 2.3
Algebraic Dirac Spinors

These are the algebraic spinors associated with the Clifford algebra $`𝒞\mathrm{}()_{1,3}`$ (the spacetime algebra) of Minkowski spacetime $`=(V,\eta )`$, where *V* is a four dimensional vector space over $``$ and $`\eta `$ is a metric of signature $`(1,3)`$.

Some special features of this important case are:

(a) The group Spin$`{}_{}{}^{e}()`$ is the universal covering of $`_+^{}`$, the special and orthochronous Lorentz group that is isomorphic to the group SO$`{}_{}{}^{e}()`$ which preserves spacetime orientation and also the time orientation  (see also Appendix B).

(b) Spin$`{}_{}{}^{e}()𝒞\mathrm{}^0()`$, where $`𝒞\mathrm{}^0()_{1,3}`$ is the even subalgebra of $`𝒞\mathrm{}()`$ and is called the Pauli algebra (see Appendix C).

The most important property is a coincidence given by Eq.(21) below. It permit us to define a new kind of spinors.

## 3 Dirac-Hestenes Spinors (*DHS*)

Let $`𝚵_u𝚯`$ be a spinorial frame for$``$ such that $`𝐬(𝚵_u)=\{e_0,e_1,e_2,e_3\}`$. Then, it follows from Eq.(D18) of Appendix D that

$$I_{𝚵_u}=𝒞\mathrm{}()\mathrm{e}_{𝚵_u}=𝒞\mathrm{}^0()\mathrm{e}_{𝚵_u},$$
(21)
if

$$\mathrm{e}_{𝚵_u}=\frac{1}{2}(1+e_0).$$
(22)
Then, each $`\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u}I_{𝚵_u}`$ can be written as

$$\mathrm{\Psi }_{𝚵_u}=\psi _{𝚵_u}\mathrm{e}_{𝚵_u},\text{ }\psi _{𝚵_u}𝒞\mathrm{}^0()$$
(23)
$`>`$From Eq.(18) we get

$$\psi _{𝚵_u^{}}u^1u\mathrm{e}_{𝚵_u}=\psi _{𝚵_u}\mathrm{e}_{𝚵_u},\text{ }\psi _{𝚵_u},\psi _{𝚵_u^{}}𝒞\mathrm{}^0().$$
(24)
A possible solution for Eq.(24) is

$$\psi _{𝚵_u^{}}u^1=\psi _{𝚵_u}u^1.$$
(25)
Let $`𝚯\times 𝒞\mathrm{}()`$ and consider an equivalence relation $``$ such that

$$(𝚵_u,\varphi _{𝚵_u})(𝚵_u^{},\varphi _{𝚵_u^{}})\text{ }(\mathrm{mod}\text{ })$$
(26)
if and only if $`\psi _{𝚵_u^{}}`$ and $`\psi _{𝚵_u}`$ are related by

$$\varphi _{𝚵_u^{}}u^1=\varphi _{𝚵_u}u^1.$$
(27)
This suggests the following

###### Definition 8

The equivalence classes $`[(𝚵_u,\varphi _{𝚵_u})](𝚯\times 𝒞\mathrm{}())/`$ are the Hestenes spinors. Among the Hestenes spinors, an important subset is the one consisted of Dirac-Hestenes spinors where $`[(𝚵_u,\psi _{𝚵_u})](𝚯\times 𝒞\mathrm{}^0())/`$. We say that $`\varphi _{𝚵_u}`$ $`(\psi _{𝚵_u})`$ is a representative of a Hestenes (Dirac-Hestenes) spinor in the spinorial frame $`𝚵_u`$.

How to justify the above definitions of algebraic and Dirac-Hestenes spinors? The question is answered in the next section.

## 4 Clifford Fields, *ASF* and *DHSF*

The objective of this section is to introduce the concepts of Dirac-Hestenes spinor fields (*DHSF*) and algebraic spinor fields (*ASF*) living on Minkowski spacetime. A definitive theory of these objects that can be applied for arbitrary Riemann-Cartan spacetimes can be given only after the introduction of the Clifford and left ( and right) spin-Clifford bundles and the theory of connections acting on these bundles. This theory will be presented in  and the presentation given below (which can be followed by readers that have only a rudimentary knowledge of the theory of fiber bundles) must be considered as a preliminary one.

Let $`(M,\eta ,\tau ,,)`$ be Minkowski spacetime, where $`M`$ is diffeomorphic to $`^4`$, $`\eta `$ is a constant metric field, $``$ is the Levi-Civita connection of $`\eta `$. $`M`$ is oriented by $`\tau \mathrm{sec}^4M`$ and is also time oriented by $``$(,,).

Let151515$`\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}M`$ is the orthonormal frame bundle, $`\mathrm{sec}\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}M`$ means a section of the frame bundle. $`\{e_a\}\mathrm{sec}\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}M`$ be an orthonormal (moving) frame161616Orthonormal moving frames are not to be confused with the concept of *reference frames* The concepts are related, but distinct. (,,), not necessarily a coordinate frame and let $`\gamma ^a\mathrm{sec}T^{}M`$ $`(a=0,1,2,3)`$ be such that the set $`\{\gamma ^a\}`$ is dual to the set $`\{e_a\}`$, i.e., $`\gamma ^a(e_b)=\delta _b^a.`$

The set $`\{\gamma ^a\}`$ will be called also a (moving) frame. Let $`\gamma _a=\eta _{ab}\gamma ^b`$ , $`a,b=0,1,2,3`$. The set $`\{\gamma _a\}`$ will be called the reciprocal frame to the frame $`\{\gamma ^a\}`$. Recall that171717$`\stackrel{ˇ}{\eta }`$ is the metric of the contangent space and $`\stackrel{ˇ}{\eta }(\gamma ^a,\gamma ^b)=\eta ^{ab}=\eta _{ab}=diag(1,1,1,1)`$. $`(T_x^{}M,\stackrel{ˇ}{\eta })`$. We will denote $`(T_x^{}M,\stackrel{ˇ}{\eta })`$ by $`^{}`$. Now, due to the affine structure of Minkowski spacetime we can *identify* all the cotangent spaces as usual. Consider then the Clifford algebra $`𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})`$ generated by the coframe $`\{\gamma ^a\},`$ where now we can take $`\gamma ^a:x^1(^{})Cl(^{})`$ . We have

$$\gamma ^a(x)\gamma ^b(x)+\gamma ^b(x)\gamma ^a(x)=2\eta ^{ab},\text{ }xM.$$
(28)
###### Definition 9

*(preliminary)* A Clifford field is a mapping

$$C:M\text{ }\text{ }xC(x)𝒞\mathrm{}(^{}).$$
(29)
In a coframe $`\{\gamma ^a\}`$ the expression of a Clifford field is

$$𝒞=S+A_a\gamma ^a+\frac{1}{2!}B_{ab}\gamma ^a\gamma ^b+\frac{1}{3!}T_{abc}\gamma ^a\gamma ^b\gamma ^c+P\gamma ^5,$$
(30)
where $`S,A_a,B_{ab},T_{abc},P`$ are scalar functions (the ones with two or more indices antisymmetric on that indices) and $`\gamma ^5=\gamma ^0\gamma ^1\gamma ^2\gamma ^3`$ is the volume element. Saying with other words, a Clifford field is a sum of non homogeneous differential forms.181818This result follows once we recall that as a vector space the Clifford algebra $`C\mathrm{}(^{})`$ is isomorphic to the the Grassmann algebra $`(V^{})=\underset{p=0}{\overset{4}{}}^p(V^{})`$, where $`^p(V^{})`$ is the space of $`p`$-forms. This is clear from the definition of Clifford algebra given in the Appendix A. Recall that $`^{}=(V^{}T^{}M,\stackrel{ˇ}{\eta }).`$

Here is the point where a minimum knowledge of the theory of fiber bundles is required. Minkowski spacetime is parallelizable and admits a spin structure. See, e.g., (,-, ). This means that Minkowski spacetime has a spin strucutre, i.e., there exists a principal bundle called the spin frame bundle and denoted by $`\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}^e}M`$ that is the double covering of $`\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}M`$, i.e., there is a $`2:1`$ mapping $`\rho :\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}^e}M\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}M`$. The elements of $`\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}^e}M`$ are called the spin frame fields191919When there is no possibility of confusion we abreviate spin frame field simply as spin frame., and if $`ϝ_u\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}^e}M`$ then $`\rho (ϝ_u)`$ $`=\{e_a\}`$ $`\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}M`$ (once we fix a spin frame and associate it to an arbitrary but fixed element of $`\mathrm{u}\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}^e}M`$). This means, that as in section 1, we distinguish frames that differs from a $`2\pi `$ rotations. Besides $`\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}M,`$ we introduce also $`\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}^{}M`$, the coframe orthonormal bundle, such that for $`\{\gamma ^a\}\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}^{}M`$ there exists $`\{e_a\}`$ $`\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}M`$, such that $`\gamma ^a(e_b)=\delta _b^a`$. Note that $`\{\gamma ^a\}\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}^{}M`$, but, as already observed, take in mind that each $`\gamma ^a:x^1(^{})Cl(^{})`$. To proceed choose a fiducial coframe $`\{\mathrm{\Gamma }^a\}\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}^{}M`$, dual to a fiducial frame $`\rho (ϝ_{u_0})\{E_a\}\mathrm{sec}\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}M`$.

Now, let be

$$u:xu(x)\mathrm{Spin}^e(^{})𝒞\mathrm{}^0(^{}).$$
(31)
In complete analogy with section 1 let $`𝚯_{}^{}=\mathrm{Spin}^e(^{})\times \mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}^{}M`$ be the space of  spinorial coframe fields. We define also the $`11`$ mapping

$`\mathrm{\Xi }`$ $`:\mathrm{Spin}^e(^{})𝚯_{}^{}`$
$`u`$ $`\mathrm{\Xi }(u)\mathrm{\Xi }_u=(u,\{u^1\mathrm{\Gamma }_au\}),`$ (32)
Note that there is a $`21`$ natural mapping mapping

$`𝐬^{}`$ $`:𝚯_{}^{}\mathrm{\Xi }_u\{\gamma ^a\}\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}^{}M,`$
$`\gamma ^a`$ $`=u^1\mathrm{\Gamma }^au`$ (33)
Also, denoting the action of $`\mathrm{a}(x)\mathrm{Spin}^e(^{})`$ on $`𝚯_{}^{}`$ by $`\mathrm{a}\mathrm{\Xi }_u=(u\mathrm{a},\{\gamma ^a\})`$ we have

$$𝚵_{u\stackrel{´}{}}=(u^1u\stackrel{´}{})𝚵_u$$
(34)
$$\text{ }𝐬^{}((u^1u\stackrel{´}{})𝚵_u))=\mathrm{Ad}_{(u^1u\stackrel{´}{})^1}(𝐬^{}(𝚵_u)).$$
(35)
As, in the previous section we have associate $`1`$ $``$ $`\mathrm{Spin}^e(^{})`$) to the fiducial spinorial coframe field, but of course we could associated any other element $`u_0;xu_0(x)`$ $``$ $`\mathrm{Spin}^e(^{})`$ to the fiducial spinorial coframe. In this general case, writing $`\mathrm{\Xi }_{u_o}`$ for the fiducial spinorial coframe, we have $`𝐬^{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_{u_0})=\{\mathrm{\Gamma }^a\}`$

Note that $`𝐬^{}(𝚵_u)=(𝐬^{}(𝚵_{(u)})`$ and that any other coframe field $`𝐬^{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_u)`$ is then related to $`𝐬^{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_{u_o})`$ by

$$u_0𝐬^{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_{u_o})u_0^1=\pm u𝐬^{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_u)(\pm u^1)=\pm u𝐬^{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_{(u)})(\pm u^1),$$
(36)
where the meaning of this equation is analogous to the one given to Eq.(11), through Eq.(12)

Taking into account the results of the previous sections and of the Appendices A, B we are lead to the following definitions.

Let $`\{I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\}`$ be the set of all ideals geometrically equivalent to a given minimal $`I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_{uo}}`$ as defined by Eq.(15) where now $`u`$, $`u^{}`$ *are* Clifford fields defined by mappings like the one defined in Eq.(31).

