A medieval multiverse?: Mathematical modelling of the thirteenth century universe of Robert Grosseteste

DOI10.1098/RSPA.2014.0025zbMATH Open1371.85001arXiv1403.0769OpenAlexW3104108958WikidataQ56829642 ScholiaQ56829642MaRDI QIDQ5362256FDOQ5362256

Authors: Richard Bower, Tom C. B. McLeish, Brian K. Tanner, Hannah E. Smithson, Cecilia Panti, Neil Lewis, Giles E. M. Gasper

Publication date: 29 September 2017

Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: In his treatise on light, written in about 1225, Robert Grosseteste describes a cosmological model in which the Universe is created in a big-bang like explosion and subsequent condensation. He postulates that the fundamental coupling of light and matter gives rises to the material body of the entire cosmos. Expansion is arrested when matter reaches a minimum density and subsequent emission of light from the outer region leads to compression and rarefaction of the inner bodily mass so as to create nine celestial spheres, with an imperfect residual core. In this paper we reformulate the Latin description in terms of a modern mathematical model. The equations which describe the coupling of light and matter are solved numerically, subject to initial conditions and critical criteria consistent with the text. Formation of a universe with a non-infinite number of perfected spheres is extremely sensitive to the initial conditions, the intensity of the light and the transparency of these spheres. In this "medieval multiverse", only a small range of opacity and initial density profiles lead to a stable universe with nine perfected spheres. As in current cosmological thinking, the existence of Grosseteste's universe relies on a very special combination of fundamental parameters.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1403.0769

Recommendations

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Biographies, obituaries, personalia, bibliographies (01A70) Astrophysical cosmology (85A40) History of astronomy and astrophysics (85-03) History of mathematics in Late Antiquity and medieval Europe (01A35)

Cited In (1)

Title not available (Why is that?)

This page was built for publication: A medieval multiverse?: Mathematical modelling of the thirteenth century universe of Robert Grosseteste

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q5362256)