Geometric Stress Field (GSF)

This paper introduces the Geometric Stress Field (GSF), a new theoretical framework proposing that spacetime geometry itself stores energy as a universal, non-local stress response to mass-induced displacement. Moving beyond force-based or particle-based explanations, GSF treats dark energy as an emergent consequence of geometric stress accumulated across cosmic scales. By extending the gravitational action with curvature-gradient terms, the framework naturally explains accelerated cosmic expansion without invoking a fundamental cosmological constant, exotic matter fields, or new particles, while remaining fully consistent with General Relativity in local and solar-system regimes. The GSF framework addresses multiple long-standing problems in modern physics within a single geometric mechanism: the physical origin of dark energy, the absence of localized gravitational energy, the scale-dependence of cosmic acceleration, and the motivation for higher dimensions. The model predicts negligible local deviations from Einstein gravity, a slowly evolving dark-energy equation of state distinguishable from ΛCDM, and a natural pathway for dimensional extension as a stress-relief channel of spacetime itself. By reframing cosmic expansion as the macroscopic manifestation of stored geometric stress, this work offers a unified and testable geometric perspective on gravity, cosmology, and dimensional evolution.