Let be

$`𝔗_{}`$ $`=\{(x,(\mathrm{\Xi }_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}))\text{ }|\text{ }xM\text{}u(x)\mathrm{Spin}^e(^{})\text{}\mathrm{\Xi }_u𝚯_{}^{}\text{,}`$
$`\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ $`:x\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}(x)I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\text{}\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}:x\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}(x)I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}\}.`$ (37)
Consider an equivalence relation $`_{}`$ on $`𝔗`$ M such that

$$(x,(\mathrm{\Xi }_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}))(y,(\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{},\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}))$$
(38)
if and only if $`x=y`$,

$$u(x)𝐬\stackrel{´}{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_{u(x)})u^1(x)=u^{}(x)𝐬\stackrel{´}{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_{u^{}(x)})u^1(x)$$
(39)
and

$$\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}u^1=\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}u^1.$$
(40)
###### Definition 10

(preliminary) An algebraic spinor field (ASF) of type $`I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ for $`^{}`$is an equivalence class $`𝚿_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=[(x,(\mathrm{\Xi }_u,\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}))]𝔗_{}/_{}`$. We say that $`\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ is a representative of the ASF $`𝚿_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ in the spinorial coframe field $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u`$

Consider an equivalence relation $`_{}`$on the set $`M\times 𝚵_{}\times 𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})`$ such that (given $`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}:x\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}(x)𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})`$, $`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}:x\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}(x)𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})\})`$ $`((x,(\mathrm{\Xi }_u,\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u})))`$ and $`((y,(\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{},\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}})))`$ are equivalent if and only if $`x=y`$,

$$u(x)𝐬^{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_{u(x)})u^1(x)=u^{}(x)𝐬^{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_{u^{}(x)})u^1(x)$$
(41)
and

$$\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}u^1=\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}u^1.$$
(42)
###### Definition 11

(preliminary)An equivalence class $`\psi =[(x,(\mathrm{\Xi }_u,\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}))]M\times 𝚵_{}\times 𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})/_{}`$ is called a Hestenes spinor field for $`^{}`$. $`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})`$ is said to be a representative of the Hestenes spinor field $`\varphi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ in the spinorial coframe field $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u`$. When $`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}:x\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}(x)𝒞\mathrm{}^0(^{})`$, $`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}:x\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}(x)𝒞\mathrm{}^0(^{})`$ we call the equivalence class a Dirac-Hestenes spinor field (DHSF).

## 5 The Dirac-Hestenes Equation (*DHE*)

In our preliminary presentation of the Dirac equation (on Minkowski spacetime) that follows we shall restrict our exposition to the case where any spinorial coframe field appearing in the equations that follows, e.g., $`𝐬^{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_u)=\{\gamma ^a\}`$ is *teleparallel* and *constant* . By this we mean that $`x,yM`$ and $`a=0,1,2,3,`$

$`\gamma ^a(x)`$ $`\gamma ^a(y),`$ (43)
$`_{e_a}\gamma ^b`$ $`=0,`$ (44)
Eq.(43) has meaning due to the affine structure of Minkowski spacetime with permits the usual identification of all tangent spaces (and of all cotangent spaces) of the manifold and Eq.(44), is the definition of a teleparallel frame. Of course, the unique solution for Eq.(44) is $`\gamma ^\mu =dx^\mu `$, where $`\{x^\mu \}`$ are the coordinate functions of a global Lorentz chart of Minkowski spacetime. Such a *restriction* is a necessary one in our elementary presentation, because otherwise we would need first to study the theory of the covariant derivative of spinor fields, a subject that *simply* cannot be appropriately introduced with the present formalism, thus clearly showing its limitation. Thus, to continue our elementary presentation we need some results of the general theory of the covariant derivatives of spinor fields studied in details in .

Using the results of the previous sections and of the Appendices we can show (,) that the *usual* Dirac equation (,) (which, as well known is written in terms of covariant Dirac spinor fields202020Covariant Dirac spinor fields are defined in an obvious way once we take into account the definition of covariant Dirac spinors given by Eq.(E6) and Eq.(E7) of the Appendix E. See also (,-).) for a representative of a *DHSF* in interaction with an electromagnetic potential $`A:xA(x)^1(^{})𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})`$ is

$$𝐃^s\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\gamma _2\gamma _1m\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\gamma _0+qA\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=0$$
(45)
###### Remark 12

It is important for what follows to have in mind that although each representative $`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}:x\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}(x)𝒞\mathrm{}^0(^{})`$ of a *DHSF* is a sum of nonhomogeneous differential forms, spinor fields are not a sum of nonhomogeneous differential forms. Thus, they are mathematical objects of a nature different212121Not taking this difference into account can lead to misconceptions, as e.g., some appearing in . See our comments in  on that paper. from that of Clifford fields. The crucial difference between a Clifford field, e.g., an electromagnetic potential $`A`$ and a *DHSF* is that $`A`$ is frame independent whereas a *DHSF* is frame dependent.

In the *DHE* the spinor covariant derivative 222222If we use more general frames, that are not Lorentzian coordinate frames, e.g., $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u=\{\gamma ^a\}`$ then $`𝐃^s\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}(x)=\gamma ^a_{e_a}^s\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}(x)=\gamma ^a(e_a+\frac{1}{2}\omega _a)\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}(x)`$, where $`\omega _a`$ is a two form field associated with the spinorial connection, which is zero only for teleparallel frame fields, if they exist. Details in . $`𝐃^s`$ is a first order differential operator, often called the spin-Dirac operator. Let $`_{f_a}^s`$ be the spinor covariant derivative. We have the following representation for $`𝐃^s`$ in an arbitrary orthonormal frame $`\{t^a\}`$ dual of the frame $`\{f_a\}\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e}`$.

$$𝐃^s=t^a_{f_a}^s$$
(46)
In a teleparallel spin (co)frame $`𝐬^{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_u)=\{\gamma ^\mu \}`$ the above equation reduces to

$$𝐃^s=dx^\mu \frac{}{x^\mu }$$
(47)
The spin-Dirac operator in an arbitrary orthonormal frame acts on a product $`(𝒞\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u})`$ where $`𝒞`$ is a Clifford field and $`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ a representative of a *DHSF* (or a Hestenes field) as a *modular derivation* (,), i.e.,

$$𝐃^s(C\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u})=t^a_{f_a}^s(C\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u})=t^a[(_{f_a}C)\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}+C(_{f_a}^s\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u})]$$

Also in Eq.(45) $`m`$ and $`q`$ are real parameters (mass and charge) identifying the elementary fermion described by that equation.232323Note that we used natural unities in which the value of the velocity of light is $`c=1`$ and the value of Planck’s constant is $`\mathrm{}=1`$.

Now, from Eq.(42) we have

$`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}`$ $`=\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}s^1,\text{ }\mathrm{\Xi }_{u\stackrel{´}{}}=s\mathrm{\Xi }_u`$ (48)
$`A`$ $`A`$ (49)
where $`s:xs(x)\mathrm{Spin}^e(^{})𝒞\mathrm{}^0(^{})`$ is to be considered a Clifford field. Consider the case where $`s(x)=s(y)=\mathrm{s}`$, $`x,yM`$. Such equation has a precise meaning due to our restriction to teleparallel frames. We see that the *DHE* is trivially covariant under this kind of transformation, which can be called a *right* gauge transformation.

Returning to the *DHE* we see also that the equation is covariant under active Lorentz gauge transformations, or *left* gauge transformations. Indeed, under an active left Lorentz gauge transformation (without changing the spinorial coframe field) we have,

$`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ $`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}^{}=\mathrm{s}\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u},A\mathrm{s}A\mathrm{s}^1`$
$`𝐃^s\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ $`𝐃\stackrel{´}{}^s\psi \stackrel{´}{}_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=\mathrm{s}𝐃^s\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}.`$ (50)
The justification for the active left Lorentz gauge transformation law $`𝐃^s\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}𝐃\stackrel{´}{}^s\psi \stackrel{´}{}_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=\mathrm{s}𝐃^s\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ is the following.242424A study of active local left Lorentz gauge transformations will be presented elsewhere, for it need the concept of gauge covariant derivatives. The Dirac operator is a 1-form valued derivative operator $`𝐃^s=dx^\mu \frac{}{x^\mu }`$. Then, under an active Lorentz gauge transformation $`\mathrm{s}`$ it must transform like a vector, i.e., $`𝐃^s𝐃\stackrel{´}{}^s=\mathrm{s}dx^\mu \mathrm{s}^1\frac{}{x^\mu }`$.

Note that $`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}^{}`$ is a representative (in the spinorial coframe field $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u`$) of a *new* spinor. Then, it follows, of course, that the representative of the *new* spinor in the spinorial coframe field $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}`$ is

$$\psi \stackrel{´}{}_{\mathrm{\Xi }_{u\stackrel{´}{}}}=\mathrm{s}\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\mathrm{s}^1.$$
(51)
We also recall that the *DHE* is invariant under simultaneous left and right (*constants*) gauge Lorentz transformations. In this case the relevant transformations are

$`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ $`\psi \stackrel{´}{}_{\mathrm{\Xi }_{u\stackrel{´}{}}}=\mathrm{s}\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\mathrm{s}^1,`$
$`A`$ $`\mathrm{s}A\mathrm{s}^1,\text{ }𝐃\stackrel{´}{}^s\psi \stackrel{´}{}_{\mathrm{\Xi }_{u\stackrel{´}{}}}=\mathrm{s}𝐃^s\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\mathrm{s}^1.`$ (52)
## 6 Justification of the Transformation Laws of *DHSF* based on the Fiersz Identities.

We now give another justification for the definition of Dirac spinors and *DHSF* presented in previous sections. We start by recalling that a usual covariant Dirac spinor field determines a set of $`p`$-form fields, called bilinear covariants, which describe the physical contents of a particular solution of the Dirac equation described by that field. The same is true also for a *DHSF*.

In order to present the bilinear covariants using that fields, we introduce first the notion of the Hodge dual operator of a Clifford field $`𝒞:M`$ $`\mathit{϶}`$ $`x𝒞(x)𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})`$. We have

###### Definition 13

The Hodge dual operator is the mapping

$$:𝒞𝒞=\stackrel{~}{𝒞}\gamma _5,$$
(53)
*where* $`\stackrel{~}{𝒞}`$ *is the reverse of* $`𝒞`$ *(*Eq.(A5)*, Appendix A)*.

Then, in terms of a representative of a *DHSF* in the spinorial frame field $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u`$ the bilinear covariants of Dirac theory reads (with $`J=J_\mu \gamma ^\mu `$, $`S=\frac{1}{2}S_{\mu \nu }\gamma ^\mu \gamma ^\nu `$, $`K=K_\mu \gamma ^\mu `$)

$$\begin{array}{ccc}\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\stackrel{~}{\psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=\sigma +\omega \hfill & & \psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\gamma ^0\stackrel{~}{\psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=J\hfill \\ & & \\ \psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\gamma ^1\gamma ^2\stackrel{~}{\psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=S\hfill & & \psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\gamma ^0\gamma ^3\stackrel{~}{\psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=S\hfill \\ & & \\ \psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\gamma ^3\stackrel{~}{\psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=K\hfill & & \psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\gamma ^0\gamma ^1\gamma ^2\stackrel{~}{\psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=K\hfill \end{array}$$
(54)
The so called *Fierz identities* are

$$J^2=\sigma ^2+\omega ^2,JK=0,J^2=K^2,JK=(\omega +K)S$$
(55)
$$\{\begin{array}{ccc}S\mathrm{}J=\omega K\hfill & & S\mathrm{}K=\omega J\hfill \\ (S)\mathrm{}J=\sigma K\hfill & & (S)\mathrm{}K=\sigma J\hfill \\ SS=\sigma ^2\omega ^2\hfill & & (S)S=2\sigma \omega \hfill \end{array}$$
(56)
$$\{\begin{array}{c}JS=(\omega +\sigma )K\hfill \\ SJ=(\omega \sigma )K\hfill \\ KS=(\omega +\sigma )J\hfill \\ SK=(\omega +\sigma )J\hfill \\ S^2=\omega ^2\sigma ^2+2\sigma (\omega )\hfill \\ S^1=KSK/J^4\hfill \end{array}$$
(57)
The proof of these identities using the *DHSF* is almost a triviality and can be done in a few lines. This is not the case if you use covariant Dirac spinor fields (columns matrix fields). In this case you will need to perform several pages of matrix algebra calculations.

The importance of the bilinear covariants is due to the fact that we can recover from them the associate covariant Dirac spinor field (and thus the *DHSF*) except for a phase. This can be done with an algorithm due to Crawford  and presented in a very pedagogical way in .

