Ever since scientists first discovered the existence of black holes in our universe, we have all wondered: what could possibly exist beyond the veil of that terrible void? In addition, ever since the theory of General Relativity was first proposed, scientists have been forced to wonder, what could have existed before the birth of the Universe – i.e. Before the Big Bang?Interestingly enough, these two questions have come to be resolved (after a fashion) with the theoretical existence of something known as a Gravitational Singularity – a point in space-time where the laws of physics as we know them break down. And while there remain challenges and unresolved issues about this theory, many scientists believe that beneath veil of an event horizon, and at the beginning of the Universe, this was what existed. Definition:In scientific terms, a gravitational singularity (or space-time singularity) is a location where the quantities that are used to measure the gravitational field become infinite in a way that does not depend on the coordinate system. In other words, it is a point in which all physical laws are indistinguishable from one another, where space and time are no longer interrelated realities, but merge indistinguishably and cease to have any independent meaning.

The singularity provides, then, a way of setting a boundary to the physical universe. From Cambridge English Corpus As already noted, the preceeding analysis assumes that there are precisely two singularities of 0 nearest the real axis. A singular feeling of impending disaster unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel. A career unique in the annals of science peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness. The peculiar status of America's first lady eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.

This artist’s impression depicts a rapidly spinning supermassive black hole surrounded by an accretion disc. Credit: ESA/Hubble, ESO, M.

Kornmesse Origin of Theory:Singularities were first predicated as a result of Einstein’s, which resulted in the theoretical existence of black holes. In essence, the theory predicted that any star reaching beyond a certain point in its mass (aka. The ) would exert a gravitational force so intense that it would collapse.At this point, nothing would be capable of escaping its surface, including light. This is due to the fact the gravitational force would exceed the speed of light in vacuum – 299,792,458 meters per second (1,079,252,848.8 km/h; 670,616,629 mph).This phenomena is known as the, named after the Indian astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, who proposed it in 1930.

At present, the accepted value of this limit is believed to be 1.39 Solar Masses (i.e. 1.39 times the mass of our Sun), which works out to a whopping 2.765 x 10 30 kg (or 2,765 trillion trillion metric tons). Another aspect of modern General Relativity is that at the time of the Big Bang (i.e.

The initial state of the Universe) was a singularity. Roger Penrose and Stephen Hawking both developed theories that attempted to answer how gravitation could produce singularities, which eventually merged together to be known as the Penrose–Hawking Singularity Theorems. The Big Bang Theory: A history of the Universe starting from a singularity and expanding ever since. Credit: grandunificationtheory.comAccording to the, which he proposed in 1965, a time-like singularity will occur within a black hole whenever matter reaches certain energy conditions.

At this point, the curvature of space-time within the black hole becomes infinite, thus turning it into a trapped surface where time ceases to function.The added to this by stating that a space-like singularity can occur when matter is forcibly compressed to a point, causing the rules that govern matter to break down. Hawking traced this back in time to the Big Bang, which he claimed was a point of infinite density. However, Hawking later revised this to claim that general relativity breaks down at times prior to the Big Bang, and hence no singularity could be predicted by it. Some more recent proposals also suggest that the Universe did not begin as a singularity. These includes theories like, which attempts to unify the laws of quantum physics with gravity.

This theory states that, due to quantum gravity effects, there is a minimum distance beyond which gravity no longer continues to increase, or that interpenetrating particle waves mask gravitational effects that would be felt at a distance. Types of Singularities:The two most important types of space-time singularities are known as Curvature Singularities and Conical Singularities. Singularities can also be divided according to whether they are covered by an event horizon or not. In the case of the former, you have the Curvature and Conical; whereas in the latter, you have what are known as Naked Singularities.A Curvature Singularity is best exemplified by a black hole. At the center of a black hole, space-time becomes a one-dimensional point which contains a huge mass.

