A general approach to viable modified $f(R)$ gravity is developed in both the Jordan and the Einstein frames. A class of exponential, realistic modified gravities is introduced and investigated with care. Special focus is made on step-class models, most promising from the phenomenological viewpoint and which provide a natural way to classify all viable modified gravities. One- and two-step models are explicitly considered, but the analysis is extensible to $N$-step models. Both inflation in the early universe and the onset of recent accelerated expansion arise in these models in a natural, unified way. Moreover, it is demonstrated that models in this category easily pass all local tests, including stability of spherical body solution, nonviolation of Newton’s law, and generation of a very heavy positive mass for the additional scalar degree of freedom.

We consider late-time cosmology in a (phantom) scalar-tensor theory with an exponential potential, as a dark-energy model with equation of state parameter close to $-1$ (a bit above or below this value). Scalar (and also other kinds of) matter can be easily taken into account. An exact spatially flat FRW cosmology is constructed for such theory, which admits (eternal or transient) acceleration phases for the current universe, in correspondence with observational results. Some remarks on the possible origin of the phantom, starting from a more fundamental theory, are also made. It is shown that quantum gravity effects may prevent (or, at least, delay or soften) the cosmic doomsday catastrophe associated with the phantom, i.e., the otherwise unavoidable finite-time future singularity (Big Rip). A dark-energy model (higher-derivative scalar-tensor theory) is introduced, and it is shown to admit an effective phantom and/or quintessence description with a transient acceleration phase. In this case, gravity favors that an initially insignificant portion of dark energy becomes dominant over the standard matter and radiation components in the evolution process.

Dark energy cosmology is considered in a modified Gauss-Bonnet (GB) model of gravity where an arbitrary function of the GB invariant, $f(G)$, is added to the general relativity action. We show that a theory of this kind is endowed with a quite rich cosmological structure: it may naturally lead to an effective cosmological constant, quintessence, or phantom cosmic acceleration, with a possibility for the transition from deceleration to acceleration. It is demonstrated in the paper that this theory is perfectly viable, since it is compliant with the solar system constraints. Specific properties of $f(G)$ gravity in a de Sitter (dS) universe, such as dS and SdS solutions, their entropy, and its explicit one-loop quantization are studied. The issue of a possible solution of the hierarchy problem in modified gravities is also addressed.

We aim at the construction of dark energy models without exotic matter but with a phantomlike equation of state (an effective phantom phase). The first model we consider is decaying vacuum cosmology where the fluctuations of the vacuum are taken into account. In this case, the phantom cosmology (with an effective, observational $\omega$ being less than $-1$ ) emerges even for the case of a real dark energy with a physical equation of state parameter $\omega$ larger than $-1$. The second proposal is a generalized holographic model, which is produced by the presence of an infrared cutoff. It also leads to an effective phantom phase, which is not a transient one as in the first model. However, we show that quantum effects are able to prevent its evolution towards a big rip singularity.

We investigate the effects of viscosity terms depending on the Hubble parameter and its derivatives in the dark energy equation of state. Such terms are possible if dark energy is a fictitious fluid originating from corrections to the Einstein general relativity as is the case for some braneworld inspired models or fourth order gravity. We consider two classes of models whose singularities in the early and late time universe have been studied by testing the models against the dimensionless coordinate distance to Type Ia Supernovae and radio galaxies also including priors on the shift and the acoustic peak parameters. It turns out that both models are able to explain the observed cosmic speed up without the need of phantom ($w<-1$) dark energy.