Let us consider, e.g., the equation $`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\gamma _0\stackrel{~}{\psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=J`$ in (54). Now, $`J(x)^1(^{})𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})`$ is an intrinsic object on Minkowski spacetime and according to the accepted first quantization interpretation theory of the Dirac equation, $`qJ`$ represents the electromagnetic current generated by an elementary fermion. The expression of $`J`$ in terms of the representative of a *DHSF* in the spinorial coframe $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}`$ is (of course)

$$\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}\gamma _0^{}\stackrel{~}{\psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}=J.$$
(58)
Now, since

$$\gamma _0^{}=(u^1u)\gamma _0(u^1u)^1,$$
(59)
we see that we must have

$$\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}=\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}(u^1u)^1,$$
(60)
which justifies the definition of *DHSF* given above (see Eq.(40)).

We observe also that if $`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\stackrel{~}{\psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=\sigma +\omega 0`$, then we can write

$$\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=\rho ^{\frac{1}{2}}e^{\frac{1}{2}\beta \gamma ^5}R,$$
(61)
where $`xM,`$

$`\rho (x)`$ $`{\displaystyle ^0}(^{})𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})`$
$`\beta (x)`$ $`{\displaystyle ^0}(^{})𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})`$ (62)
$`R`$ $`\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}^e(^{})𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})`$
With this result the current $`J`$ can be written

$$J=\rho v$$
(63)
with $`v=R\gamma ^0R^1`$. Eq.(63) discloses the secret geometrical meaning of DHSF. These objects *rotate* and *dilate* vector fields, this being the reason why they are sometimes called *operator* spinors (-,).

## 7 Dirac Equation in Terms of *ASF*

We recall from Eq.(D2) of Appendix D that

$$\mathrm{e}_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}^{}=\frac{1}{2}(1+\gamma _3\gamma _0)$$
(64)
is also a primitive idempotent field (here understood as a Hestenes spinor field) that is algebraically, but not geometrically equivalent to the idempotent field $`\mathrm{e}_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=\frac{1}{2}(1+\gamma _0)`$. Let $`I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}^{}=𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})\mathrm{e}_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}^{}`$ be a minimal left ideal generated by $`\mathrm{e}_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}^{}`$. Now, multiply the *DHE* (Eq.(45)) on the left, first by the primitive idempotent $`\mathrm{e}_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ and then by the primitive idempotent $`\mathrm{e}_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}^{}`$. We get after some algebra

$$𝐃^s\mathrm{\Phi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}m\mathrm{\Phi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}(1)+qA\mathrm{\Phi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=0,$$
(65)
where $`1=\gamma _5`$ is the oriented volume element of Minkowski spacetime and

$$\mathrm{\Phi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\mathrm{e}_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\mathrm{e}_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}^{}I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}^{}=𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})\mathrm{e}_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}^{}$$
(66)
Eq.(65) is one of the many *faces* of the original equation found by Dirac in terms of *ASF* and using teleparallel orthonormal frames.

Of course, Eq. (65), as it is the case of the *DHE* (Eq.(45)) is compatible with the transformation law of *ASF* that follows directly from the transformation law of *AS* given in section 2. In contrast to the *DHE,* in Eq.(65) there seems to be no explicit reference to elements of a spinorial coframe field (except for the indices $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u`$) since $`1`$, the volume element is invariant under (Lorentz) gauge transformations. We emphasize also that the transformation law for *ASF* is compatible with the presentation of Fierz identities using these objects, as the interested reader can verify without difficulty.

## 8 Misunderstandings Concerning Coordinate Representations of the Dirac and Dirac-Hestenes Equations.

We investigate now some subtleties of the Dirac and Dirac Hestenes equations. We start by point out and clarifying some misunderstandings that often appears in the literature of the subject of the *DHE* when that equation is presented in terms of a representative of a *DHSF* in a global coordinate chart $`(M,\phi )`$ of the maximal atlas of $`M`$ with Lorentz coordinate functions $`x^\mu `$ associated to it (see, e.g., ). In that case, $`𝐬^{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_u)=\{\gamma ^\mu =dx^\mu \}`$. After that we study the (usual) matrix representation of Dirac equation and show how it hides many features that are only visible in the *DHE*.

Let $`\{e_\mu =\frac{}{x^\mu }\}`$ and $`\{e_\mu ^{}=\frac{}{x^\mu }\}`$. The spinorial coframe fields $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u`$ and $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}`$ (as defined in the previous section) are associated to the coordinate bases (dual basis) $`𝐬^{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_u)=\{\gamma ^\mu =dx^\mu \}`$and $`𝐬^{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{})=\{\gamma ^{}_{}{}^{}\mu =dx^\mu \}`$, corresponding to the global Lorentz charts $`(M,\phi )`$ and $`(M,\phi ^{})`$. The *DHE* is written in the charts $`x^\mu `$ and $`x^\mu `$ as

$`\gamma ^\mu ({\displaystyle \frac{}{x^\mu }}𝚿_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}+qA_\mu 𝚿_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\gamma _1\gamma _2)\gamma _2\gamma _1m𝚿_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\gamma _0`$ $`=0,`$
$`\gamma ^\mu ({\displaystyle \frac{}{x^\mu }}𝚿_{\mathrm{\Xi }_{u\stackrel{´}{}}}^{}+qA_\mu ^{}𝚿_{\mathrm{\Xi }_{u\stackrel{´}{}}}\gamma _1^{}\gamma _2^{})\gamma _2^{}\gamma _1^{}m𝚿_{\mathrm{\Xi }_{u\stackrel{´}{}}}\gamma _0^{}`$ $`=0,`$ (67)
where $`𝐃^s=\gamma ^\mu \frac{}{x^\mu }=\gamma ^\mu \frac{}{x^\mu }`$ and where $`(𝚿_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u},A_\mu )`$ and $`(𝚿_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}},A_\mu ^{})`$ are the coordinate representations of $`(\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u},A)`$ and $`(\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}},A)`$, i.e., for any $`xM`$, we have

$`A`$ $`=A_\mu ^{^{}}(x^{}_{}{}^{}\mu )dx^\mu =A_\mu (x^\mu )dx^\mu `$
$`A_\mu ^{}(x^0,x^1,x^2,x^3)`$ $`=𝐋_\mu ^\nu A_\nu (x^0,x^1,x^2,x^3),`$
$`(𝚿_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}U^1)|_{(x^0(x),x^1(x),x^2(x),x^3(x))}`$ $`=(𝚿_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}U^1)|_{(x^0(x),x^1(x),x^2(x),x^3(x))},`$ (68)
with $`U`$ and $`U^{}`$ the coordinate representations of $`u`$ and $`u^{}`$ (see Eq.(42)) and $`L_\mu ^\nu `$ is an appropriate Lorentz transformation.

Now, taking into account that the complexification of the algebra $`𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})`$, i.e., $`𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})`$ is isomorphic to the Dirac algebra $`_{4.1}`$ (Appendix C), we can think of all the objects appearing in Eqs.(67) as having values also in $`𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})`$. Multiply then, both sides of each one of the Eqs.(67) by the following primitive idempotents fields252525Considered as complexified Hestenes spinor fields (see Definition 8). of $`𝒞\mathrm{}(^{})`$ (see Eq.(D14) of Appendix D)

$`f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(1+\gamma ^0){\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(1+i\gamma ^1\gamma ^2),`$
$`f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(1+\gamma ^0){\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(1+i\gamma ^1\gamma ^2).`$ (69)
Next, look for a matrix representation in $`(4)`$ of the resulting equations. We get (using the notation of Appendix D),

$`\underset{¯}{\gamma }^\mu \left(i{\displaystyle \frac{}{x^\mu }}+qA_\mu (x^\mu )\right)𝚿(x^\mu )m𝚿(x^\mu )`$ $`=0,`$ (70)
$`\underset{¯}{\gamma }^\mu \left(i{\displaystyle \frac{}{x^\mu }}+qA_\mu ^{}(x^\mu )\right)𝚿^{}(x^\mu )m𝚿^{}(x^\mu )`$ $`=0,`$ (71)
where $`𝚿(x^\mu ),𝚿^{}(x^\mu )`$ are the matrix representations (Eq.(D15), Appendix D) of $`𝚿_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$ and $`𝚿_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}`$. The matrix representations of the spinors are related by an equation analogous to Eq.(E2) of Appendix E, except that now, these equations refer to fields. The $`\{\underset{¯}{\gamma }^\mu \}`$, $`\mu =0,1,2,3`$ is the set of Dirac matrices given by Eq.(D13) of Appendix D. Of course, we arrived at the usual form of the Dirac equation, except for the irrelevant fact that in general the Dirac spinor is usually represented by a column spinor field, and here we end with a $`4\times 4`$ matrix field, which however has non null elements only in the first column.262626The reader can verify without great difficulty that Eq.(65) also has a matrix representation analogous to Eq.(71) but with a set of gamma matrices differing from the set $`\{\underset{¯}{\gamma }^\mu \}`$ by a similarity transformation.

Eq.(70), that is the usual presentation of Dirac equation in Physics textbooks, hides several important facts. First, it hides the basic dependence of the spinor fields on the spinorial frame field, since the spinorial frames $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u`$, $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}`$ are such that $`𝐬^{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_u)`$ $`=\{\gamma ^\mu \}`$ and $`𝐬^{}(\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{})=\{\gamma ^\mu \}`$ are mapped on the same set of matrices, namely $`\{\underset{¯}{\gamma }^\mu \}`$. Second, it hides an obvious geometrical meaning of the theory, as first disclosed by Hestenes (,). Third, taking into account the discussion in a previous section, we see that the usual presentation of Dirac equation does not leave clear at all if we are talking about *passive* or *active* Lorentz gauge transformations. Finally, since diffeomorphisms on the world manifold are in general erroneous associated with coordinate transformations in many Physics textbooks, Eq.(70) suggests that spinors must change under diffeomorphisms in a way different from the true one, for indeed Dirac spinor fields (and also, DHSF) are scalars under diffeomorphisms, an issue that we will discuss in another publication.

## 9 Conclusions

In this paper we investigated how to define algebraic and Dirac-Hestenes spinor fields on Minkowski spacetime. We showed first, that in general, algebraic spinors can be defined for any  real vector space of any dimension and equipped with a non degenerated metric of arbitrary signature, but that is not the case for Dirac-Hestenes spinors. These objects exist for a four dimensional real vector space equipped with a metric of Lorentzian signature. It is this fact that make them very important objects (and gave us the desire to present a rigorous mathematical theory for them), since as shown in sections 5 and 7 the Dirac equation can be written in terms of Dirac-Hestenes spinor fields or algebraic spinor fields. We observe that our definitions of algebraic and Dirac-Hestenes spinor fields as some equivalence classes in appropriate sets are not the standard ones and the core of the paper was to give genuine motivations for them. We observe moreover that the definitions of Dirac-Hestenes spinor fields and of the spin-Dirac operator given in section 5 although correct are to be considered only as *preliminaries*. The reason is that any rigorous presentation of the theory of the spin-Dirac operator (an in particular, on a general Riemann-Cartan spacetime) can only be given after the introduction of the concepts of Clifford and spin-Clifford bundles over these spacetimes. This is studied in a sequel paper . In  we show some non trivial applications of the concept of Dirac-Hestenes spinor fields by proving (mathematical) Maxwell-Dirac equivalences of the first and second kinds and showing how these equivalences can eventually put some light on a possible physical interpretation of the famous Seiberg-Witten equations for Minkowski spacetime.

Noted added in proof : After we finished the writing of the present paper and of , we learned about the very interesting papers by Marchuck (-). There, a different point of view concerning the writing of the Dirac equation using tensor fields272727Paper , indeed, use a particular case of objects that we called extensors in a recent series of papers . is developed. We will discuss Marchuck papers on another place.

Acknowledgments: The author is grateful to Doctors V. V. Fernández, A. Jadczyk, P. Lounesto, D. Miralles, A. M. Moya, I. Porteous and J. Vaz, Jr. and specially to R. A. Mosna for discussions and to F. G. Rodrigues for help with latex. The author is also grateful grateful to CNPq (Brazil) for a generous research grant (contract 201560/82-8). Thanks are also due to the Department of Mathematical Sciences of the University of Liverpool (where part of this research was done) for providing a Visiting Professor position and an enjoyable atmosphere for research. The paper is dedicated to the memory of the late P. Lounesto which collaborated with the author on the past on the subject of this paper and from whom he learned a lot about the theory of Cllifford algebras.

## Appendix A Some Features about Real and Complex Clifford Algebras

In this Appendix we fix the notations that we used and introduce the main ideas concerning the theory of Clifford algebras necessary for the intelligibility of the paper.

