This long-sought image provided the strongest evidence to date for the existence of supermassive black holes and opened a new window onto the study of black holes, their event horizons, and gravity.

This idea aligns with Einstein’s theory of relativity, which describes black holes as three dimensional, simple, spherical, and smooth, as they appear in that famous image.

The holographic principle applied to black holes.

To study black holes, the two authors of the research, Francesco Benini (SISSA Professor, ICTP scientific consultant and INFN researcher) and Paolo Milan (SISSA and INFN researcher), used an idea almost 30 years old, but still surprising, called the holographic principle.

… apply the theory of the holographic principle to black holes.

Just think of the observation of gravitational waves from the fusion of black holes result of the collaboration between LIGO and Virgo or, indeed, that of the black hole made by the Event Horizon Telescope that produced this extraordinary image.

Bottom line: The theory of relativity describes black holes as being spherical, smooth and simple!

Two scientists in Italy have applied the theory of the holographic principle to black holes in a way that appears to resolve this duality