Reconstructing the evolution of the deceleration parameter with the Lagrange interpolation method
Phys. Rev. D 114, 083509 – Published 6 October, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/gmkk-s5p5
Abstract
In this paper, we reconstruct the evolution of the deceleration parameter using cubic and quartic Lagrange interpolation methods, based on the latest observational data. This data includes baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurements from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), cosmic microwave background (CMB) distance priors from Planck 2018, and three datasets of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia): DES-Dovekie, , and Union3. To mitigate the impact of the nonuniform distribution of data in redshift, we carry out the reconstruction not only in the standard redshift but also in the -redshift and the log-redshift . The cubic and quartic reconstructions of from the DESI Ia datasets indicate a clear deviation from the cosmological constant plus cold dark matter () model at low redshift (), supporting a weaker present-day cosmic acceleration than the predictions of the model. The reconstructed exhibits an overall oscillatory pattern around the model throughout its evolution. Only the cubic- and cubic- reconstructions with the DESI data provide evidence that the cosmic acceleration appears to have already reached its maximum value and is beginning to slow down. However, when incorporating the measurement of the Hubble constant from the Supernovae and for the Equation of State (SH0ES) Collaboration, the evolution of from cubic reconstructions shifts toward the prediction. Regardless of the presence or absence of the prior, all reconstructions imply that the deceleration-acceleration transition occurred earlier than predicted by the model. Nevertheless, the Bayesian evidence still favors , while the frequentist analysis indicates a preference for the Lagrange-interpolation reconstructions, hinting at the existence of dynamical dark energy.