The black hole connection
A new formula, inspired by the mysterious work of Srinivasa Ramanujan, could improve our understanding of black holes.
Devised by Ken Ono of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, the formula concerns a type of function called a mock modular form (see main story). These functions are now used to compute the entropy of black holes. This property is linked to the startling prediction by Stephen Hawking that black holes emit radiation.