Didicosm
"Didicosm" is a science-fiction short story by Australian writer Greg Egan, first published in Analog in July/August 2023.
Plot
Charlotte's father introduces her to the concept of endless worlds and possibilities in the universe. Inspired by a book about the universe repeating with changes, he rationalizes his suicide. After both parents die, Charlotte, living with her grandmother, seeks the universe's topology, discovering it to be a didicosm (Hantzsche–Wendt manifold). Her student later explains this shape using quantum gravity, concluding it is canonical. Charlotte returns to her partner, believing she lives in the best possible universe.[1]
Background
While the 3-torus can be depicted as a space-filling repetition of identical cubes, the didicosm is illustrated as a chessboard-like filling with flipped cubes.[1] In 1984, Alexei Starobinsky and Yakov Zeldovich proposed a cosmological model where the universe is a 3-torus.[2]
The first homology of the didicosm is . Greg Egan explains this derivation on his website, which also lists academic papers used for the story's scientific basis.[3]
Reception
SFRevu notes that the story "gets a little technical but [has] an interesting idea".[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Greg Egan (2023-09-01). "Complete Text — Greg Egan". Retrieved 2024-01-22.
- ↑ Overbeye, Dennis. New York Times 11 March 2003: Web. 16 January 2011. “Universe as Doughnut: New Data, New Debate”
- ↑ Greg Egan. "Didicosm: Loops Across Space". Retrieved 2023-10-20.
- ↑ Sam Tomaino. "Analog Science Fiction and Fact – July/August 2023 - Vol. XCIII, Nos. 7 & 8". Retrieved 2024-01-24.
External links
- Didicosm on the website of Greg Egan
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