Expert: Jayendra Upadhye - 12/5/2005

Question

I need a very simple (layman;s) denfination- of what is Singularity re:The Big Bang
thank you

Answer
Hi,
In layman's terms, a singularity is a mathematical "point" entity.
As it is but a point, it has none of the 3 dimensions to describe it, as length breadth and depth are all zero.
In this "region", physical laws as we know them naturally cease to exist, and so does time!

Hence we call it a singularity! An exception to all things "normal" around it.
The only thing that describes it to us is its location, and mass which are discernible due to the effect the singularity has on its immediate environs.

Namely it attracts things governed by its mass, and it attracts things that are in 'it's vicinity.

With respect to the bang, a black whole is a mini bang in reverse! so black holes are singularities too.

Only, we all reside in the aftermath of the most primordial singularity of all singularities, the bang.
Since all space as seen now is a consequence of "what happened then", which happened when the universe was very very small to imagine, we see a randomised isotropy "sameness" in the universe in all directions.
This sameness extends to the cosmic background radiation too except for slight variations, which account for the current lumpiness (galaxies, clusters) seen today, in its "small scale" structure.

Jayen