Metric signature
MATHEMATICAL CONCEPT
Signature change; Signature (physics); Euclidean signature; +---; -+++; Lorentz signature; Mostly Plus; Mostly Minus; Signature of the metric
In mathematics, the signature of a metric tensor g (or equivalently, a real quadratic form thought of as a real symmetric bilinear form on a finite-dimensional vector space) is the number (counted with multiplicity) of positive, negative and zero eigenvalues of the real symmetric matrix of the metric tensor with respect to a basis. In relativistic physics, the v represents the time or virtual dimension, and the p for the space and physical dimension.