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arXiv · 1507.02287

The Typical-State Paradox: Diagnosing Horizons with Complexity

Leonard Susskind
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Abstract

The concept of transparent and opaque horizons is defined. One example of opaqueness is the presence of a firewall. Two apparently contradictory statements are reconciled: The overwhelming number of black hole states have opaque horizons; and: All black holes formed by natural processes have transparent horizons. A diagnostic is proposed for transparency, namely that the computational complexity of the state be increasing with time. It is shown that opaque horizons are extremely unstable and that the slightest perturbation will make them transparent within a scrambling time.

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Leonard Susskind. 2015-07-08. The Typical-State Paradox: Diagnosing Horizons with Complexity. https://doi.org/10.1002/prop.201500091

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