Mathematicians question whether dark energy is needed for cosmic acceleration

A study in Proceedings of the Royal Society A finds that Friedmann spacetimes, the basis of the standard cosmological model, are mathematically unstable. UC Davis mathematicians argue that cosmic acceleration could emerge naturally from Einstein's equations without invoking dark energy.

• The work challenges the Lambda-CDM model with dark energy
• Instability found in Friedmann spacetimes at small and large scales
• Acceleration may follow from the Einstein-Euler equations
• The paper appeared in Proceedings of the Royal Society A