  This study reviews the advances made in inflationary theory, especially
regarding the seeming disparity between inflation energy and dark energy, and
their significance to cosmic evolution as a whole. I attempt to connect the two
sources of expansion and thereby enhance the predictive capacity of the
consensus model. I also attempt to contrast its strengths and weaknesses with
those of the cyclic theory developed by Turok and Steinhardt, particularly
where cosmic evolution over larger time scales is concerned. Furthermore, I
endeavor to provide a physical meaning to the existence and workings of dark
energy as well as dark matter in the cyclic model (as compared to their simply
being extra parameters in the inflation picture), so that each observed
component of the universe is given significance.

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology