How does inflation explain the rapid expansion of the universe?

[brother time]

like the title says, I am having trouble understanding how the universe expanded at many times the speed of light. does that mean that the light would be distorted or what would happen?
thanks,
BT

 

[Ich]

I am having trouble understanding how the universe expanded at many times the speed of light.

Note that every kind of universal expansion will happen at many times the speed of light, when measured in the usual cosmological coordinates. In these coordinates, velocity is strictly proportional to distance, so for arbitrary distance, you get arbitrary velocity. That's not a problem, though, because these coordinates are not the ones used in special relativity, where this speed limit stems from.

The real difference between "normal" and accelerated expansion (such as inflation) is that there are http://www.chronon.org/articles/cosmichorzns.html"in the latter, i.e. parts of the universe that we can't see, because light from there will never reach us.