def get_grad_cartesian(self, as_function=True, chain=True,
                           drop_auto_dummies=True):
        r"""Return the gradient for the transformation to a Cartesian.

        If ``as_function`` is True, a function is returned that can be directly
        applied onto instances of :class:`~Zmat`, which contain the
        applied distortions in Zmatrix space.
        In this case the user does not have to worry about indexing and
        correct application of the tensor product.
        Basically this is the function
        :func:`zmat_functions.apply_grad_cartesian_tensor`
        with partially replaced arguments.

        If ``as_function`` is False, a ``(3, n, n, 3)`` tensor is returned,
        which contains the values of the derivatives.

        Since a ``n * 3`` matrix is deriven after a ``n * 3``
        matrix, it is important to specify the used rules for indexing the
        resulting tensor.

        The rule is very simple: The indices of the numerator are used first
        then the indices of the denominator get swapped and appended:

        .. math::
            \left(
                \frac{\partial \mathbf{Y}}{\partial \mathbf{X}}
            \right)_{i, j, k, l}
            =
            \frac{\partial \mathbf{Y}_{i, j}}{\partial \mathbf{X}_{l, k}}

        Applying this rule to an example function:

        .. math::
            f \colon \mathbb{R}^3 \rightarrow \mathbb{R}

        Gives as derivative the known row-vector gradient:

        .. math::
                (\nabla f)_{1, i}
            =
                \frac{\partial f}{\partial x_i} \qquad i \in \{1, 2, 3\}

        .. note::
            The row wise alignment of the zmat files makes sense for these
            CSV like files.
            But it is mathematically advantageous and
            sometimes (depending on the memory layout) numerically better
            to use a column wise alignment of the coordinates.
            In this function the resulting tensor assumes a ``3 * n`` array
            for the coordinates.

        If

        .. math::

            \mathbf{C}_{i, j} &\qquad 1 \leq i \leq 3, \quad 1 \leq j \leq n \\
            \mathbf{X}_{i, j} &\qquad 1 \leq i \leq 3, \quad 1 \leq j \leq n

        denote the positions in Zmatrix and cartesian space,

        The complete tensor may be written as:

        .. math::

            \left(
                \frac{\partial \mathbf{X}}{\partial \mathbf{C}}
            \right)_{i, j, k, l}
            =
            \frac{\partial \mathbf{X}_{i, j}}{\partial \mathbf{C}_{l, k}}

        Args:
            construction_table (pandas.DataFrame):
            as_function (bool): Return a tensor or
                :func:`xyz_functions.apply_grad_zmat_tensor`
                with partially replaced arguments.
            chain (bool):
            drop_auto_dummies (bool): Drop automatically created
                dummies from the gradient.
                This means, that only changes in regularly placed atoms are
                considered for the gradient.

        Returns:
            (func, :class:`numpy.ndarray`): Depending on ``as_function``
            return a tensor or
            :func:`~chemcoord.zmat_functions.apply_grad_cartesian_tensor`
            with partially replaced arguments.
        """
        zmat = self.change_numbering()
        c_table = zmat.loc[:, ['b', 'a', 'd']]
        c_table = c_table.replace(constants.int_label).values.T
        C = zmat.loc[:, ['bond', 'angle', 'dihedral']].values.T
        if C.dtype == np.dtype('i8'):
            C = C.astype('f8')
        C[[1, 2], :] = np.radians(C[[1, 2], :])

        grad_X = transformation.get_grad_X(C, c_table, chain=chain)

        if drop_auto_dummies:
            def drop_dummies(grad_X, zmolecule):
                rename = dict(zip(zmolecule.index, range(len(zmolecule))))
                dummies = [rename[v['dummy_d']] for v in
                           self._metadata['has_dummies'].values()]
                excluded = np.full(grad_X.shape[1], True)
                excluded[dummies] = False
                coord_rows = np.full(3, True)
                selection = np.ix_(coord_rows, excluded, excluded, coord_rows)
                return grad_X[selection]

            grad_X = drop_dummies(grad_X, self)

        if as_function:
            from chemcoord.internal_coordinates.zmat_functions import (
                apply_grad_cartesian_tensor)
            return partial(apply_grad_cartesian_tensor, grad_X)
        else:
            return grad_X