What are the two structural components forming the Cosmological Principle?
Answer
Homogeneity and isotropy
The Cosmological Principle, which underpins modern cosmological models like $\Lambda$CDM, is fundamentally built upon two key structural components: homogeneity and isotropy. Homogeneity dictates that matter distribution is uniform across positions when viewing sufficiently large scales, meaning there is no preferred location. Isotropy dictates that the universe appears the same in all directions from any observer's vantage point, meaning there is no preferred direction in space. While often grouped together, these two characteristics are distinct concepts essential for simplifying the mathematics used to model the entire cosmos.
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