Abstract

The emergent gravity paradigm allows one to view the expansion of the universe as a quest for holographic equipartition. This perspective suggests introducing a new, dimensionless, conserved number N_c (‘CosMIn’) which counts the number of modes crossing the Hubble radius during the three phases of evolution of the universe, viz., the inflationary phase, the matter/radiation dominated phase and the late time acceleration phase. Theoretical considerations suggest that N_c ≈ 4π. This single postulate leads us to the correct, observed, numerical value of the cosmological constant! This approach also provides a unified picture of cosmic evolution relating the early inflationary phase to the late accelerating phase.