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Originally Posted by Lucas Is my opinion that a tensor field is a field with a tensor attached to each point. Just like a vector field is a field with a vector attached to each point
But I do not think that a vector and a vector field are the same thing
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no, you can't take a covariant derivative of a single tensor, just like you cannot take a regular derivative of a single number. you take derivatives of functions, defined over smooth manifolds, and you take covariant derivatives of tensor fields, defined over (at least) an open set on a smooth manifold.
if you see any literature referring to the covariant derivative of a tensor, they are just being sloppy about the difference between a tensor and a tensor field