Related papers: Finite Action Principle Revisited
General relativity allows for inhomogeneous and anisotropic universes with finite action. By contrast, in quadratic gravity such solutions obtain infinite action and are thus eliminated. What remains are homogeneous and isotropic solutions…
Over 30 years ago, Barrow & Tipler proposed the principle according to which the action integrated over the entire 4-manifold describing the universe should be finite. Here we explore the cosmological consequences of a related criterion,…
Setting aside anthropic arguments, there is no reason why the universe should initially favour a net expanding phase rather than one experiencing a net contraction. However, a collapsing universe containing "normal" matter will end at a…
We construct an effective action for gravity in which all homogeneous solutions are nonsingular. In particular, there is neither a big bang nor a big crunch. The action is a higher derivative modification of Einstein's theory constructed in…
The properties of future singularities are investigated in the universe dominated by dark energy including the phantom-type fluid. We classify the finite-time singularities into four classes and explicitly present the models which give rise…
A unified theory of all forces should be nonsingular. In such a unified theory, Einstein's general relativity will be a very low curvature effective theory. At larger curvatures, new terms will become important. The question then arises as…
In this note, we prove analytic bounds on the equation of state of a cosmological fluid composed of an arbitrary number of canonical scalars evolving in a negative multi-exponential potential. Because of the negative energy, the universe is…
One or two negative mass singularities are found to occur in static inhomogeneous spatially closed solutions to the Einstein equations. The singularities produce a positive Komar mass, and this decreases the size of the cosmological…
We consider the cosmological evolution of a flat anisotropic Universe in $f(T)$ gravity in the presence of a perfect fluid. It is shown that the matter content of the Universe has a significant impact of the nature of a cosmological…
Based on the conjecture that rather than the second law of thermodynamics inevitably be breached as matter approaches a big crunch or a black hole singularity, the order of events should reverse, a model of the universe that resolves a…
We describe the cosmological dynamics of perfect fluids within the framework of effective field theories. The effective action is a derivative expansion whose terms are selected by the symmetry requirements on the relevant long-distance…
We consider a general two-dimensional gravity model minimally or nonminimally coupled to a scalar field. The canonical form of the model is elucidated, and a general solution of the equations of motion in the massless case is reviewed. In…
General relativity allows a variety of future singularities to occur in the evolution of the universe. At these future singularities, the universe will end in a singular state after a finite proper time and geometrical invariants of the…
In this paper we study the final fate of the universe in modified theories of gravity. As compared with general relativistic formulations, in these scenarios the Friedmann equation has additional terms which are relevant for low density…
Modified theories of gravity have recently been studied by several authors as possibly viable alternatives to the cosmological concordance model. Such theories attempt to explain the accelerating expansion of the universe by changing the…
We present a general form for the solution of an expanding general-relativistic Friedmann universe that encounters a singularity at finite future time. The singularity occurs in the material pressure and acceleration whilst the scale…
We study the dynamics of homogeneous, isotropic universes which are governed by the Eddington-inspired alternative theory of gravity which has a single extra parameter, $\kappa$. Previous results showing singularity-avoiding behaviour for…
We discuss cosmological models for an eternal universe. Physical observables show no singularity from the infinite past to the infinite future. While the universe is evolving, there is no beginning and no end - the universe exists forever.…
The conservation law for the angular momentum in curved spacetime, consistent with relativistic quantum mechanics, requires that the antisymmetric part of the affine connection (torsion tensor) is a variable in the principle of least…
In a recent paper it was suggested that inclusion of mutual gravitational interactions among the collapsing particles can avert a singularity and give finite value for various physical quantities. In this paper we extend this idea further…