Metric-affine cosmological models and the inverse problem of the calculus of variations. Part II: Variational bootstrapping of the $$\Lambda $$ Λ CDM model

Abstract The method of variational bootstrapping, based on canonical variational completion, allows one to construct a Lagrangian for a physical theory depending on two sets of field variables, starting from a guess of the field equations for only one such set. This setup is particularly appealing f...

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Main Authors: Ludovic Ducobu, Nicoleta Voicu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-01-01
Series:European Physical Journal C: Particles and Fields
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-025-13790-1
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author Ludovic Ducobu
Nicoleta Voicu
author_facet Ludovic Ducobu
Nicoleta Voicu
author_sort Ludovic Ducobu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The method of variational bootstrapping, based on canonical variational completion, allows one to construct a Lagrangian for a physical theory depending on two sets of field variables, starting from a guess of the field equations for only one such set. This setup is particularly appealing for the construction of modified theories of gravity, since one can take lessons from GR for an “educated guess” of the metric field equations; the field equations for the other fields are then fixed by the obtained Lagrangian (up to terms that are completely independent from the metric tensor). In the present paper, we apply variational bootstrapping to determine metric-affine models which are, in a variational sense, closest to the $$\Lambda $$ Λ CDM model of cosmology. Starting from an “educated guess” that formally resembles the Einstein field equations with a cosmological “constant” (actually, a scalar function built from the metric and the connection) and a dark matter term, the method then allows to find “corrected” metric equations and to “bootstrap” the connection field equations. Lagrangians obtained via this method, though imposing some restricting criteria, still encompass a wide variety of metric-affine models. In particular, they allow for a subclass of quadratic metric-affine theories restricted to linear terms in the curvature tensor.
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spelling doaj-art-3316e0bb52064ca7a892b1688c8e25b92025-02-02T12:38:22ZengSpringerOpenEuropean Physical Journal C: Particles and Fields1434-60522025-01-0185111310.1140/epjc/s10052-025-13790-1Metric-affine cosmological models and the inverse problem of the calculus of variations. Part II: Variational bootstrapping of the $$\Lambda $$ Λ CDM modelLudovic Ducobu0Nicoleta Voicu1Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Transilvania University of BrasovDepartment of Mathematics and Computer Science, Transilvania University of BrasovAbstract The method of variational bootstrapping, based on canonical variational completion, allows one to construct a Lagrangian for a physical theory depending on two sets of field variables, starting from a guess of the field equations for only one such set. This setup is particularly appealing for the construction of modified theories of gravity, since one can take lessons from GR for an “educated guess” of the metric field equations; the field equations for the other fields are then fixed by the obtained Lagrangian (up to terms that are completely independent from the metric tensor). In the present paper, we apply variational bootstrapping to determine metric-affine models which are, in a variational sense, closest to the $$\Lambda $$ Λ CDM model of cosmology. Starting from an “educated guess” that formally resembles the Einstein field equations with a cosmological “constant” (actually, a scalar function built from the metric and the connection) and a dark matter term, the method then allows to find “corrected” metric equations and to “bootstrap” the connection field equations. Lagrangians obtained via this method, though imposing some restricting criteria, still encompass a wide variety of metric-affine models. In particular, they allow for a subclass of quadratic metric-affine theories restricted to linear terms in the curvature tensor.https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-025-13790-1
spellingShingle Ludovic Ducobu
Nicoleta Voicu
Metric-affine cosmological models and the inverse problem of the calculus of variations. Part II: Variational bootstrapping of the $$\Lambda $$ Λ CDM model
European Physical Journal C: Particles and Fields
title Metric-affine cosmological models and the inverse problem of the calculus of variations. Part II: Variational bootstrapping of the $$\Lambda $$ Λ CDM model
title_full Metric-affine cosmological models and the inverse problem of the calculus of variations. Part II: Variational bootstrapping of the $$\Lambda $$ Λ CDM model
title_fullStr Metric-affine cosmological models and the inverse problem of the calculus of variations. Part II: Variational bootstrapping of the $$\Lambda $$ Λ CDM model
title_full_unstemmed Metric-affine cosmological models and the inverse problem of the calculus of variations. Part II: Variational bootstrapping of the $$\Lambda $$ Λ CDM model
title_short Metric-affine cosmological models and the inverse problem of the calculus of variations. Part II: Variational bootstrapping of the $$\Lambda $$ Λ CDM model
title_sort metric affine cosmological models and the inverse problem of the calculus of variations part ii variational bootstrapping of the lambda λ cdm model
url https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-025-13790-1
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AT nicoletavoicu metricaffinecosmologicalmodelsandtheinverseproblemofthecalculusofvariationspartiivariationalbootstrappingofthelambdalcdmmodel