Hyperspace theory
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Hyperspace theories are concerned with theoretical systems that have more than the familiar three spatial dimensions. Hyperspace theories are largely a mathematical theory but their developers often attempt to make them of use to physicists. Hyperspace theorists generally believe that the laws of nature are simpler in higher dimensions. Hyperspace is also known as the way to travel faster than light speed in Science Fiction.
Superstring theories are a particular class of hyperspace theories that are of interest to physicists who are attempting to find a fundamental physical theory that unites all known physical forces and particles. Such hyperspace theories suggest the possibility that everything in the universe can be described in terms of fundamental physical components that vibrate within the constraints imposed by the multiple extended and compact dimensions of hyperspace.
Current mathematical methods suggest that there are only a few "natural" possibilities for the number of these compacted dimensions.
[edit] Flat hyperspaces
There is a completely separate class of hyperspace theory where "hyperspace" is generally seen as the flat space 'above' (ie faster than) ordinary space. These are called 'Flat hyperspace' theories because they generally assume that space is completely flat and rigidly tied at three spatial dimensions that are fixed in dimensionality up to the largest scales. In most of these theories time is regarded as a single point and not seen as a separate 'dimension'. Obviously gravity cannot then be explained by spatial curvature and another explanation is needed - one method is to allow local inertial frames that can accelerate relative to each other, other possibilities include quantum theories of gravity which are based on things like gravitons or quantum states. These hyperspace theories obviously conflict with some parts of relativity, and are not generally seen today as part of mainstream science.
