Comment on "Multidimensional arrow of time" (arXiv:2601.14134)

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Authors: Andrei Galiautdinov
Cited by: 1

Abstract

In a recent preprint [arXiv:2601.14134v1], Rubin argues that the arrow of time originates from the monotonic growth of the volume of extra dimensions. While the identification of a geometric origin for time's arrow is compelling in the case of brane-world models, we point out a possible tension between the proposed volume growth and the observational stability of the effective four-dimensional Newton's gravitational constant, G, that may arise in Kaluza-Klein (KK) theory. In standard KK approaches, such volume growth induces a time-variation of G that exceeds Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) and Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) bounds by many orders of magnitude. To resolve this tension while preserving the author's key insight in the Kaluza-Klein case, we propose an extension: the "shape-dynamic arrow of time". By utilizing the scale-invariant monotonicity of Perelman's nu-entropy under normalized Ricci flow, we demonstrate how an arrow of time can emerge from the geometric smoothing of extra dimensions at fixed volume, thereby satisfying observational constraints on fundamental constants.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Black Holes and Theoretical Physics Cosmology and Gravitation Theories Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories

Publication details

Journal / source
arXiv (Cornell University)
Publication date
27 January 2026
Document type
Preprint