A Consideration of Cosmic Evolution from the Points of View of the Inflationary and Cyclic Theories

TL;DR

This paper reviews inflationary and cyclic theories of cosmic evolution, aiming to connect their mechanisms, clarify the roles of dark energy and dark matter, and compare their predictive capabilities over large time scales.

Contribution

It offers a synthesis of inflationary and cyclic models, providing physical interpretations of dark energy and dark matter within the cyclic framework, and enhances understanding of cosmic evolution.

Findings

Connected inflationary and cyclic expansion mechanisms.

Provided physical explanations for dark energy and dark matter.

Compared strengths and weaknesses of both theories.

Abstract

This study reviews the advances made in inflationary theory, especially regarding the seeming disparity between inflation energy and dark energy, and their significance to cosmic evolution as a whole. I attempt to connect the two sources of expansion and thereby enhance the predictive capacity of the consensus model. I also attempt to contrast its strengths and weaknesses with those of the cyclic theory developed by Turok and Steinhardt, particularly where cosmic evolution over larger time scales is concerned. Furthermore, I endeavor to provide a physical meaning to the existence and workings of dark energy as well as dark matter in the cyclic model (as compared to their simply being extra parameters in the inflation picture), so that each observed component of the universe is given significance.