Contents
Roger Penrose
The mathematical physicist who showed that black-hole formation follows robustly from general relativity.
Singularity theorem · Penrose tilings
- Born
- 8 August 1931
- Birthplace
- United Kingdom
More people
Roger Penrose
Roger Penrose uses geometry to investigate gravity and the universe. His work also extends to non-repeating tilings, visual paradoxes and popular books about physics.
Early life
Scientific family
Grew up in a family that included scientists and artists.
Mathematics
Studied at University College London and Cambridge.
Career
- 1957
Doctorate
Completed research in algebraic geometry at Cambridge.
- 1965
Black-hole theorem
Published a key result about gravitational collapse.
- 1973
Oxford
Became Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics.
- 1998
Emeritus professor
Retired from the Rouse Ball chair while continuing research and writing.
Contributions
Singularity theorem
Established a central result about collapsing matter.
Penrose tilings
Developed patterns that cover a plane without repeating periodically.
Nobel Prize in Physics
Recognised the black-hole formation result.
Beyond physics
Art and geometry
Exchanged ideas with M. C. Escher about impossible figures.
Popular writing
Wrote The Emperor’s New Mind and The Road to Reality.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Nobel Prize — biography and research ↗Photo: Cirone-Musi, Festival della Scienza. CC BY-SA 2.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
