COSMOLOGICAL MODELS

Two of the most common terms employed in discussing cosmological models are open and closed. They are occasionally misused either by not recognizing or by not making it clear that each term may be used to characterize, independently and simultaneously, both the dynamic behavior and spatial geometric structure of the model under discussion. In addition, the spatial geometric structure implied by the terms open and closed is itself often either misunderstood or misused. Lastly, the role played by the cosmological constant is often improperly slighted. This paper is intended to give several examples of the abuse of terminology and clarify the distinction by means of a brief, elementary overview of Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmological models.