Pytearcat: PYthon TEnsor AlgebRa calCulATor

TL;DR

Pytearcat is a Python package that simplifies tensor algebra calculations in theoretical physics, especially general relativity, by providing an easy-to-use syntax and optimized performance for complex tensor operations.

Contribution

This work introduces Pytearcat, the first Python tensor calculator with physics notation support, fast symbolic computation, and extensibility for various theoretical physics applications.

Findings

Supports tensor derivatives and series expansions

Achieves faster execution times with optimized core

Provides routines for general relativity tensors

Abstract

This paper introduces the first release of Pytearcat, a Python package developed to compute tensor algebra operations in the context of theoretical physics, for instance, in general relativity. Given that working with tensors can become a complex task, people often rely on computational tools to perform tensor calculations. We aim to build a tensor calculator based on Python, which benefits from being free and easy to use. Pytearcat syntax resembles the usual physics notation for tensor calculus, such as the Einstein notation for index contraction. This version allows the user to perform many tensor operations, including derivatives and series expansions, along with routines to obtain the typical General Relativity tensors. A particular concern was put in the execution times, leading to incorporate an alternative core for the symbolic calculations, enabling to reach much faster execution times. The syntax and the versatility of Pytearcat are the most important features of this package, where the latter can be used to extend Pytearcat to other areas of theoretical physics.