Stability in Cosmology, from Einstein to Inflation

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

Stability in Cosmology, from Einstein to Inflation

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

Cosmological theory /

"First published in 1937."Includes bibliographies

Resource-Constrained Export-Base Regional Multipliers: A Northian Approach

This paper attempts to rescue the regional export-base growth model from a purely demand-side interpretation. It formally develops the classic Northian approach, where the exploitation of region-specific resources by export-orientated production sectors determines regional growth. In this model, the nature of the regional expansion is shown to be stimulus-specific with the value of the marginal export-base multiplier varying within very wide limits, depending upon key characteristics of the region and the nature of the supply-side shock to the export base. Copyright Blackwell Publishers, 2005