### A.1 Definition of the Clifford Algebra $`𝒞\mathrm{}(𝐕,𝐛)`$

In this paper we are interested only in Clifford algebras of a vector space282828We reserve the notation $`V`$ for real vector spaces. $`𝐕`$ of finite dimension $`n`$ over a field $`𝔽=`$ or $``$. Let $`𝐪:𝐕𝔽`$ be a non degenerate quadratic form over $`𝐕`$ with values in $`𝔽`$ and $`𝐛:𝐕\times 𝐕𝔽`$ the associated bilinear form (which we call a *metric* in the case $`𝔽=`$). We use the notation

$$xy=𝐛(x,y)=\frac{1}{2}(𝐪(x+y)𝐪(x)𝐪(y)$$
(72)
Let $`𝐕=\underset{i=0}{\overset{n}{}}^i𝐕`$ be the exterior algebra of $`𝐕`$ where $`^i𝐕`$ is the$`\left(\stackrel{𝑛}{i}\right)`$ dimensional space of the $`i`$-vectors. $`^0𝐕`$ is identified with $`𝔽`$ and $`^1𝐕`$ is identified with $`𝐕`$. The dimension of $`𝐕`$ is $`2^n`$. A general element $`X𝐕`$ is called a *multivector* and be written as

$$X=\underset{i=0}{\overset{n}{}}X_i,\text{ }X_i^i𝐕,$$
(73)
where

$$_i:𝐕^i𝐕$$
(74)
is the projector in $`^i𝐕`$, also called the $`i`$-part of $`X`$.

###### Definition 14

The main involution or *grade* involution is an automorphism

$$\mathrm{^}:𝐕𝐗\widehat{𝐗}𝐕$$
(75)
such that

$$\widehat{X}=\underset{k=0}{\overset{n}{}}(1)^kX_k.$$
(76)
$`\widehat{X}`$ *is called the grade involution of* $`X`$ *or simply the involuted of* $`X`$*.*

###### Definition 15

The reversion operator is the anti-automorphism

$$\mathrm{~}:𝐕𝐗\stackrel{~}{𝐗}𝐕$$
(77)
*such that*

$$\stackrel{~}{X}=\underset{k=0}{\overset{n}{}}(1)^{\frac{1}{2}k(k1)}X_k,$$
(78)
$`\stackrel{~}{X}`$ *is called the reverse of* $`X`$.

The composition of the grade evolution with the reversion operator, denote by $``$ is called by some authors (e.g., ,,) the *conjugation* and, $`\overline{X}`$ is called the *conjugate* of $`X`$. We have $`\overline{X}=(\stackrel{~}{X})=(\widehat{X})`$.

Since the grade and reversion operators are involutions on the vector space of multivectors, we have that $`\widehat{\widehat{X}}=X`$ and $`\stackrel{~}{\stackrel{~}{X}}=X`$. both involutions commute with the $`k`$-part operator, i.e., $`\widehat{X_k}=\widehat{X}_k`$ and $`\stackrel{~}{X_k}=\stackrel{~}{X}_k`$, for each $`k=0,1,\mathrm{},n`$.

###### Definition 16

The exterior product of multivectors $`X`$ and $`Y`$ is defined by

$$XY_k=\underset{j=0}{\overset{k}{}}X_jY_{kj},$$
(79)
*for each* $`k=0,1,\mathrm{},n`$*. Note that on the right side there appears the exterior product*292929We assume that the reader is familiar with the exterior algebra. We only caution that there are some different definitions of the exterior product in terms of the tensor product differing by numerical factors. This may lead to some confusions, if care is not taken. Details can be found in (,). *of* $`j`$*-vectors and (*$`kj`$*)-vectors with* $`0jn`$.

This exterior product is an *internal* composition law on $`𝐕`$. It is associative and satisfies the distributives laws (on the left and on the right).

###### Definition 17

The vector space $`𝐕`$ endowed with this exterior product $``$ is an associative algebra called the exterior algebra of multivectors.

We recall now some of the most important properties of the exterior algebra of multivectors:

For any $`\alpha ,\beta 𝔽,`$ $`X𝐕`$

$`\alpha \beta `$ $`=\beta \alpha =\alpha \beta \text{ (product of }𝔽\text{ numbers)}`$
$`\alpha X`$ $`=X\alpha =\alpha X\text{ (multiplication by scalars)}`$ (80)
For any $`X_j^j𝐕`$ and $`Y_k^k𝐕`$

$$X_jY_k=(1)^{jk}Y_kX_j.$$
(81)
For any $`X,Y𝐕`$

$`\widehat{XY}`$ $`=\widehat{X}\widehat{Y},`$
$`\stackrel{~}{XY}`$ $`=\stackrel{~}{X}\stackrel{~}{Y}.`$ (82)
### A.2 Scalar product of multivectors

###### Definition 18

A scalar product between the multivectors $`X,Y𝐕`$ is given by

$$XY=\underset{i=0}{\overset{n}{}}X_iY_i,$$
(83)
*where* $`X_0Y_0=X_0Y_0`$ *is the multiplication in the field* $`𝔽`$ *and* $`X_iY_i`$ *is given by Eq.(A2), and writing*

$`X_k`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{1}{k!}}X^{i_1i_2\mathrm{}i_k}b_{i_1}b_{i_2}\mathrm{}b_{i_k},`$
$`Y_k`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{1}{k!}}Y^{i_1i_2\mathrm{}i_k}b_{i_1}b_{i_2}\mathrm{}b_{i_k}`$ (84)
*where* $`\left\{b_k\right\},k=1,2,\mathrm{},n`$ *is an arbitrary basis of* $`𝐕`$ *we have*

$$X_kY_k=\frac{1}{(k!)^2}X^{i_1i_2\mathrm{}i_k}Y^{j_1j_2\mathrm{}j_k}(b_{i_1}b_{i_2}\mathrm{}b_{i_k})(b_{j_1}b_{j_2}\mathrm{}b_{j_k}),$$
(85)
*with*

$$(b_{i_1}b_{i_2}\mathrm{}b_{i_k})(b_{j_1}b_{j_2}\mathrm{}b_{j_k})=\left|\begin{array}{cccc}b_{i_1}b_{j_1}& \mathrm{}& \mathrm{}& b_{i_1}b_{j_k}\\ \mathrm{}\mathrm{}\mathrm{}& \mathrm{}& \mathrm{}& \mathrm{}\mathrm{}\mathrm{}\\ \mathrm{}\mathrm{}\mathrm{}& \mathrm{}& \mathrm{}& \mathrm{}\mathrm{}\mathrm{}\\ b_{i_k}b_{j_1}& \mathrm{}& \mathrm{}& b_{i_k}b_{j_k}\end{array}\right|.$$
(86)
It is easy to see that for any $`X,Y𝐕`$

$`\widehat{X}Y`$ $`=X\widehat{Y},`$
$`\stackrel{~}{X}Y`$ $`=X\stackrel{~}{Y}.`$ (87)
###### Remark 19

Observe that the definition of the scalar product given in this paper by Eq.(A12) differs by a signal from the scalar product of multivectors defined, e.g., in . Our definition is a *natural* one if we start the theory with the euclidean Clifford algebra of multivectors of a real vector space V. The euclidean Clifford algebra is fundamental for the construction of the theory of extensors and extensor fields (,,,,,,).

### A.3 Interior Algebras

###### Definition 20

We define two different *contracted products* for arbitrary multivectors $`X,Y𝐕`$ by

$`(X\mathrm{}Y)Z`$ $`=Y(\stackrel{~}{X}Z),`$
$`(X\mathrm{}Y)`$ $`=X(Z\stackrel{~}{Y}),`$ (88)
where $`Z𝐕`$. The internal composition rules $`\mathrm{}`$ *and* $`\mathrm{}`$ *will be called respectively the left and the right contracted product.*

These contracted products $`\mathrm{}`$ and $`\mathrm{}`$ are internal laws on $`𝐕`$. Both contract products satisfy the distributive laws (on the left and on the right) but they are *not* associative.

###### Definition 21

The vector space $`𝐕`$ endowed with each one of these contracted products (either $`\mathrm{}`$ or $`\mathrm{}`$) is a non-associative algebra. They are called the interior algebras of multivectors.

We present now some of the most important properties of the interior products:

(a) For any $`\alpha ,\beta 𝔽,`$ and $`X𝐕`$

$`\alpha \mathrm{}\beta `$ $`=\alpha \mathrm{}\beta =\alpha \beta \text{ (product in }𝔽\text{),}`$
$`\alpha \mathrm{}X`$ $`=X\mathrm{}\alpha =\alpha X\text{ (multiplication by scalars).}`$ (89)
(b) For any $`X_j^j𝐕`$ and $`Y_k^k𝐕`$ with $`jk`$

$$X_j\mathrm{}Y_k=(1)^{j(kj)}Y_k\mathrm{}X_j.$$
(90)
(c) For any $`X_j^j𝐕`$ and $`Y_k^k𝐕`$

$`X_j\mathrm{}Y_k`$ $`=0,\text{ if }j>k,`$
$`X_j\mathrm{}Y_k`$ $`=0,\text{ if }j<k.`$ (91)
(d) For any $`X_k,Y_k^k𝐕`$

$$X_j\mathrm{}Y_k=X_j\mathrm{}Y_k=\stackrel{~}{X}_kY_k=X_k\stackrel{~}{Y}_k.$$
(92)
(e) For any $`v𝐕`$ and $`X,Y𝐕`$

$$v\mathrm{}(XY)=(v\mathrm{}X)Y+\widehat{X}(v\mathrm{}Y).$$
(93)
### A.4 Clifford Algebra $`𝒞\mathrm{}(𝐕,𝐛)`$

###### Definition 22

The *Clifford product* of multivectors $`X`$ and $`Y`$ (denoted by juxtaposition) is given by the following axiomatic:

(i) For all $`\alpha 𝔽`$ and $`X𝐕:\alpha X=X\alpha `$ equals multiplication of multivector $`X`$ by scalar $`\alpha `$.

(ii) For all $`v𝐕`$ and $`X𝐕:vX=v\mathrm{}X+vX`$ and $`Xv=X\mathrm{}v+Xv`$.

(iii) For all $`X,Y,Z𝐕:X(YZ)=(XY)Z`$.

The Clifford product is an internal law on $`𝐕`$. It is associative (by the axiom (iii)) and satisfies the distributives laws (on the left and on the right). The distributive laws follow from the corresponding distributive laws of the contracted and exterior products.

###### Definition 23

The vector space of multivectors over V endowed with the Clifford product is an associative algebra with unity called $`𝒞\mathrm{}(𝐕,𝐛)`$.

### A.5 Relation Between the Exterior and the Clifford Algebras and the Tensor Algebra

Modern algebra books give the

###### Definition 24

The exterior algebra of $`𝐕`$ is the quotient algebra $`𝐕=T(𝐕)/I`$, where $`T(𝐕)`$ is the tensor algebra of $`𝐕`$ and $`IT(𝐕)`$ is the bilateral ideal generated by the elements of the form $`𝐱𝐱,`$ $`𝐱𝐕`$.

###### Definition 25

The Clifford algebra of $`(𝐕,𝐛)`$ is the quotient algebra $`𝒞\mathrm{}(𝐕,𝐛)=T(𝐕)/I_b`$, where $`I_b`$ is the bilateral ideal generated by the elements of the form $`𝐱𝐱\mathrm{𝟐}𝐛(𝐱,𝐱),`$ $`𝐱𝐕`$.

We can show that this definition is equivalent to the one given above303030When the exterior algebra is defined as $`𝐕=T(𝐕)/I`$ and the Clifford algebra as $`𝒞\mathrm{}(𝐕,𝐛)=T(𝐕)/I_𝐛`$, the (associative) exterior product of the multivectors in the terms of the tensor product of these multivectors is fixed once and for all. We have, e.g., that for $`x,y𝐕,`$ $`xy=\frac{1}{2}(xyyx)`$. However, keep in mind that it possible to define an (associative) exterior product in $`𝐕`$ differing from the above one by numerical factors, and indeed in (,,,,,,) we used another choice. When reading a text on the subject it is a good idea to have in mind the definition used by the author, for otherwise confusion may result.. The space $`𝐕`$ is naturally *embedded* on $`𝒞\mathrm{}(𝐕,𝐛)`$, i.e.,

$`𝐕\stackrel{𝑖}{}T(𝐕)\stackrel{𝑗}{}T(𝐕)/I_𝐛`$ $`=𝒞\mathrm{}(𝐕,𝐛),`$
$`\text{and }𝐕`$ $`ji(𝐕)𝒞\mathrm{}(𝐕,𝐛).`$ (94)
Let $`𝒞\mathrm{}^0(𝐕,𝐛)`$ and $`𝒞\mathrm{}^1(𝐕,𝐛)`$ be respectively the $`j`$-images of $`_{i=0}^{\mathrm{}}T^{2i}(𝐕)`$ and $`_{i=0}^{\mathrm{}}T^{2i+1}(𝐕)`$ in $`𝒞\mathrm{}(𝐕,𝐛)`$. The elements of $`𝒞\mathrm{}^0(𝐕,𝐛)`$ form a sub-algebra of $`𝒞\mathrm{}(𝐕,𝐛)`$ called the even sub-algebra of $`𝒞\mathrm{}(𝐕,𝐛)`$. Also, there is a canonical vector isomorphism313131The isomorphism is compatible with the filtrations of the filtered algebra $`𝕍`$, i.e., $`\left(^r𝕍\right)\left(^s𝕍\right)^{r+s}𝕍`$. $`𝐕𝒞\mathrm{}(𝐕,𝐛)`$, which permits to speak of the embeddings $`^p𝐕𝒞\mathrm{}(𝐕,𝐛)`$, $`0pn`$, where $`n`$ is the dimension of $`𝐕`$ ().

