A tensor space of degree
over a field
is the vector space
tensor product
of
copies of a vector
space
over
. More generally, the tensor space of
type
is
, where
is the dual vector space.
On a smooth manifold , the pointwise tensor space uses
and
. These spaces are the fibers
of a vector bundle. For example,
where
is the tangent bundle and
is the cotangent bundle.
A smooth tensor field is a bundle
section of this vector bundle. Its space of
global sections is formed using module
tensor products over the ring
of smooth functions,
rather than vector space tensor products
over
.
The sections form both a module
over
and a vector space over
.