| Description |
1 online resource (270 pages) |
| Contents |
880-01 1. Introducing Spacetime Singularities and Acausalities; 1.1 Introduction; 1.2 Spacetime singularities: In the beginning; 1.3 Einstein's intolerance of singularities; 1.4 Acausality and time travel; 1.5 Singularities and acausalities together; 2. Defining, Characterizing, and Proving the Existence of Spacetime Singularities; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 What is a spacetime singularity?; 2.3 Extensions of spacetimes; 2.4 The received definition of singularities; 2.5 The missing missing points; 2.6 Naked singularities; 2.7 What is a spacetime singularity (again)?; 2.8 Singularity theorems |
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880-01/(S 4.7 Malament-Hogarth spacetimes and unresolved mathematical conjectures4.8 Can γ[sub(1)] carry out the assigned task; 4.9 Conclusion; Appendix: Proofs of Lemma 4.2 and Equation 4.4; 5. The Big Bang and the Horizon Problem; 5.1 Introduction; 5.2 Observability and light cones; 5.3 What can we predict about the future; 5.4 Event and particle horizons; 5.5 What is the horizon problem; 5.6 Reichenbach's principle of common cause; 5.7 Particle horizons and common causes; 5.8 Diagnosing the bellyache: Electromagnetism; 5.9 Diagnosing the bellyache: Cosmic background radiation |
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2.9 Singularities and quantum effects2.10 Conclusion; 3. Cosmic Censorship; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Cozying up to singularities; 3.3 Naked singularities and cosmic censorship; 3.4 The cosmic censorship hypothesis; 3.5 Is the cosmic censorship hypothesis true?; 3.6 Black hole evaporation; 3.7 What if cosmic censorship should fail?; 3.8 A dirty open secret; 3.9 Conclusion; 4. Supertasks; 4.1 Introduction; 4.2 Pitowsky spacetimes; 4.3 Malament-Hogarth spacetimes; 4.4 Paradoxes regained?; 4.5 Characterization of Malament-Hogarth spacetimes; 4.6 Supertasks in Malament-Hogarth spacetimes |
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5.10 Strategies for solving the horizon problem5.11 Horizons in standard and inflationary models; 5.12 Does inflation solve the horizon problem?; 5.13 Conclusion; 6. Time Travel; 6.1 Introduction; 6.2 Types of time travel; backward causation; 6.3 The causal structure of relativistic spacetimes; 6.4 Why take Gödelian time travel seriously?; 6.5 The paradoxes of time travel; 6.6 Consistency constraints; 6.7 Therapies for time travel malaise; 6.8 Non self-interacting test fields; 6.9 Self-interacting test fields; 6.10 Can we build and operate a time machine?; 6.11 Conclusion |
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Appendix: Gödel on the ideality of time7. Eternal Recurrence, Cyclic Time, and All That; 7.1 Introduction; 7.2 Tolman on eternal recurrence; 7.3 Extending through the big bang and the big crunch; 7.4 Finding God in the big bang; 7.5 No recurrence theorems; 7.6 Cyclic time; 7.7 Conclusion; 8. Afterword; References; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; Y; Z |
| Summary |
Almost from its inception, Einstein's general theory of relativity was known to sanction spacetime models harboring singularities, which involve a breakdown in the very fabric of space and time and, consequently, a failure of the known laws of physics. Here is where noted philosopher of science John Earman begins this first book-length study of a phenomenon that continues to divide physicists today, and which carries profound implications for the philosophy of space and time. Featuring an overview of the literature on singular spacetime, this informed and provocative volume engages with a numbe |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Notes |
English |
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Print version record |
| Subject |
Space and time.
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General relativity (Physics)
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Singularities (Mathematics)
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General relativity (Physics)
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Singularities (Mathematics)
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Space and time
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| ISBN |
9780195344646 |
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0195344642 |
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1280451130 |
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9781280451133 |
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9786610451135 |
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6610451133 |
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1602566321 |
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9781602566323 |
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