This classification defines how one universe can relate to other universes that probably exist in a common medium or higher level structure. Despite this page being ultimately about universes or universe level structures, it could potentially be applied to any verse of any level, to any cosmological structure.
Geometrical Relation[]
This type of relation occurs when the universes exist on a shared medium, usually a space of some kind. This could just be a larger universe with one additional space dimension. A 4D verse could contain many smaller 3D universes inside it. The outer "4th dimension" could be considered a dimension shared by all inner 3D universes.
In order to move from one such universe to another one only needs to change direction appropriately to move through that "4th dimension" to one's desired destination or to move through the 4D space entirely. These additional directions are usually referred as "ana" and "kata".
It is perfectly possible to consider these larger 4D universes that contain smaller 3D universes inside them as being the equivalent or even actual multiverses instead. And because one can continue to build up and generalize this relation to a 5D universe containing smaller 4D universes, a nD universe containing smaller (n-1)D universes and so on up to different values of arbitrary finite or infinite dimensions, it can also be generalized to being identical to larger structures than even the multiverse, up to the Omniverse probably. This chain of verses containing verses is called the archverse chain.
Although these relations usually apply to spatial dimensions and are mostly described as such they could also apply to temporal dimensions or even to other types of dimensions. Two universes could have their temporal dimensions relate to each other in a geometrical way.
Parallel[]
In this case all such universes exist parallel to each other, never touching and having no points in common. In order to cross from one to another one needs to move through the higher dimensional space.
Examples:
- The models of Brane Cosmology usually represent many universes in Branes parallel to each other. Collisions between such Branes are then hypothesized as being the causes for Big Bang events.
Perpendicular[]
This case occurs when the universes have a single common point between them and they form an 90º angle equivalent in higher dimension between them. This common point could allow for easier crossing between them.
Examples:
Other[]
The universes can have any other geometrical relationship between them. They could share a single point like with the perpendicular case but forming different angles between them or they could share more than one point between them due to one or both them being curved in some way. Possible curvatures could also allow them to have no points in common without them actually being parallel.
Examples:
- An extreme example is of two or more universes that completely share the same space, not only having their spacial dimensions touching each other but actually overlapping. They could remain separate by existing in different states of matter like vibrating at different states or similar, making them intangible and invisible to each other. This idea is better developed on the Universes by Commonality page.
Temporal Relation[]
When two universes exist in a temporal relation with each other it means that they exist at different points in time of a temporal dimension higher than their owns. Only after the "end of time" in one such universe occurs does the "beginning of time" in another happens. They can still have infinite timelines internally though. It is the external, higher level time line that relates them and that counts for this.
Another possibility is for each point of the external timeline to represent an entire timeline of a universe. Somewhat similar to if all of those existed in parallel to each other as lines on a 2 dimensional plane, as described above under geometrical relations.
Examples:
- An example of several universes existing in a temporal relation to each other is a set of universes that form a temporal loop. The dead of universe A leads to the birth of universe B that is followed by C and so on to an eventual point in which universe A is born again and the loop restarts. The universe A in this example is actually the same in both points in the loop. The entire timeline of universe A repeats itself with every event occurring again in exactly the same way every time the loop returns to that same place. A less strict variant of this concept is when the internal timeline of each universe and all events occurring inside it don't repeat themselves exactly but only partially, to some extent. Related and similar events happen again and again, situations are repeated in a way that they could be said to be metaphors of each other. In the extreme such a loop could occur with a single universe being reborn right after its own destruction and starting all over again each time. Maybe it perfects itself with each repetition, maybe its just trapped in an extremely large temporal anomaly where the repeating loop consists of its entire timeline, therefore preventing anyone inside it from noticing.
Other[]
Whenever universes relate to each other in any other way possible.
Examples:
- Any universe that contains one or more portals directly to other universes with which they have no other type of relation. Hubworlds are examples of these.
No Relations with other Universes[]
Any universe that is completely separate and exists in an unrelated state to all other universes. It can still exist inside the same multiverse but there is probably no easy way of crossing from it to another.
Examples:
- Any universe that has been specifically cut out and artificially isolated from all others, with all possible portals being closed in someway. Some of these have been called Universe Traps.