BKL Bounces Outside Homogeneity

In this General Relativity Seminar, explore Princeton University researcher Warren Li's investigation into BKL bounces in spatially inhomogeneous spacetimes. Learn about the Belinski, Khalatnikov and Lifshitz (BKL) proposal regarding solutions to Einstein vacuum equations near singularities, which suggests that spacetime dynamics at different spatial points decouple and follow a system of autonomous nonlinear ODEs characterized by chaotic "BKL bounces." Discover Li's recent work verifying these heuristics in symmetric but spatially inhomogeneous spacetimes, proving decoupling even with up to one BKL bounce. The presentation details how nonlinear ODE analysis combined with hyperbolic energy estimates validates these theoretical predictions, with potential applications to broader contexts in general relativity.