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Stability in Cosmology, from Einstein to Inflation

McCoy, C.D. (2020) Stability in Cosmology, from Einstein to Inflation. Thinking About Space and Time. pp. 71-89.

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Abstract

I investigate the role of stability in cosmology through two episodes from the recent history of cosmology: (1) Einstein’s static universe and Eddington’s demonstration of its instability, and (2) the flatness problem of the hot big bang model and its claimed solution by inflationary theory. These episodes illustrate differing reactions to instability in cosmological models, both positive ones and negative ones. To provide some context to these reactions, I also situate them in relation to perspectives on stability from dynamical systems theory and its epistemology. This reveals, for example, an insistence on stability as an extreme position in relation to the spectrum of physical systems which exhibit degrees of stability and fragility, one which has a pragmatic rationale, but not any deeper one.


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Item Type: Published Article or Volume
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
McCoy, C.D.casey.mccoy@yonsei.ac.kr0000-0002-7921-4911
Keywords: cosmology, stability, flatness problem
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Cosmology
General Issues > History of Science Case Studies
Depositing User: Dr. Casey McCoy
Date Deposited: 27 Oct 2020 13:45
Last Modified: 27 Oct 2020 13:45
Item ID: 18317
Journal or Publication Title: Thinking About Space and Time
Publisher: Birkhauser
DOI or Unique Handle: 10.1007/978-3-030-47782-0_4
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Cosmology
General Issues > History of Science Case Studies
Date: 30 September 2020
Page Range: pp. 71-89
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/18317

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