Inflation and the Big Bang
Inflation is not a theory in competition with the big bang.
The theory of inflation modifies only the first tiny instants of creation.
After the completion of the brief period of inflation,
it is assumed that big bang evolution continues as described earlier.
Thus, inflation
should be viewed as a modified form of the big bang that accounts for effects due to
the properties of
elementary particles that are not included in the standard big bang.