A cosmic book

Modern theories of the origin of large-scale structure depend on a variety of stimulating new ideas about the physics of the early Universe. In the absence of clean observational tests one can obtain figures of merit for the theories by counting and weighing the plausibility of each of those basic elements that are not substantially supported by observation or mature fundamental theory. A survey of the speculative elements of the leading rival theories illustrates the exciting and highly uncertain state of research in the physics of the early Universe. (author)