Navigating permanent underdetermination in dark energy and inflationary cosmology

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Wolf, William J., Read, James
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Wolf, William J.
Read, James
author_facet Wolf, William J.
Read, James
contents We identify troubling cases of so-called `permanent underdetermination' in both dark energy and inflationary cosmology. We bring to bear (a) a taxonomy of possible responses to underdetermination, and (b) an understanding of both dark energy and inflationary cosmology from an effective field theory point of view. We argue that, under certain conditions, there are viable responses which can arguably alleviate at least some of the concerns about underdetermination in the dark energy and inflationary sectors. However, the epistemic threat of permanent underdetermination remains a significant challenge.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_13521
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Navigating permanent underdetermination in dark energy and inflationary cosmology
Wolf, William J.
Read, James
History and Philosophy of Physics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
We identify troubling cases of so-called `permanent underdetermination' in both dark energy and inflationary cosmology. We bring to bear (a) a taxonomy of possible responses to underdetermination, and (b) an understanding of both dark energy and inflationary cosmology from an effective field theory point of view. We argue that, under certain conditions, there are viable responses which can arguably alleviate at least some of the concerns about underdetermination in the dark energy and inflationary sectors. However, the epistemic threat of permanent underdetermination remains a significant challenge.
title Navigating permanent underdetermination in dark energy and inflationary cosmology
topic History and Philosophy of Physics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.13521