THE DEBATE OF GALAXY CORRELATIONS AND ITS THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS

We discuss the problem of galaxy correlations by considering the vario us methods by which this information can be obtained. We focus in part icular on the volume limited three dimensional samples and discuss a n ew way to increase the scale of their statistical validity. From our p revious results and the most recent ones on all the available catalogu es we conclude that galaxy correlations show fractal properties with d imension D approximate to 2 up to the present observational Limits (20 0 - 800h(-1)M pc depending on the catalogue) without any tendency towa rds homogenization. We also discuss tile compatibility of this result with the galaxy counts as a function of magnitude and tile angular cat alogues. A new picture emerges which changes the standard ideas about the properties of the universe and requires a corresponding change in the theoretical concepts that one should use to describe it.