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Recent astrophysical observations seem to indicate that the cosmological constant is small but nonzero and positive. The old cosmological constant problem asks why it is so small; we must now ask, in addition, why it is nonzero (and is in…
An one-parameter regularization freedom of the Hamiltonian constraint for loop quantum gravity is analyzed. The corresponding spatially flat, homogenous and isotropic model includes the two well-known models of loop quantum cosmology as…
We derive and solve exactly the Dyer-Roeder equation in a Friedman-Robertson-Walker cosmological model with non zero cosmological constant. To take into account non homogeneous distribution of matter we use the phenomenological clumpiness…
A quantum field theory formalism is reviewed that leads to a self-consistent, finite quantum gravity, Yang-Mills and Higgs theory, which is unitary and gauge invariant to all orders of perturbation theory. The gauge hierarchy problem is…
According to general relativity, the present analysis shows on geometrical grounds that the cosmological constant problem is an artifact due to the unfounded link of this fundamental constant to vacuum energy density of quantum…
I briefly review the arguments why the braneworld models with infinite-volume extra dimensions could solve the cosmological constant problem, evading Weinberg's no-go theorem. Then I discuss in detail the established properties of these…
In the context of the new standard LambdaCDM cosmology we resolve conflicts in the literature regarding fundamental aspects of the expansion of the universe and cosmic horizons and we link these concepts to observational tests. We derive…
The quantum field theory prediction of the cosmological constant is 120 orders of magnitude higher than the observed value. This is known as the cosmological constant problem. Here, we deal with the cosmological constant as a scalar field…
Several authors have argued that self-consistent $f(R)$ gravity models distinct from $\Lambda $CDM are almost ruled out. Confronting such claims, we present a particular two-parameter $f(R)$ model that: (a) is cosmologically viable and…
We discuss the entropy and the size/homogeneity/horizon problems in power-law expanding universes with one scale initial conditions. We set the minimal scale $\Lambda = 10^{25}$ GeV at which a non-inflationary solution is possible and show…
The quantum gravitational contribution to the renormalization group behavior of the electric charge in Einstein-Maxwell theory with a cosmological constant is considered. Quantum gravity is shown to lead to a contribution to the running…
We first give simple arguments in favor of the "Zero Constants Party", i.e. that quantum theory should not contain fundamental dimensionful constants at all. Then we argue that quantum theory should proceed not from a space-time background…
In some cosmological theories with varying constants there are anthropic reasons why the expansion of the universe must not be too {\it close} to flatness or the cosmological constant too close to zero. Using exact theories which…
We show how a nonlocal gravitational interaction can circumvent the Weinberg no-go theorem on cosmological constant, which forbids the existence of any solution to the cosmological constant problem within the context of local field theories…
By way of a complete integration of the Friedmann equations, in terms of observables, it is shown that for the cosmological constant $\Lambda > 0$ there exist non-flat FLRW models for which the total density parameter $\Omega$ remains $\sim…
The cosmological constant $(1/2)\lambda_{1}\phi_{, \mu}\phi ^{, \mu}/\phi ^{2}$ is introduced to the generalized scalar-tensor theory of gravitation with the coupling function $\omega (\phi)=\eta /(\xi -2)$ and the Machian cosmological…
It is shown that Einstein gravity in four dimensions with small cosmological constant and small extra dimensions can be obtained by spontaneous compactification of Lovelock gravity in vacuum. Assuming that the extra dimensions are compact…
We present the extension of the Einstein-Maxwell system called electrovac universes by introducing a cosmological constant $\Lambda$. In the absence of the $\Lambda$ term, the crucial equation in solving the Einstein-Maxwell system is the…
We propose that the solution to the cosmological vacuum energy puzzle may come from the infrared sector of the effective theory of gravity, where the impact of the trace anomaly is of upmost relevance. We proceed by introducing two…
We discuss the cosmological constant problem in the light of dilatation symmetry and its possible anomaly. For dilatation symmetric quantum theories realistic asymptotic cosmology is obtained provided the effective potential has a…