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Theoretical arguments and cosmological observations suggest that Einstein's theory of general relativity needs to be modified at high energies. One of the best motivated higher-curvature extensions of general relativity is…
We consider possible resolutions of singularities in a contracting anisotropic universe for a class of higher derivative gravity theories. We give evidence that for our models the big crunch singularity may be replaced by a nearly flat…
The wave function for the quadratic gravity theory derived from the heterotic string effective action is deduced to first order in ${{e^{-\Phi}}\over {g_4^2}}$ by solving a perturbed second-order Wheeler-DeWitt equation, assuming that the…
We consider the no-boundary proposal for homogeneous isotropic closed universes with a cosmological constant and a scalar field with a quadratic potential. In the semi-classical limit, it predicts classical behavior at late times if the…
Is the universe finite or infinite, and what shape does it have? These fundamental questions, of which relatively little is known, are typically studied within the context of the standard model of cosmology where the universe is assumed to…
To find out the possible scenarios for quantum gravity consistent with the observed universe, we numerically investigate the non-perturbative renormalization group equations of a general quadratic gravity theory recently derived by Sen,…
The strong proper time dilation and radial contraction in the gravitational field of compact sources leads to a frozen state of matter. It is shown that the falling particles and photons can not cross the gravitational radius due to the…
We introduce a large family of homogeneous and isotropic cosmological solutions in quadratic gravity which are singularity-free at early and late times. This kind of smooth solutions only emerges beyond the unstable de Sitter branch…
In recent years it has emerged that the high energy behavior of gravity could be governed by an ultraviolet non-Gaussian fixed point of the (dimensionless) Newton's constant, whose behavior at high energy is thus {\it antiscreened}. This…
So far, none of attempts to quantize gravity has led to a satisfactory model that not only describe gravity in the realm of a quantum world, but also its relation to elementary particles and other fundamental forces. Here, we outline the…
I argue that the (extended) Standard Model (SM) of particle physics and the renormalizable Feynman-Weinberg theory of quantum gravity comprise a theory of everything. I show that imposing the appropriate cosmological boundary conditions…
We construct the quartic version of generalized quasi-topological gravity, which was recently constructed to cubic order in arXiv: 1703.01631. This class of theories includes Lovelock gravity and a known form of quartic quasi-topological…
We describe a class of modified gravity theories that deform general relativity in a way that breaks time reversal invariance and, very mildly, locality. The algebra of constraints, local physical degrees of freedom, and their linearized…
A discrete class of privileged reference frames in a closed universe with identical equations of motion for physical degrees of freedom was found. A representation of the quantum state of the universe in a privileged reference frame was…
The observable universe is fundamentally inhomogeneous and anisotropic. Quantum description of the generation of these inhomogeneities and anisotropies is ill-understood and unsatisfactory. After providing a brief account of the standard…
In this paper, we will show that the equations of motion of the quadratic in curvature, ghost free, infinite derivative theory of gravity will not permit an anisotropic collapse of a homogeneous Universe for a Kasner-type vacuum solution.
Closed, singularity-free, inflationary cosmological models have recently been studied in the context of general relativity. Despite their appeal, these so called emergent models suffer from a number of limitations. These include the fact…
We investigate the evolution of the Universe filled with barotropic perfect fluid in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity. We consider both the isotropic and the anisotropic universe. At the early stage when the energy density is high,…
We explore simple but novel bouncing solutions of general relativity that avoid singularities. These solutions require curvature k=+1, and are supported by a negative cosmological term and matter with -1 < w < -1/3. In the case of moderate…
The two-phase structure is imposed on the world continuum, with the graviton emerging as the tensor Goldstone boson during the spontaneous transition from the affinely connected phase to the metric one. The physics principle of…