A No-Go Theorem for Quantum Cosmologies with Non-natural Hamiltonians

Authors: Christine C. Dantas (Astrophysics Division, INPE, Brazil)

11 pages, Honorable Mention in the Gravity Research Foundation 2026 Awards for Essays on Gravitation

Abstract: The Eisenhart-Duval lift (ED) geometrizes classical dynamics by embedding their trajectories into null geodesics of a higher-dimensional Lorentzian spacetime. However, such a construction requires a natural Hamiltonian, that is, quadratic in the canonical momenta. As a consequence, mini-superspace cosmological models governed by non-natural Hamiltonians cannot admit an ED lift. Effective models in Loop Quantum Cosmology provide a concrete example: polymer-modified Hamiltonians become non-polynomial in the momenta and therefore fall outside the metric framework of the ED lift. We thus establish a kinematical no-go theorem: non-quadratic cosmological dynamics cannot be geometrized via ED constructions. Quantum-corrected bounce models therefore illustrate a structural limitation of metric geometrization within the ED framework.

Submitted to arXiv on 13 May. 2026

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