Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 311 3 b Solution 2026-09-28
The second law of black-hole mechanics states that, assuming the null energy condition and the usual predictability hypotheses, the area of cross-sections of a future event horizon never decreases toward the future.
Indeed, the horizon generators form a hypersurface-orthogonal null congruence, so their twist vanishes. If the expansion were negative anywhere, the null focusing theorem would make it diverge to within finite affine parameter, provided the generator extends that far. This produces a conjugate point, after which the generator cannot remain on an achronal set such as an event horizon. Future completeness rules out the alternative that the generator simply ends first. Therefore everywhere, and