Before 1929 many cosmologists were using Einstein General Theory of Relativity to define a static universe or one that does not change with time. Einstein was so convinced of this that he added in an “adhoc” manner a cosmological constant to it to force it to agree with that belief. But in that year Edwin Hubble made discovered that the universe was not static but expanding. This observation that the universe was not static lead Einstein to say that adding a cosmos constant was one his biggest blunders.
Yet modern cosmologists still use his theory to define the evolution of the universe because removing it as Einstein had done allowed it conform to Hubble’s observations with one important exception.
Hubble observations suggests that our three dimensional universe is undergoing an expansion towards a higher spatial dimension. Unfortunately the General Theory of Relativity contains only three spatial and one time dimension.
Therefore, to explain the observed spatial expansion of three-dimensional space one would have to assume the existence of a another *spatial* or fourth *spatial* dimension in addition to the three spatial and one time dimension that Einstein’s theories contain to account for that observation.
This would be true if Einstein had not given us a means of converting the geometric properties of his space-time universe to one consisting of only four *spatial* dimensions.
Einstein defined the geometric properties of a space-time in terms of a dynamic balance between mass and energy defined by the equation E=mc^2. However when he used the constant velocity of light in that equation to define that balance he provided a method of converting a unit of time in a space-time environment with unit of space in four *spatial* dimensions. Additionally because the velocity of light is constant he also defined a one to one quantitative correspondence between his space-time universe and one made up of four *spatial* dimensions.
Doing so not only always one to understand in terms of Einstein’s General theory how three-dimensional space can be expanding towards a higher or fourth *spatial* dimension but also allows one to define the mechanism responsible for that expansion.
For example the one to one to quantitatively and qualitative correspond between the time properties of energy in a space-time universe and its spatial properties in of four *spatial* dimensions is one the bases of assuming as was done in the article “Defining energy†Nov 27, 2007 that all forms of energy can be derived in terms of a spatial displacement in a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension.
In other words one can use Einstein’s equations to quantitatively define energy in terms of a spatial displacement in a “surface” of a three-dimensional space manifold with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimensions instead of one in a space-time environment.
However we know from the study of thermodynamics that energy flows from areas of high to ones with low density very similar to how water flows form an elevated or “high density” point to a lower one.
For example if the walls of an above ground pool filled with water collapse the elevated two-dimensional surface of the water will flow or expand and accelerate outward towards the three-dimensional environment sounding it.
Yet we know from observations of the cosmic background radiation that presently our three-dimensional universe has an average energy component equal to about 3.7 degrees Kelvin.
However this means that according to concepts developed in the article “Defining energy” (mentioned earlier) the three-dimensional “surface” of our universe which has an average energy component of 3.7 degree Kelvin would be elevated with respect to a fourth *spatial* dimension.
Yet this means similar to the two dimensional surface of the water in the pool three-dimensional space will flow or expand outward in the four dimensional or space time environment that Einstein showed us surrounded it.
This shows that one can developed a complete understanding of how and why three-dimensional space appears to be expanding towards a higher space in terms of a space time universe define Einstein’s General Theory of relativity
Later Jeff
Copyright 2010 Jeffrey O’Callaghan