Space-like singularities of general relativity: a phantom menace?

Quantum field theory on curved space or space-time backgrounds (81T20) Quantization of the gravitational field (83C45) Space-time singularities, cosmic censorship, etc. (83C75) Relativistic cosmology (83F05) Geometrodynamics and the holographic principle (83E05) History of relativity and gravitational theory (83-03)

Abstract: The big bang and the Schwarzschild singularities are space-like. They are generally regarded as the "final frontiers" at which space-time ends and general relativity breaks down. We review the status of such space-like singularities from three increasingly more general perspectives. They are provided by (i) A reformulation of classical general relativity motivated by the Belinskii, Khalatnikov, Lifshitz conjecture on the behavior of the gravitational field near space-like singularities; (ii) The use of test quantum fields to probe the nature of these singularities; and, (iii) An analysis of the fate of these singularities in loop quantum gravity due to quantum geometry effects. At all three levels singularities turn out to be less menacing than one might a priori expect from classical general relativity. Our goal is to present an overview of the emerging conceptual picture and suggest lines for further work. In line with the emph{Introduction to Current Research} theme, we have made an attempt to make it easily accessible to all researchers in gravitational physics.

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