### A.6 Some Useful Properties of the Real Clifford Algebras $`𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)`$

We now collect some useful formulas which hold for a real Clifford algebra $`𝒞\mathrm{}(V,𝐠)`$ and which has been used in calculations in the text and Appendices323232As the reader can verify, many of these properties are also valid for the complex Clifford algebras..

For any $`vV`$ and $`XV`$

$`v\mathrm{}X`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(vX\overline{X}v)\text{ and }X\mathrm{}v={\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(Xvv\overline{X}),`$
$`vX`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(vX+\overline{X}v)\text{ and }Xv={\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(Xv+v\overline{X}).`$ (95)
For any $`X,YV`$

$$XY=\stackrel{~}{X}Y_0=X\stackrel{~}{Y}_0.$$
(96)
For any $`X,Y,ZV`$

$`(XY)Z`$ $`=Y(\stackrel{~}{X}Z)=X(Z\stackrel{~}{Y}),`$
$`X(YZ)`$ $`=(\stackrel{~}{Y}X)Z=(X\stackrel{~}{Z})Y.`$ (97)
For any $`X,YV`$

$`\overline{XY}`$ $`=\overline{X}\overline{Y},`$
$`\stackrel{~}{XY}`$ $`=\stackrel{~}{Y}\stackrel{~}{X}.`$ (98)
Let $`I^nV`$ then for any $`vV`$ and $`XV`$

$$I(vX)=(1)^{n1}v\mathrm{}(IX).$$
(99)
Eq.(A22) is sometimes called the *duality* identity and plays an important role in the applications involving the Hodge dual operator (see Eq.(53)).

For any $`X,Y,ZV`$

$`X\mathrm{}(YZ)`$ $`=(XY)\mathrm{}Z,`$
$`(X\mathrm{}Y)\mathrm{}Z`$ $`=X\mathrm{}(YZ).`$ (100)
For any $`X,YV`$

$$XY=\stackrel{~}{X}Y_0$$
(101)
For333333We observe also that when $`K=`$ and the quadratic form is euclidean then $`XY`$ is positive definite. $`X_r^rV,`$ $`Y_s^sV`$ we have

$$X_rY_s=X_rY_s_{\left|rs\right|}+X_rY_s_{\left|rs\right|+2}+\mathrm{}+X_rY_s_{r+s}.$$
(102)
## Appendix B Representation Theory of the Real Clifford Algebras $`_{p,q}`$

The real Clifford algebras $`_{p,q}`$ are associative algebras and they are simple or semi-simple algebras. For the intelligibility of the present paper, it is then necessary to have in mind some results concerning the presentation theory of associative algebras, which we collect in what follows, without presenting proofs.

### B.1 Some Results from the Representation Theory of Associative Algebras.

Let $`𝐕`$ be a set and $`𝕂`$ a division ring. Give to the set $`𝐕`$ a structure of *finite* dimensional linear space over $`𝕂`$. Suppose that $`dim_𝕂𝐕=n`$, where $`n`$. We are interested in what follows in the cases where $`𝕂=,`$ $``$ or $``$. When $`𝕂=,`$ $``$ or $``$, we call $`𝐕`$ a *vector space* over $`𝕂`$. When $`𝕂=`$ it is necessary to distinguish between right or left $``$-linear spaces and in this case $`𝐕`$ will be called a right or left $``$-module. Recall that $``$ is a division ring (sometimes called a noncommutative field or a skew field) and since $``$ has a natural vector space structure over the real field, then $``$ is also a division algebra.

Let $`dim_{}𝐕=2m=n`$. In this case it is possible to give the

###### Definition 26

A linear mapping

$$𝐉:𝐕𝐕$$
(B1)
*such that*

$$𝐉^2=\mathrm{I}\text{d}_𝐕,$$
(B2)
*is called a complex structure mapping*.

###### Definition 27

The pair $`(𝐕,𝐉)`$ will be called a complex vector space structure and denote by $`𝐕_{}`$ if the following product holds. Let $`z=a+ib`$ and let $`𝐯𝐕`$. Then

$$z𝐯=(a+ib)𝐯=a𝐯+b\mathrm{𝐉𝐯}.$$
(B3)
It is obvious that $`dim_{}=\frac{m}{2}`$.

###### Definition 28

Let $`𝐕`$ be a vector space over $``$. A *complexification* of $`𝐕`$ is a complex structure associated with the real vector space $`𝐕𝐕`$. The resulting complex vector space is denoted by $`𝐕^{}`$. Let $`𝐯,𝐰𝐕`$. Elements of $`𝐕^{}`$ are usually denoted by $`𝐜=𝐯+i𝐰`$, and if $`z=a+ib`$ we have

$$z𝐜=a𝐯b𝐰+i(a𝐰+b𝐯).$$
(B4)
Of course, we have that $`dim_{}𝐕^{}=dim_{}𝐕`$.

###### Definition 29

A $``$-module is a real vector space $`𝐕`$ carrying three linear transformation, $`𝐈`$, $`\mathrm{J}`$ and $`𝐊`$ each one of them satisfying

$`𝐈^2`$ $`=𝐉^2=𝐈\text{d}_𝐒,`$
$`\mathrm{𝐈𝐉}`$ $`=\mathrm{𝐉𝐈}=𝐊,\text{ }\mathrm{𝐉𝐊}=\mathrm{𝐊𝐉}=𝐈,\text{ }\mathrm{𝐊𝐈}=\mathrm{𝐈𝐊}=𝐉.`$ (B5)
###### Definition 30

Any subset $`I𝒜`$ such that

$$a\psi I,a𝒜,\text{ }\psi I,$$

$$\psi +\varphi I,\psi ,\varphi I$$
(B6)
*is called a left ideal of* $`𝒜`$.

###### Remark 31

An analogous definition holds for *right* ideals where Eq.(B6) reads $`\psi aI,a𝒜,`$ $`\psi I`$, for *bilateral* ideals where in this case Eq.(B6) reads $`a\psi bI,a,b𝒜,`$ $`\psi I`$.

###### Definition 32

An associative $`𝒜`$ algebra on the *field* $`𝔽`$ $`(`$ or $`)`$ is *simple* if the only bilateral ideals are the zero ideal and $`𝒜`$ itself.

We give without proofs the following theorems.

###### Theorem 33

All minimal left (respectively right) ideals of $`𝒜`$ are of the form $`J=𝒜\mathrm{e}`$ (respectively e$`𝒜`$), where e is a primitive idempotent of $`𝒜`$.

###### Theorem 34

Two minimal left ideals of $`𝒜`$, $`J=𝒜\mathrm{e}`$ and $`J=𝒜\mathrm{e}^{}`$ are *isomorphic* if and only if there exist a non null $`X^{}J^{}`$ such that $`J^{}=JX^{}`$.

We recall that e$`𝒜`$ is an *idempotent* element if e$`{}_{}{}^{2}=\mathrm{e}`$. An idempotent is said to be *primitive* if it cannot be written as the sum of two non zero annihilating (or orthogonal) idempotent, i.e., $`\mathrm{e}`$ $``$ $`\mathrm{e}_1+\mathrm{e}_2`$, with $`\mathrm{e}_1\mathrm{e}_2=\mathrm{e}_2\mathrm{e}_1=0`$ and $`\mathrm{e}_1^2=\mathrm{e}_1,`$ $`\mathrm{e}_2^2=\mathrm{e}_2`$.

Not all algebras are simple and in particular *semi-simple* algebras are important for our considerations. A definition of semi simple algebras requires the introduction of the concepts of *nilpotent* ideals and radicals. To define these concepts adequately would lead us to a long incursion on the theory of associative algebras, so we avoid to do that here. We only quote that semi-simple algebras are the direct sum of simple algebras. Then, the study of semi-simple algebras is reduced to the study of simple algebras.

Now, let $`𝒜`$ be an associative and simple algebra on the *field*$`𝔽`$ $`(`$ or $`)`$, and let $`𝐒`$ be a finite dimensional linear space over a division ring $`𝕂𝔽`$.

###### Definition 35

A *representation* of $`𝒜`$ in $`𝐒`$ is a $`𝕂`$ algebra homomorphism343434We recall that a $`𝕂`$-algebra homomorphism is a $`𝕂`$-linear map $`\rho `$ such that $`X,Y𝒜,`$ $`\rho (XY)=\rho (X)\rho (Y)`$. $`\rho :𝒜𝐄=\mathrm{End}_𝕂𝐒`$ ($`𝐄=\mathrm{End}_𝕂𝐒=\mathrm{Hom}_𝕂(𝐒,𝐒)`$ is the endomorphism algebra of $`𝐒`$) which maps the unit element of $`𝒜`$ to $`𝐈\mathrm{d}_𝐄`$. the dimension $`𝕂`$ of $`𝐒`$ is called the *degree* of the representation.

The addition in $`𝐒`$ together with the mapping $`𝒜\times 𝐒𝐒`$, $`(a,x)\rho (a)x`$ turns $`𝐒`$ in a left $`𝒜`$-module353535We recall that there are left and right modules, so we can also define right modular representations of $`𝒜`$ by defining the mapping $`𝐒\times 𝒜𝐒`$, $`(x,a)x\rho (a)`$. This turns $`𝐒`$ in a right $`𝒜`$-module, called the right *representation module*., called the left *representation module*.

###### Remark 36

It is important to recall that when $`𝕂=`$ the usual recipe for $`\mathrm{Hom}_{}(𝐒,𝐒)`$ to be a linear space over $``$ fails and in general $`\mathrm{Hom}_{}(𝐒,𝐒)`$ is considered as a linear space over $``$, which is the centre of $``$.

###### Remark 37

We also have that if $`𝒜`$ is an algebra over $`𝔽`$ and $`𝐒`$ is an $`𝒜`$-module, then $`𝐒`$ can always be considered as a vector space over $`𝔽`$ and if $`e𝒜`$, the mapping $`\chi :a\chi _a`$ with $`\chi _a(𝐬)=a𝐬,`$ $`𝐬𝐒`$, is a homomorphism $`𝒜𝐄=\mathrm{End}_𝔽𝐒`$, and so it is a representation of $`𝒜`$ in $`𝐒`$. The study of $`𝒜`$ modules is then equivalent to the study of the $`𝔽`$ representations of $`𝒜`$.

###### Definition 38

A representation $`\rho `$ is *faithful* if its kernel is zero, i.e., $`\rho (a)x=0,x𝐒a=0`$. The kernel of $`\rho `$ is also known as the *annihilator* of its module.

###### Definition 39

$`\rho `$ is said to be *simple* or irreducible if the only invariant subspaces of $`\rho (a),`$ $`a𝒜`$, are $`𝐒`$ and $`\left\{0\right\}`$.

Then, the representation module is also simple. That means that it has no proper submodules.

###### Definition 40

$`\rho `$ is said to be *semi-simple*, if it is the direct sum of simple modules, and in this case $`𝐒`$ is the direct sum of subspaces which are globally invariant under $`\rho (a),`$ $`a𝒜`$.

When no confusion arises $`\rho (a)x`$ may be denoted by $`ax,`$ $`ax`$ or $`ax`$.

###### Definition 41

Two $`𝒜`$-modules $`𝐒`$ and $`𝐒^{}`$ (with the exterior multiplication being denoted respectively by $``$ and $``$) are *isomorphic* if there exists a bijection $`\phi :𝐒𝐒^{}`$ such that,

$`\phi (x+y)`$ $`=\phi (x)+\phi (y),\text{ }x,y𝐒,`$
$`\phi (ax)`$ $`=a\phi (x),\text{ }a𝒜,`$
*and we say that representation* $`\rho `$ *and* $`\rho ^{}`$ *of* $`𝒜`$ *are equivalent if their modules are isomorphic.*

This implies the existence of a $`𝕂`$-linear isomorphism $`\phi :𝐒𝐒^{}`$ such that $`\phi \rho (a)=\rho ^{}(a)\phi ,`$ $`a𝒜`$ or $`\rho ^{}(a)=\phi \rho (a)\phi ^1`$. If $`dim𝐒=n`$, then $`dim𝐒^{}=n`$.

