Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2025/iii/paper-311/4/a/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 311 4 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The second law of black-hole mechanics states that the area of spatial cross-sections of a future event horizon cannot decrease toward the future, provided the null energy condition and the standard global assumptions hold.
Let be an affinely parametrized horizon generator. It is hypersurface-orthogonal, so its null twist vanishes. The Null Raychaudhuri equation in dimensions and the Einstein equation giveIf , integration implies that diverges to within affine distance at most . The resulting focal point would make the generator leave the achronal boundary that defines the event horizon, contradicting its assumed future completeness. Hence everywhere. Since null expansion obeysevery horizon area element, and therefore every complete cross-section area, is nondecreasing.
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