Holographic inflation

Abstract

Using the de Sitter/CFT correspondence we describe a scenario of holographic inflation which is driven by a three dimensional boundary field theory. We find that inflationary constraints severely restrict the β-function and the value of the C-function of the boundary theory but not the anomalous dimensions. The scenario is consistent with predictions such as ε ≪ η, nT < 0.04, Ptensor/P scalar < 0.08 and H < 1014 GeV. We consider some simple boundary theories and find that they do not lead to inflation. Thus, building an acceptable holographic inflation model remains a challenge. We also describe holographic quintessence and find that it closely resembles a cosmological constant. © SISSA/ISAS 2004.