Future Completeness, $C^0$-Inextendibility and Cauchy Horizons in Homogeneous Einstein Spacetimes

Abstract

We prove the future-completeness conjecture of Gödeke and Rendall for expanding spatially homogeneous vacuum spacetimes in four spatial dimensions. More generally, an expansion-energy estimate gives future timelike and null geodesic completeness for homogeneous Einstein equations coupled to maps into complete Riemannian targets, through nine spatial dimensions for vanishing potential. In arbitrary dimension we obtain an affine-length criterion which includes positive potential floors and potentials that decay sufficiently slowly along the scalar trajectory. For future-global homogeneous solutions, the critical nine-dimensional bound also holds for a general stress tensor in an explicit normal energy-condition window, including a broad range of perfect fluids. At the opposite time end, we establish a quotient-stable $C^0$-inextendibility criterion for two-step nilpotent cosmologies. Its proof combines boundary localization with an optimal, intrinsically defined allocation of the central correction in timelike homotopies, and continues to apply when the diameter of compact spatial slices collapses. Exact Heisenberg solutions realize both conclusions. On every fixed compact Bianchi~II quotient, the expanding invariant vacuum data split into an open dense set with globally $C^0$-inextendible developments and a codimension-two locally rotationally symmetric locus with analytic compact Cauchy horizons. We determine the chronology-violating region of the exceptional extensions and quantify the exponentially small proper-time scale on which transverse anisotropy replaces the horizon by a singular end.