The Future of Theoretical Physics and Cosmology: Celebrating Stephen Hawking's Contributions to Physics

Stephen William Hawking, G. W. Gibbons, E. P. S. Shellard, S. J. Rankin

Cambridge University Press, Oct 23, 2003 - Science - 879 pages

This book comprises contributions from the world's leading theoretical physicists. It begins with an introductory section with popular-level lectures and then goes on to provide a critical evaluation of more advanced subjects in modern cosmology and theoretical physics. Topics covered include the origin of the universe, warped spacetime, cosmological singularities, quantum gravity, black holes, string theory, quantum cosmology and inflation. This book provides an overview of the wide variety of subject areas to which Stephen Hawking has contributed.

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Contents

• Brandon Carter Department dAstrophysique Rela: 5
• Popular symposium: 15
• Theories of everything and Hawkings wave function: 38
• implications: 51
• Chris Isham Department of Physics: 73
• Warping spacetime: 74
• Sixty years in a nutshell: 105
• Spacetime singularities: 119
• The quantum physics of chronology protection: 161
• Energy dominance and the HawkingEllis vacuum: 177
• Black holes: 203
• Black holes in the real universe and their prospects: 217
• Primordial black holes: 236
• Black hole pair creation: 264
• Black holes at accelerators: 278
• Black holes and string theory: 291
• Playing with black strings: 310
• Twenty years of debate with Stephen: 330
• Quantum gravity: 349
• Zeta functions anomalies and stable branes: 373
• Some reflections on the status of conventional quantum: 384
• Quantum geometry and its ramifications: 409
• Topology change in quantum gravity: 436
• M theory and beyond: 453
• String theory: 468
• A brief description of string theory: 473
• The story of M: 484
• Gauged supergravity and holographic field theory: 494
• Chris Pope: 515
• De Sitter space: 537
• De Sitter space in noncritical string theory: 570
• Supergravity M theory and cosmology: 592
• Quantum cosmology: 613
• Quantum cosmology: 621
• Quantum cosmology and eternal inflation: 649
• Probability in the deterministic theory known: 667
• The interpretation of quantum cosmology and: 675
• What local supersymmetry can do for quantum: 693
• Cosmology: 723
• observational: 755
• The ekpyrotic universe and its cyclic extension: 781
• Inflationary theory versus the ekpyroticcyclic scenario: 801
• Brane new worlds: 839
• Publications of Stephen Hawking: 860
• Index: 873

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Future of Theoretical Physics and Cosmology: Celebrating Stephen Hawking's Contributions to Physics
• Editors: Stephen William Hawking, G. W. Gibbons, E. P. S. Shellard, S. J. Rankin
• Contributors: Stephen William Hawking, E. P. S. Shellard
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2003
• ISBN: 0521820812, 9780521820813
• Length: 879 pages
• Subjects: Science / Cosmology; Science / Physics / Astrophysics; Science / Physics / General; Science / Physics / Mathematical & Computational; Science / Physics / Nuclear