The Holographic Principle in a Cosmological Setting

Abstract

We study the holographic principle in a cosmological context. First, entropy bounds are derived from the holographic principle and applied within a Anti-de Sitter spacetime. Next, the compatibility of the holographic principle and de Sitter spacetime is considered. The holographic principle is a general feature of any theory of quantum gravity. Hence, it should be compatible with any cosmological model that strives to describe our universe. By studying this compatibility, the feasibility of different cosmological models can thus be assesed. For Anti-de Sitter spacetime a satisfactory implementation of the holographic principle has been obtained in the AdS/CFT correspondence. Also, there has been significant progress recently in describing the holographic principle in a flat background. A logical next step would then be to consider positively curved space, or de Sitter space. After reviewing recent work we propose a novel perspective on de Sitter space which may facilitate implementing the holographic principle in de Sitter spacetime.