As a result, gravity become infinite and space-time curves infinitely, and the laws of physics as we know them cease to function. Conical singularities occur when there is a point where the limit of every general covariance quantity is finite. In this case, space-time looks like a cone around this point, where the singularity is located at the tip of the cone. An example of such a conical singularity is a cosmic string, a type of hypothetical one-dimensional point that is believed to have formed during the early Universe.And, as mentioned, there is the Naked Singularity, a type of singularity which is not hidden behind an event horizon. These were first discovered in 1991 by Shapiro and Teukolsky using computer simulations of a rotating plane of dust that indicated that General Relativity might allow for “naked” singularities.In this case, what actually transpires within a black hole (i.e. Its singularity) would be visible. Such a singularity would theoretically be what existed prior to the Big Bang.

The key word here is theoretical, as it remains a mystery what these objects would look like. For the moment, singularities and what actually lies beneath the veil of a black hole remains a mystery.

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As time goes on, it is hoped that astronomers will be able to study black holes in greater detail. It is also hoped that in the coming decades, scientists will find a way to merge the principles of quantum mechanics with gravity, and that this will shed further light on how this mysterious force operates.We have many interesting articles about gravitational singularities here at Universe Today. Here is, andIf you’d like more info on singularity, check out these articles from.

Professor Brian Keating returns to Open Space to talk about the big concepts in cosmology, from inflation to the largest scale structures. Keating was the Principal Investigator of the BICEP2 experiment, and now he's the Director of the Simons Observatory in Chile.Book is out!Podcast version:ITunes: Fraser's Watching Playlist:email newsletter:Space Hangout:Cast:us at: stories at: us on Twitter: @universetodayLike us on Facebook: - Fraser Cain - @fcain /Karla Thompson - @karlaii / Weber -Support Universe Today podcasts with Fraser Cain.

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Old Frenchsingularité, from Late Latinsingularitas(“singleness”), from Latinsingularis(“single”). See singular.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˌsɪŋɡjəˈlæɹətɪ/

  • Audio (UK)

Noun[edit]

singularity (countable and uncountable, pluralsingularities)

1. the state of being singular, distinct, peculiar, uncommon or unusual
   • 1718, Joseph Addison, Remarks on several parts of Italy, &c. in the years 1701, 1702, 1703‎^[1]:

     I took notice of this little figure for the singularity of the instrument.

   • (Can we date this quote?), Sir Walter Raleigh, The Marrow of Historie, Or, an Epitome of All Historical Passages from the Creation, to the End of the Last Macedonian War‎^[2], published 1650:

     Pliny addeth this ſingularity to the Indian ſoil, that it is without weeds, that the second year the very falling down of the seeds yieldeth corn.

2. a point where all parallel lines meet
3. a point where a measured variable reaches unmeasurable or infinite value
4. (mathematics) the value or range of values of a function for which a derivative does not exist
5. (physics) a point or region in spacetime in which gravitationalforces cause matter to have an infinitedensity; associated with black holes
6. A proposed point in the technological future at which artificial intelligences become capable of augmenting and improving themselves, leading to an explosive growth in intelligence.
7. (obsolete) Anything singular, rare, or curious.
   • c.1610–1611,, Shakespeare, William, The Winter's Tale, Act 5, Scene 3:

     […] [Y]our gallery
     Have we passed through, not without much content
     In many singularities.

8. (obsolete) Possession of a particular or exclusive privilege, prerogative, or distinction.
   • 1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie‎^[3], book 2:

     St. Gregory, being himself a Bishop of Rome, and writing against the title of Universal Bishop, saith thus, 'None of all my predecessors ever consented to use this ungodly title; no bishop of Rome ever took upon him this name of singularity.'

   • 1659, Bishop John Pearson, An Exposition of the Creed‎^[4]:

     Catholicism […] must be understood in opposition to the legal singularity of the Jewish nation.

9. (obsolete)celibacy

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Jeremy Taylor to this entry?)

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• singularity on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• singularity in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• singularity in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• singularity at OneLook Dictionary Search