Came across this paper on arXiv, where it describes a model of the universe as a "flat torus" or "cubic torus".
Now, as far as I understand it (which isn't all that much), a rectangular region in the xy-plane where if you go off the edge you end up on the opposite edge (rather like old computer games like Asteroids) is topologically a torus, but presumably would also be flat.
So is the shape being described basically the same thing but for a cube (i.e. if you go out through one face of the cube you end up on the opposite face)?
Cubic torus universe?
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Re: Cubic torus universe?
chaos syndrome wrote:Came across this paper on arXiv, where it describes a model of the universe as a "flat torus" or "cubic torus".
Now, as far as I understand it (which isn't all that much), a rectangular region in the xy-plane where if you go off the edge you end up on the opposite edge (rather like old computer games like Asteroids) is topologically a torus, but presumably would also be flat.
So is the shape being described basically the same thing but for a cube (i.e. if you go out through one face of the cube you end up on the opposite face)?
One of the authors I know very well since decades. Before becoming a full Professor at Ulm University, he was a colleague of mine at Hamburg University.
I have discussed such finite cubic Universes in my "Purgatory lecture" some time ago:
http://www.celestiaproject.net/forum/viewtopic ... c&start=16
Bye Fridger