Cosmic inflation
Cosmic inflation is a theoretical phase of accelerated expansion proposed to have occurred in the early universe. It is used to account for large-scale uniformity and the origin of primordial density fluctuations.
Cosmic inflation is discussed in cosmology and theoretical physics.
Status
Inflationary models are evaluated through their consistency with observations of the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure. Multiple formulations exist, and the underlying mechanism remains unresolved.