A conceptual framework is proposed in which cosmic evolution originates from a pre-temporal equilibrium state characterized by exactly zero coarse-grained entropy, termed the Zero-Entropy Vacuum Origin Universe (ZEVOU). In such a state, the absence of entropy gradients implies that conventional thermodynamic time has no operational meaning. Temporal direction emerges only when an infinitesimal instability raises entropy from precisely zero to a non-zero value (“0+”), thereby permitting irreversible processes and dynamical evolution. Unlike standard cosmological models that assume special low-entropy initial conditions, the ZEVOU framework interprets these conditions as natural consequences of symmetry breaking from a perfectly ordered state. The approach therefore replaces postulated boundary conditions with a logically motivated origin scenario while remaining largely within established physical principles. No modification of known dynamical laws is required at macroscopic scales; rather, the proposal concerns the preconditions under which such laws become applicable. Conceptual consistency with thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and cosmology is examined, along with implications for the origin of the arrow of time. Open questions regarding stability, quantum fluctuations, and possible mathematical formalization are also discussed. The framework is presented as a minimal hypothesis addressing the long-standing problem of why the universe began in an exceptionally low-entropy state.
Atul Prasad (2026) studied this question.