###### Definition 42

A *complex representation* of $`𝒜`$ is simply a real representation $`\rho :𝒜\mathrm{Hom}_{}(𝐒,𝐒)`$ for which

$$\rho (X)𝐉=𝐉\rho (X),\text{ }X𝒜.$$
(B7)
This means that the image of $`\rho `$ commutes with the subalgebra generated by $`\left\{𝐈\mathrm{d}_𝐒\right\}`$.

###### Definition 43

A quaternionic representation of $`𝒜`$ is a representation $`\rho :𝒜\mathrm{Hom}_{}(𝐒,𝐒)`$ such that

$$\rho (X)𝐈=𝐈\rho (X),\text{ }\rho (X)𝐉=𝐉\rho (X),\text{ }\rho (X)𝐊=𝐊\rho (X),X𝒜.$$
(B8)
This means that the representation $`\rho `$ has a commuting subalgebra isomorphic to the quaternion ring.

The following theorem (,) is crucial:

###### Theorem 44

(Wedderburn) If $`𝒜`$ is simple algebra over $`𝔽`$ then $`𝒜`$ is isomorphic to $`𝔻(\mathrm{m})`$, where $`𝔻(\mathrm{m})`$ is a matrix algebra with entries in $`𝔻`$ (a division algebra), and $`\mathrm{m}`$ and $`𝔻`$ are unique (modulo isomorphisms).

Now, it is time to specialize our results to the Clifford algebras over the field $`𝔽=`$ or $``$. We are particularly interested in the case of real Clifford algebras. In what follows we take $`(𝐕,𝐛)=(^n,𝐠)`$. We denote by $`^{p,q}`$ a real vector space of dimension $`n=p+q`$ endowed with a nondegenerate metric $`𝐠:^n\times ^n`$. Let $`\left\{E_i\right\},`$ $`(i=1,2,\mathrm{},n)`$ be an orthonormal basis of $`^{p,q}`$,

$$𝐠(E_i,E_j)=g_{ij}=g_{ji}=\{\begin{array}{c}+1,\text{ }i=j=1,2,\mathrm{}p\hfill \\ 1,\text{ }i=j=p+1,\mathrm{},p+q=n\hfill \\ \text{ }0,\text{ }ij\hfill \end{array}$$
(B9)
###### Definition 45

The Clifford algebra $`_{p,q}=𝒞\mathrm{}(^{p,q})`$ is the Clifford algebra over $``$, generated by 1 and the $`\left\{E_i\right\},`$ $`(i=1,2,\mathrm{},n)`$ such that $`E_i^2=𝐪(E_i)=𝐠(E_i,E_i)`$, $`E_iE_j=E_jE_i`$ $`(ij)`$, and $`E_1E_2\mathrm{}E_n\pm 1`$.

$`_{p,q}`$ is obviously of dimension $`2^n`$ and as a vector space it is the direct sum of vector spaces $`^k^n`$ of dimensions $`\left(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{n}{k}\right),0kn`$. The canonical basis of $`^k^n`$ is given by the elements $`e_A=E_{\alpha _1}\mathrm{}E_{\alpha _k},`$ $`1\alpha _1<\mathrm{}<\alpha _kn`$. The element $`e_J=E_1\mathrm{}E_n^k^n_{p,q}`$ commutes ($`n`$ odd) or anticommutes ($`n`$ even) with all vectors $`E_1\mathrm{}E_n^1^n^n`$. The center $`𝒞\mathrm{}_{p,q}`$ is $`^0^n`$ if $`n`$ is even and it is the direct sum $`^0^n^0^n`$ if $`n`$ is odd.

All Clifford algebras are semi-simple. If $`p+q=n`$ is even, $`_{p,q}`$ is simple and if $`p+q=n`$ is odd we have the following possibilities:

(a) $`_{p,q}`$ is simple $`c_J^2=1pq1`$ (mod 4) $``$ center of $`_{p,q}`$ is isomorphic to $``$;

(b) $`_{p,q}`$ is not simple (but is a direct sum of two simple algebras) $`c_J^2=+1pq=1`$ (mod 4) $``$ center of $`_{p,q}`$ is isomorphic to $``$.

Now, for $`_{p,q}`$ the division algebras $`𝔻`$ are the division rings $``$, $``$ or $``$. The explicit isomorphism can be discovered with some hard but not difficult work. It is possible to give a general classification off all real (and also the complex) Clifford algebras and a classification table can be found, e.g., in (,). Such a table is reproduced below and $`\left[\frac{n}{2}\right]`$ means the integer part of $`n/2`$.

$$\begin{array}{ccccccccc}\begin{array}{c}_{pq}\hfill \\ \text{mod 8}\hfill \end{array}\hfill & 0\hfill & 1\hfill & 2\hfill & 3\hfill & 4\hfill & 5\hfill & 6\hfill & 7\hfill \\ _{p,q}\hfill & _{(2^{\left[\frac{n}{2}\right]})}\hfill & \begin{array}{c}_{(2^{\left[\frac{n}{2}\right]})}\hfill \\ \hfill \\ _{(2^{\left[\frac{n}{2}\right]})}\hfill \end{array}\hfill & _{(2^{\left[\frac{n}{2}\right]})}\hfill & _{(2^{\left[\frac{n}{2}\right]})}\hfill & _{(2^{\left[\frac{n}{2}\right]1})}\hfill & \begin{array}{c}_{(2^{\left[\frac{n}{2}\right]1})}\hfill \\ \hfill \\ _{(2^{\left[\frac{n}{2}\right]1})}\hfill \end{array}\hfill & _{(2^{\left[\frac{n}{2}\right]1})}\hfill & _{(2^{\left[\frac{n}{2}\right]})}\hfill \end{array}$$

Table 1. Representation of the Clifford algebras $`_{p,q}`$ as matrix algebras

Now, to complete the classification we need the following theorem.

###### Theorem 46

(Periodicity)

$$\begin{array}{ccccccc}_{n+8}\hfill & =\hfill & _{n,0}_{8,0}\hfill & & _{0,n+8}\hfill & =\hfill & _{0,n}_{0,8}\hfill \\ _{p+8,q}\hfill & =\hfill & _{p,q}_{8,0}\hfill & & _{p,q+8}\hfill & =\hfill & _{p,q}_{0,8}\hfill \end{array}$$
(B10)
###### Remark 47

We emphasize here that since the general results concerning the representations of simple algebras over a field $`𝔽`$ applies to the Clifford algebras $`_{p,q}`$ we can talk about real, complex or quaternionic representation of a given Clifford algebra, even if the natural matrix identification is not a matrix algebra over one of these fields. A case that we shall need is that $`_{1,3}(2)`$. But it is clear that $`_{1,3}`$ has a complex representation, for any quaternionic representation of $`_{p,q}`$ is automatically *complex*, once we restrict $``$ and of course, the complex dimension of any $``$-module must be even. Also, any complex representation of $`_{p,q}`$ extends automatically to a representation of $`_{p,q}`$.

###### Remark 48

Now, $`_{p,q}`$ is an abbreviation for the *complex* Clifford algebra $`𝒞\mathrm{}_{p+q}=_{p,q}`$, i.e., it is the tensor product of the algebras $``$ and $`_{p,q}`$, which are subalgebras of the finite dimensional algebra $`𝒞\mathrm{}_{p+q}`$ over $``$.

For the purposes of the present paper we shall need to have in mind that

$`_{0,1}`$ $``$
$`_{0,2}`$ $``$
$`_{3,0}`$ $`(2)`$ (B11)
$`_{1,3}`$ $`(2)`$
$`_{3,1}`$ $`(4)`$
$`_{4,1}`$ $`(4)`$
$`_{3,0}`$ is called the Pauli algebra, $`_{1,3}`$ is called the *spacetime* algebra, $`_{3,1}`$ is called *Majorana* algebra and $`_{4,1}`$ is called the *Dirac* algebra. Also the following particular results have been used in the text and below.

$`_{1,3}^0`$ $`_{3,1}^0=_{3,0},\text{ }_{4,1}^0_{1,3},`$
$`_{4,1}`$ $`_{3,1}\text{ }_{4,1}_{3,1},`$ (B12)
which means that the Dirac algebra is the complexification of both the spacetime or the Majorana algebras.

Eq.(B11) show moreover, in view of Remark 7 that the spacetime algebra has a complexification matrix representation in $`(4)`$. Obtaining such a representation is fundamental for the present work and it is given in Appendix D.

### B.2 Minimal Lateral Ideals of $`_{p,q}`$

It is important for the objectives of this paper to know some results concerning the minimal lateral ideals of $`_{p,q}`$. The identification table of these algebras as matrix algebras helps a lot. Indeed, we have

###### Theorem 49

The maximum number of pairwise orthogonal idempotents in $`𝕂(m)`$ (where $`𝕂=`$, $``$ or $``$) is $`m`$ .

The decomposition of $`_{p,q}`$ into minimal ideals is then characterized by a spectral set {$`\mathrm{e}_{pq,j}`$} of idempotents elements of $`_{p,q}`$ such that

(a) $`\underset{i=1}{\overset{n}{}}\mathrm{e}_{pq,i}=1`$;

(b)$`\mathrm{e}_{pq,j}\mathrm{e}_{pq,k}=\delta _{jk}\mathrm{e}_{pq,j}`$;

(c) the rank of $`\mathrm{e}_{pq,j}`$ is minimal and non zero, i.e., is primitive.

By rank of $`\mathrm{e}_{pq,j}`$ we mean the rank of the $`^{p,q}`$ morphism, $`\mathrm{e}_{pq,j}:\varphi \varphi \mathrm{e}_{pq,j}`$. Conversely, any $`\varphi 𝐈_{pq,j}`$ can be characterized by an idempotent $`\mathrm{e}_{pq,j}`$ of minimal rank $`0`$, with $`\varphi =\varphi \mathrm{e}_{pq,j}`$.

We now need to know the following theorem .

###### Theorem 50

A minimal left ideal of $`_{p,q}`$ is of the type

$$𝐈_{pq}=_{p,q}\mathrm{e}_{pq}$$
(B12)
where

$$\mathrm{e}_{pq}=\frac{1}{2}(1+e_{\alpha _1})\mathrm{}\frac{1}{2}(1+e_{\alpha _k})$$
(B13)
is a primitive idempotent of $`_{p,q}`$ and were $`e_{\alpha _1},\mathrm{},e_{\alpha _k}`$ are commuting elements in the canonical basis of $`_{p,q}`$ generated in the standard way through the elements of the basis $``$ such that $`(e_{\alpha _i})^2=1,`$ $`(i=1,2,\mathrm{},k)`$ generate a group of order $`2^k`$, $`k=qr_{qp}`$ and $`r_i`$ are the Radon-Hurwitz numbers, defined by the recurrence formula $`r_{i+8}=r_i+4`$ and

$$\begin{array}{cccccccccc}i& & 0& 1& 2& 3& 4& 5& 6& 7\\ r_i& & 0& 1& 2& 2& 3& 3& 3& 3\end{array}.$$
(B14)
Recall that $`_{p,q}`$ is a ring and the minimal lateral ideals are modules over the ring $`_{p,q}`$. They are *representation modules* of $`_{p,q}`$, and indeed we have (recall the table above) the theorem

###### Theorem 51

If $`p+q`$ is even or odd with $`pq1`$ (mod 4), then

$$_{p,q}=\mathrm{Hom}_𝕂(I_{pq})𝕂(m),$$
(B15)
*where (as we already know)* $`𝕂=`$*,* $``$ *or* $``$*. Also*,

$$dim_𝕂(I_{pq})=m,$$
(B16)
*and*

$$𝕂\mathrm{e}𝕂(m)\mathrm{e},$$
(B17)
*where* e *is the representation of* $`𝐞_{pq}`$ *in* $`𝕂(m)`$.

*If* $`p+q=n`$ *is odd, with* $`pq=1`$ *(mod 4), then*

$$_{p,q}=\mathrm{Hom}_𝕂(I_{pq})𝕂(m)𝕂(m),$$
(B18)
*with*

$$dim_𝕂(I_{pq})=m$$
(B19)
*and*

$`\mathrm{e}𝕂(m)\mathrm{e}`$ $``$
or (B20)
$`\mathrm{e}𝕂(m)\mathrm{e}`$ $`.`$
With the above isomorphisms we can immediately identify the minimal left ideals of $`_{p,q}`$ with the column matrices of $`𝕂(m)`$.

#### B.2.1 Algorithm for Finding Primitive Idempotents of $`_{p,q}`$.

With the ideas introduced above it is now a simple exercise to find primitive idempotents of $`_{p,q}`$. First we look at Table 1 and find the matrix algebra to which our particular Clifford algebra $`_{p,q}`$ is isomorphic. Suppose $`_{p,q}`$ is simple363636Once we know the algorithm for a simple Clifford algebra it is straightfoward to devise an algorithm for the semi-simple Clifford algebras.. Let $`_{p,q}`$ $`𝕂(m)`$ for a particular $`𝕂`$ and $`m`$. Next we take an element $`e_{\alpha _1}\left\{e_A\right\}`$ from the canonical basis $`\left\{e_A\right\}`$ of $`_{p,q}`$ such that

$$e_{\alpha _1}^2=1.$$
(B21)
then construct the idempotent $`\mathrm{e}_{pq}=(1+e_{\alpha _1})/2`$ and the ideal $`𝐈_{pq}=_{p,q}\mathrm{e}_{pq}`$ and calculate $`dim_𝕂(I_{pq})`$. If $`dim_𝕂(I_{pq})=m`$, then $`\mathrm{e}_{pq}`$ is primitive. If $`dim_𝕂(I_{pq})m`$, we choose $`e_{\alpha 2}\left\{e_A\right\}`$ such that $`e_{\alpha 2}`$ commutes with $`e_{\alpha _1}`$ and $`e_{\alpha _2}^2=1`$ (see Theorem 39 and construct the idempotent $`\mathrm{e}_{pq}^{}=(1+e_{\alpha _1})(1+e_{\alpha _1})/4`$. If $`dim_𝕂(I_{pq}^{})=m`$, then $`\mathrm{e}_{pq}^{}`$ is primitive. Otherwise we repeat the procedure. According to the Theorem 39 the procedure is finite.

These results will be used in Appendix D in order to obtain necessary results for our presentation of the theory of algebraic and Dirac-Hestenes spinors (and spinors fields).

## Appendix C $`_{p,q}^{}`$, Clifford, Pinor and Spinor Groups

The set of the invertible elements of $`_{p,q}`$ constitutes a non-abelian group which we denote by $`_{p,q}^{}`$. It acts naturally on $`_{p,q}`$ as an algebra homomorphism through its adjoint representation

$$\mathrm{Ad}:_{p,q}^{}\mathrm{Aut}(_{p,q});\text{ }u\mathrm{Ad}_u,\text{ with }\mathrm{Ad}_u(x)=uxu^1.$$
(C1)
We define also the twisted adjoint representation:

$$\widehat{\mathrm{A}}\mathrm{d}:_{p,q}^{}\mathrm{Aut}(_{p,q});\text{ }u\widehat{\mathrm{A}}\mathrm{d},\text{ with }\widehat{\mathrm{A}}\mathrm{d}_u(x)=ux\widehat{u}^1$$
(C1’)
###### Definition 52

The *Clifford-Lipschitz* group is the set

$$\mathrm{\Gamma }_{p,q}=\left\{u_{p,q}^{}\right|x^{p,q},\text{ }ux\widehat{u}^1^{p,q}\}.$$
(C2)
###### Definition 53

The set $`\mathrm{\Gamma }_{p,q}^0=\mathrm{\Gamma }_{p,q}_{p,q}^0`$ is called *special* Clifford-Lipshitz group.

###### Definition 54

The *Pinor group* Pinp.q is the subgroup of $`\mathrm{\Gamma }_{p,q}`$ such that

$$\mathrm{Pin}_{p,q}=\left\{u\mathrm{\Gamma }_{p,q}\text{ }|\text{ }N(u)=\pm 1\right\},$$
(C3)
$$N:_{p,q}_{p,q},\text{ }N(x)=\overline{x}x_0$$

###### Definition 55

The *Spin group* $`\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}`$ is the set

$$\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}=\left\{u\mathrm{\Gamma }_{p,q}^0\text{ }|\text{ }N(u)=\pm 1\right\}.$$
(C4)
It is easy to see that $`\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}`$ is not connected.

###### Definition 56

The group $`\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}^e`$ is the set

$$\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}^e=\left\{u\mathrm{\Gamma }_{p,q}^0\text{ }|\text{ }N(u)=+1\right\}.$$
(C5)
The superscript $`e`$, means that $`\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}^e`$ is the connected component to the identity. We can prove that $`\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}^e`$ is connected for all pairs $`(p,q)`$ with the exception of $`\mathrm{Spin}^e(1,0)\mathrm{Spin}^e(0,1)`$.

We recall now some classical results  associated with the pseudo-orthogonal groups Op,q of a vector space $`^{p,q}`$ ($`n=p+q`$) and its subgroups.

Let $`𝐆`$ be a diagonal $`n\times n`$ matrix whose elements are

$$G_{ij}=\mathrm{diag}(1,1,\mathrm{},1,1,\mathrm{}1),$$
(C6)
with $`p`$ positive and $`q`$ negative numbers.

###### Definition 57

Op,q is the set of $`n\times n`$ real matrices $`𝐋`$ such that

$$\mathrm{𝐋𝐆𝐋}^T=𝐆,\text{ }det𝐋^2=1.$$
(C7)
Eq.(C7) shows that Op,q is not connected.

###### Definition 58

SOp,q, the special (proper) pseudo orthogonal group is the set of $`n\times n`$ real matrices $`𝐋`$ such that

$$\mathrm{𝐋𝐆𝐋}^T=𝐆,\text{ }det𝐋=1.$$
(C8)
When $`p=0`$ ($`q=0`$) SOp,q is connected. However, SOp,q is not connected and has two connected components for $`p,q1`$. The group SO$`{}_{}{}^{e}{}_{p,q}{}^{}`$, the connected component to the identity of SOp,q will be called the special *orthocronous* pseudo-orthogonal group373737This nomenclature comes from the fact that SO$`{}_{}{}^{e}(1,3)=_+^{}`$ is the special (proper) orthochronous Lorentz group. In this case the set is easily defined by the condition $`L_0^0+1`$. For the general case see  ..

###### Theorem 59

: $`\widehat{\mathrm{A}}\mathrm{d}_{|\mathrm{Pin}_{\mathrm{p},\mathrm{q}}}:\mathrm{Pin}_{\mathrm{p},\mathrm{q}}\mathrm{O}_{\mathrm{p},\mathrm{q}}`$ is onto with kernel $`_2`$. Ad$`{}_{|\mathrm{Spin}_{\mathrm{p},\mathrm{q}}}{}^{}:\mathrm{Spin}_{\mathrm{p},\mathrm{q}}\mathrm{SO}_{\mathrm{p},\mathrm{q}}`$ is onto with kernel $`_2`$. Ad$`{}_{|\mathrm{Spin}_{\mathrm{p},\mathrm{q}}^\mathrm{e}}{}^{}:\mathrm{Spin}_{\mathrm{p},\mathrm{q}}^\mathrm{e}\mathrm{SO}_{\mathrm{p},\mathrm{q}}^\mathrm{e}`$ is onto with kernel $`_2`$. We have,

$$\mathrm{O}_{p,q}=\frac{\mathrm{Pin}_{p,q}}{_2},\text{ }\mathrm{SO}_{p,q}=\frac{\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}}{_2},\text{ }\mathrm{SO}_{p,q}^e=\frac{\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}^e}{_2}.$$
(C9)
The group homomorphism between $`\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}^e`$ and $`\mathrm{SO}^e(p,q)`$ will be denoted by

$$𝐋:\mathrm{Spin}_{p,q}^e\mathrm{SO}_{p,q}^e.$$
(C10)
The following theorem that first appears in Porteous book  is very important383838In particular, when Theorem 49 is taken into account together with some of the coincidence between the complexifications of some low dimensions Clifford algebras (see Appendix C) it becomes clear that the construction of Dirac-Hestenes spinors (and its representation as in eq.(D20)) for Minkowski vector space has no generalization for vector spaces of arbitrary dimensions and signatures ..

###### Theorem 60

(Porteous) For $`p+q5`$, $`\mathrm{Spin}^e(p,q)=\{u_{p,q}`$ $`|`$ $`u\stackrel{~}{u}=1\}`$.

### C.1 Lie Algebra of Spin$`{}_{}{}^{e}{}_{1,3}{}^{}`$

It can be shown  that for each $`u\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}^e`$ it holds $`u=\pm e^F,`$ $`F^2^{1,3}_{1,3}`$ and $`F`$ can be chosen in such a way to have a positive sign in Eq.(C8), except in the particular case $`F^2=0`$ when $`u=e^F`$. From Eq.(C8) it follows immediately that the Lie algebra of $`\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}^e`$ is generated by the bivectors $`F^2^{1,3}_{1,3}`$ through the commutator product. More details on the realtions of Clifford algebras and the rotation groups may be found, e.g., in

## Appendix D Spinor Representations of $`_{4,1},`$ $`_{4,1}^+`$ and $`_{1,3}`$

Let $`b_0=\{E_0,E_1,E_2,E_3\}`$ be an orthogonal basis of $`^{1,3}_{1,3}`$, such that $`E_\mu E_\upsilon +E_\upsilon E_\mu =2\eta _{\mu \nu }`$, with $`\eta _{\upsilon \mu }=\mathrm{diag}(+1,1,1,1)`$. Now, with the results os Appendix B we can verify without difficulties that the elements e, $`\mathrm{e}^{},`$ $`\mathrm{e}^{\prime \prime }_{1,3}`$

$`\mathrm{e}`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(1+E_0)`$ (D1)
$`\mathrm{e}^{}`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(1+E_3E_0)`$ (D2)
$`\mathrm{e}^{\prime \prime }`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(1+E_1E_2E_3)`$ (D3)
are primitive idempotents of $`_{1,3}`$ The minimal left ideals, $`I=_{1,3}e`$, $`I^{}=_{1,3}e^{}`$, $`I^{\prime \prime }=_{1,3}e^{\prime \prime }`$ are *right* two dimension linear spaces over the quaternion field (e.g., $`\mathrm{e}=\mathrm{e}=e_{1,3}\mathrm{e}`$). According to a definition given originally in  these ideals are algebraically equivalent. For example, $`\mathrm{e}^{}=u\mathrm{e}u^1`$, with $`u=(1+E_3)\mathrm{\Gamma }_{1,3}`$.

###### Definition 61

The elements $`\mathrm{\Phi }_{1,3}\frac{1}{2}(1+E_0)`$ are called *mother* spinors .

The above denomination has been given (with justice) by Lounesto . It can be shown (,) that each $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ can be written

$$\mathrm{\Phi }=\psi _1\mathrm{e}+\psi _2E_3E_1\mathrm{e}+\psi _3E_3E_0\mathrm{e}+\psi _4E_1E_0\mathrm{e}=\underset{i}{}\psi _is_i,$$
(D4)
$$s_1=\text{ }\mathrm{e},\text{ }s_2=E_3E_1\mathrm{e},\text{ }s_3=E_3E_0\mathrm{e},\text{ }s_4=E_1E_0\mathrm{e}$$
(D5)
and where the $`\psi _i`$ are *formally* complex numbers, i.e., each $`\psi _i=(a_i+b_iE_2E_1)`$ with $`a_i,`$ $`b_i`$ and the set $`\left\{s_i,i=1,2,3,4\right\}`$ is a basis in the mother spinors space.

We recall from the general result of Appendix C that $`\frac{\mathrm{Pin}_{1,3}}{_2}\mathrm{O}_{1,3}`$, $`\frac{\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}}{_2}\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}`$, $`\frac{\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}^e}{_2}\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e`$, and $`\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}^e\mathrm{Sl}(2,)`$ is the universal covering group of $`_+^{}\mathrm{SO}_{1,3}^e`$, the *special* (proper) *orthocronous* Lorentz group.

