Two formulations of relativistic hydrodynamics of particles with spin 1/2 are compared. The first one uses expressions for the energy-momentum and spin tensors that have properties that follow a direct application of Noether's theorem, including a totally antisymmetric spin tensor. The other one is based on a simplified form of the spin tensor that is commonly used in the current literature under the name of phenomenological pseudo-gauge. We show that these two frameworks are equivalent, since they can be directly connected by a suitably defined pseudogauge transformation. Our analysis uses arguments related to the positivity of entropy production. The latter turns out to be independent of the pseudo-gauge provided the canonical energy-momentum tensor is properly improved.

Boost-invariant equations of spin hydrodynamics confined to the first-order terms in gradients are numerically solved. The spin equation of state, relating the spin density tensor to the spin chemical potential, is consistently included in the first order. Depending on its form and the structure of the spin transport coefficients, we find solutions which are both stable and unstable within the considered evolution times of 10 fm/c. These findings are complementary to the recent identification of stable and unstable modes for perturbed uniform spin systems described by similar hydrodynamic frameworks.