The Nature of Space and Time

"This elegant little volume provides a clear account of two approaches to some of the greatest unsolved problems of gravitation and cosmology."--John Barrow, New Scientist "A debate between Hawking and Penrose ... raises the reader's expectations of a lively interaction, and this is fully bourne in the transcribed discussion... Hawking's effervescent sense of humour frequently enlivens the text."--Joseph Silk, Times Higher Education Praise for Princeton's previous editions:: "If there were such a thing as the World Professional Heavyweight Theory Debating Society, this would be the title bout."--Christopher Dornan, Toronto Globe & Mail Praise for Princeton's previous editions: "This is a very courteous and intellectually stimulating exchange between two first-rate minds."--Library Journal Praise for Princeton's previous editions: "This is an interesting book to read now, but it promises to become an even more interesting book for future generations of physicists."--Robert M. Wald, Science Praise for Princeton's previous editions: "As well as providing an accurate scientific record of the lectures, the text has lost none of the drama of the original occasion, which stemmed from the almost antithetical views of the two protagonists on almost everything except the classical theory of general relativity."--Gary Gibbons, Physics World Praise for Princeton's previous editions: "I found great satisfaction and not inconsiderable benefit from my efforts... The clarity and brilliance of Hawking's logic would break through in simple straightforward terms... This provided a real thrill."--Lucy Horwitz, Boston Book Review

Stephen Hawking is the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics Emeritus at the University of Cambridge. Roger Penrose is the Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics Emeritus at the University of Oxford.

Foreword by Michael Atiyah vii Acknowledgments ix CHAPTER ONE Classical Theory, Stephen Hawking 3 CHAPTER TWO Structure of Spacetime Singularities, Roger Penrose 27 CHAPTER THREE Quantum Black Holes, Stephen Hawking 37 CHAPTER FOUR Quantum Theory and Spacetime, Roger Penrose 61 CHAPTER FIVE Quantum Cosmololgy, Stephen Hawking 75 CHAPTER SIX The Twistor View of Spacetime, Roger Penrose 105 CHAPTER SEVEN The Debate, Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose 121 AFTERWORD TO THE 2010 EDITION The Debate Continues, Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose 139 References 143