The Rules of Cosmological Eternal Recurrence
∃Δ>0∀t(P(t)→s(t)=s(t+Δ))
The entire formula reads: "There exists a positive time interval Δ such that for all times t, if the universe is in a state P(t) at time t, then the complete state of the universe at time t is identical to its complete state at time t+Δ."
Cosmological Eternal Recurrence presents a closed universe committed to perfect repetition. Time is not a river but a loop, unbroken and absolute. After a fixed interval, the entire cosmos resets in exact detail. Every atom returns to its precise position. Every event replays. Every person speaks the same words, suffers the same heartbreak, dies the same death. The laws of this recurrence are strict. There is no divergence, no deviation, no improvisation. You do not relive your life alone. Everyone else returns too. Wars reignite. Victories are re-won. Mistakes are re-made. Even causality resets. Each effect finds its same cause. Each consequence is chained again to its origin. There is no growth, no evolution, only the illusion of change inside an infinite repetition of the same.
Possible Improvements to the Formula
- Clarifying the predicate P(t) by explicitly defining what it represents or removing it if always true, thereby simplifying the formula.
- Specifying the nature of the state s(t), such as including all physical and informational details of the universe.
- Addressing the uniqueness of the interval Δ, like considering whether a minimal positive recurrence period exists.
- Incorporating causality explicitly, by adding conditions that reflect the resetting of causal chains.
- Accounting for the continuity or discreteness of time, by clarifying the temporal framework underlying the model.
Philosophical Implications
The concept of eternal recurrence raises profound questions about free will, the meaning of life, and the nature of time. If every event is destined to repeat infinitely, does this negate individual agency or imbue each moment with ultimate significance?
While primarily a philosophical concept, some cosmological models, particularly those involving cyclic universes or infinite spatial extent, can lend theoretical support to certain interpretations of recurrence. However, empirical evidence remains elusive.