A Resolution to the Cosmological Constant Problem: Reconsidering the Gravitational Role of Vacuum Energy

The persistent discrepancy between quantum field theoretical predictions of vacuum energy density and the observed value of the cosmological constant suggests a fundamental issue in our understanding of their gravitational effects. We argue that General Relativity developed without quantum mechanical input, is not suited to accommodate zero-point energy as a source term in the Einstein field equations. Instead, we propose that the cosmological constant arises from large-scale curvature effects rather than an intrinsic vacuum energy density. This approach naturally resolves the cosmological constant problem without requiring fine-tuning or exotic physics. Furthermore, we outline how this perspective aligns with the idea that only energy contributions with physical boundaries (e.g., mass-affected zero-point fluctuations) gravitate, while uniform vacuum fluctuations do not.