Why did the Universe Start from a Low Entropy State?

Abstract

In previous work, we showed that the answer to the question posed in the title cannot be found within an equilibrium setting. The inclusion of {\em dynamical} backreaction effects from massive long wavelength modes on the initial DeSitter patches results in gravitational instabilities that cleanse the phase space of inflationary initial conditions of all regions except those allowing high energy inflation. This interplay between the matter and gravitational degrees of freedom explains why ergodicity is broken and why the Universe starts in an out-of equlibrium state with low entropy. Here we argue that this reduction of the phase space of inflationary initial conditions implies that an inflationary universe is incompatible with holography inspired proposals such as causal patch physics and D (N)-bounds. We also discuss why chaotic or eternal inflation may not resolve the puzzle of the initial conditions and of the arrow of time.