Speaker
Description
Modified theories of gravity offer a well-motivated theoretical framework to explore possible deviations from General Relativity and to address open questions in cosmology, in particular the origin of late-time cosmic acceleration. Among these approaches, f(R) gravity represents one of the simplest and most extensively studied extensions, obtained by replacing the Ricci scalar in the Einstein–Hilbert action with a generic function of curvature. Despite its simplicity, this class of models exhibits a rich phenomenology and provides a useful laboratory to investigate both theoretical consistency and observational viability of modified gravity scenarios.
In this talk, I will provide an introductory overview of f(R) gravity, discussing its motivation and the main physical questions that can be addressed within this framework, such as effective dark energy behavior, cosmological dynamics, and general viability requirements. I will then focus on a specific f(R) model that is currently under investigation. The construction of the model and its physical motivation will be presented, together with the methods employed to study its cosmological implications.
The talk will emphasize the exploratory nature of this work, highlighting preliminary results, open issues, and future directions. The aim is to illustrate how f(R) gravity can be used as a flexible theoretical tool to test extensions of General Relativity and to gain insight into possible modifications of gravity at cosmological scales.