The many definitions of a black hole

Curiel, Erik (January 2019): The many definitions of a black hole. In: Nature Astronomy, No. 3: pp. 27-34

Abstract

Although black holes are objects of central importance across many fields of physics, there is no agreed upon definition for them, a fact that does not seem to be widely recognized. Physicists in different fields conceive of and reason about them in radi- cally different, and often conflicting, ways. All those ways, however, seem sound in the relevant contexts. After examining and comparing many of the definitions used in practice, I consider the problems that the lack of a universally accepted definition leads to, and discuss whether one is in fact needed for progress in the physics of black holes. I conclude that, within reasonable bounds, the profusion of different definitions is in fact a virtue, making the investigation of black holes possible and fruitful in all the many different kinds of problems about them that physicists consider, although one must take care in trying to translate results between fields.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Form of publication: Publisher's Version
• Keywords: black holes; general relativity; astrophysics; semi-classical gravity; quantum gravity
• Faculties: Philosophy, Philosophy of Science and Religious Science > Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy (MCMP); Philosophy, Philosophy of Science and Religious Science > Chair of Philosophy of Science
• Subjects: 100 Philosophy and Psychology > 100 Philosophy; 100 Philosophy and Psychology > 110 Metaphysics; 500 Science > 530 Physics
• ISSN: 2397-3366
• Language: English