{
  "abstract": "Scalar-nonmetricity gravity provides a natural scalar-tensor extension of symmetric teleparallel gravity, with the gravitational interaction encoded in nonmetricity. A distinctive feature is that, even for a spatially flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker geometry, three inequivalent symmetric-teleparallel connection branches are allowed. Whether this geometrical freedom has observable consequences is therefore an important question. In this work we perform a systematic observational comparison of all three connection branches, considering a steep scalar-field potential and a power-law nonminimal coupling. We constrain the models using combinations of Pantheon Plus and DES Year 5 Type Ia supernovae, DESI DR2 baryon acoustic oscillations, and compressed cosmic microwave background information. We find that all three branches can reproduce the transition from matter domination to late-time acceleration, but their observational behavior is connection dependent. Connection I exhibits the strongest sensitivity to the supernova compilation, Connection II yields remarkably stable reconstructed histories, while Connection III shows an intermediate behavior. Most notably, for DES Y5+CMB+DESI DR2, Connection I gives $Δχ^2_{\\min}=-13.99$ and $Δ{\\rm AIC}=-5.99$ relative to $Λ$CDM, and is therefore favored by the Akaike information criterion.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2610.24402",
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Ghulam Murtaza"
    },
    {
      "name": "Avik De"
    },
    {
      "name": "Emmanuel N. Saridakis"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ar4gmcn07wqhz.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2610.24402",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "ar4gmcn07wqhz",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.24402",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "gr-qc"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3103|Cosmology and Gravitation Theories"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223044451",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.24402",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-17",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ar4gmcn07wqhz.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:30:52Z",
      "native_id": "2610.24402",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.24402"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:gr-qc",
      "subfield": "gravitation"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Observational constraints on scalar-nonmetricity cosmology: the role of the connection",
  "title_text": "Observational constraints on scalar-nonmetricity cosmology: the role of the connection",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:33:41Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ar4gmcn07wqhz",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}