---
address: |
    Tata Institute of Fundamental Research,\
    Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005, India\
    E-mail: tpsingh@tifrc3.tifr.res.in
author:
- 'T. P. SINGH'
title: |
    GRAVITATIONAL COLLAPSE, BLACK HOLES AND\
    NAKED SINGULARITIES
---

=cmr8

1.5pt

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Introduction
============

After a star has exhausted its nuclear fuel, it can no longer remain in equilibrium and must ultimately undergo gravitational collapse. The star will end as a white dwarf if the mass of the collapsing core is less than the famous Chandrashekhar limit of 1.4 solar masses. It will end as a neutron star if the core has a mass greater than the Chandrashekhar limit and less than about 3-5 times the mass of the sun. It is often believed that a core heavier than about 5 solar masses will end, not as a white dwarf or as a neutron star, but as a black hole. However, this belief that a black hole will necessarily form is not based on any firm theoretical evidence. An alternate possibility allowed by the theory is that a naked singularity can form, and the purpose of the present article is to review our current understanding of gravitational collapse and the formation of black holes 