Abstract
The existence of black holes is a remarkable prediction of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. The prediction was spectacularly confirmed by the detection at LIGO in 2015 of the gravitational waves emitted by a black hole merger. Despite this, the status of black holes in a more complete description of our universe including quantum mechanics has long remained mysterious, presenting puzzles for theorists which still remain unsolved.
The AdS/CFT Correspondence is a "holographic" duality between gravity and quantum field theory (QFT) which has provided new tools for studying the physics of black holes. It has also led to progress in understanding the behaviour of QFT at strong coupling.
In my talk, I will review the correspondence and some of the insights it has provided. I will also discuss the future prospects for resolving some of the hardest outstanding questions.