Evidence for dynamical dark energy from DESI-DR2 and SN data? A symbolic regression analysis

TL;DR

This study employs a model-independent symbolic regression approach to analyze DESI-DR2 and supernova data, finding no significant evidence for deviations from the standard $\Lambda$CDM cosmological model.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, model-independent symbolic regression method to reconstruct the dark energy equation of state directly from observational data.

Findings

DESI DR2 data alone agrees with $\\Lambda$CDM ($w(z) = -1$)

No significant deviation from $\\Lambda$CDM when combining DESI with supernova data

Current data do not provide statistically significant evidence for dynamical dark energy

Abstract

Recent measurements of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Survey (DESI DR2), combined with data from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and Type Ia supernovae (SNe), challenge the $\Lambda$-Cold Dark Matter ($\Lambda$CDM) paradigm. They indicate a potential evolution in the dark energy equation of state (EoS), $w(z)$, as suggested by analyses that employ parametric models. In this paper, we use a model-independent approach known as high performance symbolic regression (PySR) to reconstruct $w(z)$ directly from observational data, allowing us to bypass prior assumptions about the underlying cosmological model. Our findings confirm that the DESI DR2 data alone agree with the $\Lambda$CDM model ($w(z) = -1$) at the redshift range considered. Additionally, when combining DESI data with existing compilations of SN distance measurements, such as Patheon+ and DESY5, we observe no deviation from the $\Lambda$CDM model within $3\sigma$ (C.L.) for the interval of values of present-day matter density parameter $\Omega_m$ and the sound horizon at the drag epoch $r_d$ currently constrained by observational data. Therefore, similarly to the DESI DR1 case, these results suggest that it is still premature to claim statistically significant evidence for a dynamical EoS or deviations from the $\Lambda$CDM model based on the current DESI data in combination with supernova measurements.