In order to determine the relation between $`_{4,1}`$ and $`_{3,1}`$ we proceed as follows: let $`\{F_0,F_1,F_2,F_3,F_4\}`$ be an orthonormal basis of $`_{4,1}`$ with

$$F_0^2=F_1^2=F_2^2=F_3^2=F_4^2=1,F_AF_B=F_BF_A(AB;A,B=0,1,2,3,4).$$

Define the pseudo-scalar

$$𝐢=F_0F_1F_2F_3F_4\text{ }𝐢^2=1\text{ }𝐢F_A=F_A𝐢\text{ }A=0,1,2,3,4$$
(D6)
Define

$$_\mu =F_\mu F_4$$
(D7)
We can immediately verify that $`_\mu _\upsilon +_\upsilon _\mu =2\eta _{\mu \upsilon }`$. Taking into account that $`_{1,3}_{4,1}^0`$ we can explicitly exhibit here this isomorphism by considering the map j$`:_{1,3}_{4,1}`$ generated by the linear extension of the map j$`{}_{}{}^{\mathrm{\#}}:^{1,3}_{4,1}`$, $`𝚓^\mathrm{\#}(F_\mu )=_\mu =`$ $`F_\mu F_4`$, where $`_\mu `$, ($`\mu =0,1,2,3`$) is an orthogonal basis of $`^{1,3}`$. Also j$`(1_{_{1,3}})=1_{_{4,1}^+}`$, where $`1_{_{1,3}}`$ and $`1_{_{4,1}^+}`$ are the identity elements in $`_{1,3}`$ and $`_{4,1}^+`$. Now consider the primitive idempotent of $`_{1,3}_{4,1}^0`$,

$$\mathrm{e}_{41}=𝚓(\mathrm{e})=\frac{1}{2}(1+_0)$$
(D8)
and the minimal left ideal $`I_{4,1}=_{4,1}\mathrm{e}_{41}`$.

In what follows we use (when convenient) for minimal idempotents and the minimal ideals generated by them, the labels involving the notion of spinorial frames discussed in section 2. Let then, $`\mathrm{\Xi }_0`$ be a fiducial spinorial frame. The elements393939In what follows we use (when convinient) for minimal idempotents and the minimal ideals generated by them, the labels involving the notion of spin frames discussed in section 2. $`Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}I_{4,1}`$ can be written analogously to $`\mathrm{\Phi }_{1,3}\frac{1}{2}(1+E_0)`$ as,

$$Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}=z_i\overline{s}_i$$
(D9)
where

$$\overline{s}_{1=}\mathrm{e}_{41},\text{ }\overline{s}_2=_1_3\mathrm{e}_{41},\text{ }\overline{s}_3=_3_0\mathrm{e}_{41},\text{ }\overline{s}_4=_1_0\mathrm{e}_{41}$$
(D10)
and where

$$z_i=a_i+_2_1b_i,$$

are formally complex numbers, $`a_i,`$ $`b_i`$.

Consider now the element $`f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}_{4,1}`$

$`f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}`$ $`=\mathrm{e}_{41}{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(1+𝐢_1_2)`$
$`={\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(1+_0){\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(1+𝐢_1_2),`$ (D11)
with $`𝐢`$ defined as in Eq.(D6).

Since $`f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}_{4,1}f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}=f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}=f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}`$ it follows that $`f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}`$ is a primitive idempotent of $`_{4,1}`$. We can easily show that each $`\mathrm{\Phi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}I_{_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}}=_{4,1}f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}`$ can be written

$$\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}=\underset{i}{}\psi _if_i,\text{ }\psi _i$$

$$f_1=f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0},\text{ }f_2=_1_3f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0},\text{ }f_3=_3_0f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0},\text{ }f_4=_1_0f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}$$
(D12)
with the methods described in (,) we find the following representation in $`(4)`$ for the generators $`_\mu `$ of $`_{4,1}_{1,3}`$

$$_0\underset{¯}{\gamma }_0=\left(\begin{array}{cc}\mathrm{𝟏}_2& 0\\ 0& \mathrm{𝟏}_2\end{array}\right)_i\underset{¯}{\gamma }_i=\left(\begin{array}{cc}0& \sigma _i\\ \sigma _i& 0\end{array}\right)$$
(D13)
where $`\mathrm{𝟏}_2`$ is the unit $`2\times 2`$ matrix and $`\sigma _i`$, ($`i=1,2,3`$) are the standard Pauli matrices. We immediately recognize the $`\underset{¯}{\gamma }`$-matrices in Eq.(D13) as the standard ones appearing, e.g., in .

The matrix representation of $`\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}`$ will be denoted by the same letter without the index, i.e., $`\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}𝚿(4)f`$, where

$$f=\frac{1}{2}(1+i\underset{¯}{\gamma }_1\underset{¯}{\gamma }_2)\text{ }i=\sqrt{1}.$$
(D14)
We have

$$𝚿=\left(\begin{array}{cccc}\psi _1\hfill & 0\hfill & 0\hfill & 0\hfill \\ \psi _2\hfill & 0\hfill & 0\hfill & 0\hfill \\ \psi _3\hfill & 0\hfill & 0\hfill & 0\hfill \\ \psi _4\hfill & 0\hfill & 0\hfill & 0\hfill \end{array}\right),\text{ }\psi _i$$
(D15)
Eqs.(D13, D14, D15) are sufficient to prove that there are bijections between the elements of the ideals $`_{1,3}\frac{1}{2}(1+E_0)`$, $`_{4,1}\frac{1}{2}(1+_0)`$ and $`_{4,1}\frac{1}{2}(1+_0)\frac{1}{2}(1+𝐢_1_2)`$.

We can easily find that the following relation exist between $`\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}_{4,1}f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}`$ and $`Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}_{4,1}\frac{1}{2}(1+_0),`$ $`\mathrm{\Xi }_0=(u_0,\mathrm{\Sigma }_0)`$ being a spinorial frame (see section 1)

$$\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}=Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}\frac{1}{2}(1+𝐢_1_2).$$
(D16)
Decomposing $`Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}`$ into even and odd parts relatives to the $`𝐙_2`$-graduation of $`_{4,1}^0_{1,3}`$, $`Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}=Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}^0+Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}^1`$ we obtain $`Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}^0=Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}^1_0`$ which clearly shows that all information of $`Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}`$ is contained in $`Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}^0`$. Then,

$$\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}=Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}^0\frac{1}{2}(1+_0)\frac{1}{2}(1+𝐢_1_2).$$
(D17)
Now, if we take into account () that $`_{4,1}^0\frac{1}{2}(1+_0)=_{4,1}^{00}\frac{1}{2}(1+_0)`$ where the symbol $`_{4,1}^{00}`$ means $`_{4,1}^{00}_{1,3}^0_{3,0}`$ we see that each $`Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}_{4,1}\frac{1}{2}(1+_0)`$ can be written

$$Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}=\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}\frac{1}{2}(1+_0)\text{ }\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}_{4,1}^{00}_{1,3}^0.$$
(D18)
Then putting $`Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}^0=\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}/2`$, Eq.(D18) can be written

$`\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}`$ $`=\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(1+_0){\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(1+𝐢_1_2)`$
$`=Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}^0{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}(1+𝐢_1_2).`$ (D19)
The matrix representation of $`Z_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}`$ and $`\psi _{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}`$ in $`(4)`$ (denoted by the same letter in boldface without index) in the spin basis given by Eq.(D12) are

$$𝚿=\left(\begin{array}{cccc}\psi _1& \psi _2^{}& \psi _3& \psi _4^{}\\ \psi _2& \psi _1^{}& \psi _4& \psi _3^{}\\ \psi _3& \psi _4^{}& \psi _1& \psi _2^{}\\ \psi _4& \psi _3^{}& \psi _2& \psi _1^{}\end{array}\right),\text{ }𝐙=\left(\begin{array}{cccc}\psi _1& \psi _2^{}& 0& 0\\ \psi _2& \psi _1^{}& 0& 0\\ \psi _3& \psi _4^{}& 0& 0\\ \psi _4& \psi _3^{}& 0& 0\end{array}\right).$$
(D20)
## Appendix E What is a Covariant Dirac Spinor (*CDS*)

As we already know $`f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}=\frac{1}{2}(1+_0)\frac{1}{2}(1+𝐢_1_2)`$ (Eq.(D12)) is a primitive idempotent of $`_{4,1}(4)`$. If $`u\mathrm{Spin}(1,3)\mathrm{Spin}(4,1)`$ then all ideals $`I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}u^1`$ are geometrically equivalent to $`I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}`$.Now, let $`𝐬(\mathrm{\Xi }_u)=\{𝔈_0,𝔈_1,𝔈_2,𝔈_3\}`$ and $`𝐬(\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{})=\{𝔈_0^{},𝔈_1^{},𝔈_2^{},𝔈_3^{}\}`$ with $`𝐬(\mathrm{\Xi }_u)=u^1𝐬(\mathrm{\Xi }_o)u`$, $`𝐬(\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{})=u^1𝐬(\mathrm{\Xi }_o)u^{}`$ be two arbitrary basis for $`^{1,3}_{4,1}`$. From Eq.(D13) we can write

$$I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}=\psi _if_i,\text{ and }I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}=\psi _i^{}f_i^{},$$
(E1)
where

$$f_1=f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u},\text{ }f_2=𝔈_1𝔈_3f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u},\text{ }f_3=𝔈_3𝔈_0f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u},\text{ }f_4=𝔈_1𝔈_0f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}$$

and

$$f_1^{}=f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}},\text{ }f_2^{}=𝔈_1^{}𝔈_3^{}f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}},\text{ }f_3^{}=𝔈_3^{}𝔈_0^{}f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}},\text{ }f_4=𝔈_1^{}𝔈_0^{}f_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}$$

Since $`\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}=\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}(u^1u)^1`$, we get

$$\mathrm{\Psi }_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}}=\underset{i}{}\psi _i(u^1u)^1f_i^{}=\underset{i,k}{}S_{ik}[(u^1u^{})]\psi _if_k=\underset{k}{}\psi _k^{}f_k.$$

Then

$$\psi _k^{}=\underset{i}{}S_{ik}(u^1u^{})\psi _i,$$
(E2)
where $`S_{ik}(u^1u^{})`$ are the matrix components of the representation in $`(4)`$ of ($`u^1u^{}`$)$`\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}^e`$. As proved in (,) the matrices $`S(u)`$ correspond to the representation $`D^{(1/2,0)}D^{(0,1/2)}`$ of $`SL(2,)\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}^e`$.

We remark that all the elements of the set {$`I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u}`$} of the ideals geometrically equivalent to $`I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_0}`$ under the action of $`u\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}^e\mathrm{Spin}_{4,1}^e`$ have the same image $`I=(4)f`$ where $`f`$ is given by Eq.(D11), i.e.,

$$f=\frac{1}{2}(1+\underset{¯}{\gamma }_0)(1+i\underset{¯}{\gamma }_1\underset{¯}{\gamma }_2),\text{ }i=\sqrt{1},$$
(E3)
where $`\underset{¯}{\gamma }_\mu ,`$ $`\mu =0,1,2,3`$ are the Dirac matrices given by Eq..(D14).

Then, if

$`\gamma `$ $`:_{4,1}(4)\mathrm{End}((4)f),`$
$`x`$ $`\gamma (x):(4)f(4)f`$ (E4)
it follows that

$$\gamma (𝔈_\mu )=\gamma (𝔈_\mu ^{})=\underset{¯}{\gamma }_\mu ,\text{ }\gamma (f_\mu )=\gamma (f_\mu ^{})$$
(E5)
for all $`\{𝔈_\mu \}`$, $`\{𝔈_\mu ^{}\}`$ such that $`𝔈_\mu ^{}=(u^1u)𝔈_\mu (u^1u)^1`$. Observe that all information concerning the geometrical images of the spinorial frames $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u`$, $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{},\mathrm{},`$ under $`𝐋^{}`$disappear in the matrix representation of the ideals $`I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u},`$ $`I_{\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}},\mathrm{}.,`$ in $`(4)`$ since all these ideals are mapped in the same ideal $`I=(4)f`$.

With the above remark and taking into account the definition of algebraic spinors given in section 2.3 and Eq.(E2) we are lead to the following

###### Definition 62

A covariant Dirac spinor (CDS) for $`^{1,3}`$ is an equivalence class of pairs $`(\mathrm{\Xi }_u^m,𝚿)`$, where $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u^m`$ is a matrix spinorial frame associated to the spinorial frame $`\mathrm{\Xi }_u`$ through the $`S(u^1)D^{(\frac{1}{2},0)}D^{(0,\frac{1}{2})}`$ representation of $`\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}^e,`$ $`u\mathrm{Spin}_{1,3}^e`$.We say that $`𝚿,𝚿^{}(4)f`$ are equivalent and write

$$(\mathrm{\Xi }_u^m,𝚿)(\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{}^m,𝚿^{})$$
(E6)
*if and only if*

$$𝚿^{}=S(u^1u)𝚿,\text{ }u𝐬(\mathfrak{\Xi }_u)u^1=u^{}𝐬(\mathrm{\Xi }_u^{})u^^1$$
(E7)
###### Remark 63

The definition of CDS just given agrees with that given in  except for the irrelevant fact that there, as well as in the majority of Physics textbook’s, authors use as the space of representatives of a CDS a complex four-dimensional space $`^4`$ instead of $`I=(4)f`$.