Model of Space-Time as an Elastic Medium: State of the Art and Perspectives on the Knowledge of Time

This paper presents a theoretical framework modeling space-time as a quantized elastic medium. This elastic model is not intended to replace general relativity, but to offer a complementary mechanical interpretation in the approximation of the weak gravitational field. The goal is not to redefine gravity, but to explore whether this elastic formalism can simplify certain aspects of space-time dynamics, provide new insights, and generate falsifiable predictions—particularly in contexts where analytical solutions in general relativity are difficult to obtain. As originally envisaged by A. Sakharov, who associated general relativity with the concept of space-time behaving like an elastic medium, this paper introduces the notion of the “elasther” and reinterprets gravitational effects, time dilation, and phenomena commonly attributed to dark energy and dark matter through analogies with established mechanical principles such as Hooke’s law, thermal expansion, and creep.