Modelling the Accelerating Universe with $f(Q)$ Gravity: Observational Consistency

Abstract: In this paper, we present a cosmological model within the framework of symmetric teleparallel gravity, focusing on $f(Q)$ gravity, where $Q$ represents the non-metricity scalar. Utilizing cosmological datasets, we derive an accelerating cosmological model by constraining its free parameters. To achieve this, we determine the parametric form of the Hubble parameter using a well-motivated $f(Q)$ function. Remarkably, all obtained values fall within the range suggested by cosmological observations. By employing the best-fit parameters, we calculate the present geometrical parameters and demonstrate the accelerating behaviour of the Universe. Furthermore, we thoroughly examine the evolutionary behaviours of the Universe, noting that our model converges to the $\Lambda$CDM model at late times. Finally, we investigate the energy conditions and find a violation of the strong energy condition, which could provide a valuable understanding of the nature of dark energy.