Ramanujan Auditorium

Nag Memorial Lecture

Samir Mathur

Ohio State University

Title:

Hawking's puzzle: The black hole information paradox

Abstract:

Some 40 years ago, Stephen Hawking showed that there was a fundamental
conflict between the two main pillars of modern physics: general relativity
and quantum mechanics. General relativity allows the formation of a black
hole, but the subsequent evolution of the hole appears to violate the basic
principles of quantum mechanics. In recent years string theory has provided
a resolution to this puzzle. It turns out that quantum gravity effects
modify the entire structure of the hole, turning it into a quantum
'fuzzball'. In this talk we will explain Hawking's puzzle, outline some
arguments and counter arguments that were made, and present a summary of
the fuzzball resolution.