Sun Sep 15 11:00:00 UTC 2024: ## Mathematicians Prove Existence of ‘Extremal’ Black Holes, Challenging Decades-Old Theory
**Scientists have long believed that a type of black hole, known as an “extremal” black hole, could not exist in the real world. However, two mathematicians have now mathematically proven that these bizarre objects are possible according to our current understanding of physics.**
Extremal black holes are characterized by their extreme levels of spin and charge, leading to some peculiar properties. For instance, their surface gravity is zero, meaning they don’t attract objects in the usual way. This has led many physicists to believe that their formation was impossible.
In 1973, Stephen Hawking and colleagues proposed four “laws of black hole thermodynamics” which seemed to support this view. Their third law stated that a black hole’s surface gravity could not decrease to zero in a finite amount of time, effectively ruling out extremal black holes.
However, a new mathematical proof by Christoph Kehle of MIT and Ryan Unger of Stanford and UC Berkeley has overturned this long-held theory. Their work demonstrates that there’s nothing preventing the formation of extremal black holes, challenging the third law of black hole thermodynamics.
“This is a beautiful example of math giving back to physics,” said Elena Giorgi, a mathematician at Columbia University.
This discovery could have significant implications for our understanding of the universe, potentially opening up a realm of new possibilities. While the existence of extremal black holes has yet to be confirmed by observation, the theoretical proof suggests they could exist in the cosmos.
“Just because a mathematical solution exists that has nice properties doesn’t necessarily mean that nature will make use of it,” said Gaurav Khanna of the University of Rhode Island. “But if we somehow find one, that would really [make] us think about what we are missing.”
The implications of this discovery extend beyond the realm of theoretical physics. It could also help us understand near-extremal black holes, which are believed to be much more common. As our understanding of the universe continues to expand, the existence of these enigmatic objects could challenge our current theories and open up new avenues of scientific inquiry.
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