Penrose, Roger

Roger is the Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford. He is renown for his seminal contributions to geometry, mathematical physics and cosmology. The recipient of numerous prizes, he is the author of many papers and books, including The Emperor’s New Mind: Concerning computers, minds, and the laws of physics and its sequel Shadows of the Mind: A search for the missing science of consciousness, both of which argued controversially that the known laws of physics cannot explain consciousness; and The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe, perhaps the most comprehensive single-volume introduction to fundamental mathematics and physics. In 1965, using topological methods, Roger proved an important theorem which, under conditions which he called the existence of a trapped surface, proved that a singularity must occur in a gravitational collapse. Basically under these conditions space-time cannot be continued and classical general relativity breaks down. Roger looked for a unified theory combining relativity and quantum theory since quantum effects become dominant at the singularity. One of his major breakthroughs was his introduction of twistor theory in an attempt to unite relativity and quantum theory. This is a remarkable mathematical theory combining powerful algebraic and geometric methods. In 1996 Roger and Stephen Hawking published The Nature of Space and Time. This book is a record of a debate between the two at the Isaac Newton Institute of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge in 1994. Each of the two gave three lectures given alternately so that each could respond to the other's arguments, and then, in a final session, there is a debate between the two. We quote from Roger’s contribution since he states clearly his own position, and that of Hawking: “At the beginning of this debate Stephen said that he thinks that he is a positivist, whereas I am a Platonist. I am happy with him being a positivist, but I think that the crucial point here is, rather, that I am a realist. Also, if one compares this debate with the famous debate of Bohr and Einstein, some seventy years ago, I should think that Stephen plays the role of Bohr, whereas I play Einstein’s role! For Einstein argued that there should exist something like a real world, not necessarily represented by a wave function, whereas Bohr stressed that the wave function doesn't describe a ‘real’ microworld but only ‘knowledge’ that is useful for making predictions.” As well as important papers on cosmology, Roger continues to publish papers on pure mathematics. He has received many honors for his contributions.