Roy Kerr
Roy P. Kerr | |
|---|---|
Kerr in 2024 | |
| Born | 16 May 1934 Kurow, New Zealand |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Education | St. Andrew's College, Christchurch |
| Alma mater |
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| Known for | Kerr metric Kerr–Newman metric Kerr–Schild perturbations |
| Awards | Hector Medal (1982) Hughes Medal (1984) Rutherford Medal (1993) Albert Einstein Medal (2013) Crafoord Prize (2016) Oskar Klein Medal (2020) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | University of Canterbury Syracuse University |
| Thesis | Equations of Motion in General Relativity (1960) |
Roy Patrick Kerr CNZM FRS FRSNZ (/kɜːr/; born 16 May 1934) is a New Zealand mathematician who discovered the Kerr geometry, an exact solution to the Einstein field equation of general relativity. His solution models the gravitational field outside an uncharged rotating massive object, including a rotating black hole. His solution to Einstein's equations predicted spinning black holes before they were discovered.