Black Holes as Pole Stars for Quantum Gravity

by Dr Pratik Rath (TIFR, Mumbai)

Monday 13 Apr 2026, 16:00 → 17:00 Asia/Kolkata

AG66 and zoom

Black holes provide a precise arena where gravity, quantum mechanics, and thermodynamics intersect, with their interplay giving rise to the information puzzle. This makes them a central guide in the search for a theory of quantum gravity. Recent progress has been driven by two complementary themes: quantum information and the gravitational path integral. Toy models such as random tensor networks and two-dimensional Jackiw–Teitelboim gravity play an important role in bringing these ideas together.

In this talk, I will review how these tools have advanced our understanding of quantum gravity, highlighted by a calculation of the celebrated Page curve of black hole evaporation. These tools illustrate how spacetime can emerge as an effective thermodynamic description of underlying quantum degrees of freedom. Finally, I will discuss how recent developments in the black hole information problem open new avenues for connecting these ideas to broader questions, including aspects of cosmology.