Black holes: a major paper inscribed by the author in his own hand - photo 1
Black holes: a major paper inscribed by the author in his own hand - photo 2
Black holes: a major paper inscribed by the author in his own hand - photo 3

Black holes: a major paper inscribed by the author in his own hand

Sold
£ 27 500
Auction dateClassic
16.07.2020 06:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 370023
Lot 34 | Black holes: a major paper inscribed by the author in his own hand
Stephen Hawking (1942-2018).

'The Occurrence of Singularities in Cosmology. II' Offprint from: Proceedings of the Royal Society, A, 295, pp.490-493. Cambridge: University Press, 1966.

Extraordinarily rare author's presentation copy – inscribed in Hawking's own hand – of one of his most important papers. After studying as an undergraduate at Oxford, Hawking moved to Trinity Hall, Cambridge for his graduate studies in October 1962. However, his first year at Trinity Hall coincided with the diagnosis of his motor neurone disease, leading to a period of depression in which he abandoned his studies, only resuming them after it became clear the prognosis that he had only two years to live was unfounded. The present work is one of a small number of Hawking's works that were personally inscribed by the author, before his worsening illness made this an impossibility.

In October 1965, Hawking submitted his PhD thesis, Properties of expanding universes, in which he examined the implications and consequences of the expansion of the universe. The final chapter looked at the occurrence of singularities [black holes] in cosmological models: 'It is shown that a singularity is inevitable provided that certain very general conditions are satisfied'. This set the direction of his future work – particularly in his interest in singularity theorems – as well as his style, combining popularising flair with a willingness to challenge received wisdom.

Consequently, in 1966, Hawking was awarded a research fellowship at Gonville and Caius, and he published two further papers on the occurrence of singularities (the present lot is the second one). This work would culminate in his extended essay Singularities and the geometry of space-time (December 1966), Hawking's prize-winning submission for the Adams Prize. In his introduction to this latter work, Hawking wrote: 'Undoubtedly, the most important results are the theorems in Chapter 5 on the occurrence of singularities. These seem to imply either that the General Theory of Relativity breaks down or that there could be particles whose histories did not exist before (or after) a certain time. The author's own opinion is that the theory probably does break down but only when quantum gravitational effects become important'.

The Adams Prize is awarded by the University of Cambridge for distinguished research in the mathematical sciences: it is one of the most prestigious of the university's prizes. Hawking's essay was joint-winner of the 1966 prize, alongside an essay by Roger Penrose, presaging an important period of close collaboration between the two over subsequent years.

Octavo (254 x 170mm), bifolium (heavy dampstain at bottom margin extending into last 5 lines of text, some light crumpling and creasing). Provenance: author's presentation copy inscribed 'With love, Stephen' in his hand to upper margin of first page – the estate of the late Professor Stephen Hawking.
Category:Book
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
24.06.2020 – 16.07.2020
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.