Using cosmographic energy conditions to constrain f(R, T) gravity models

Accelerated cosmic expansion posed enormous challenges to the standard cosmological ACDM model. In an attempt to solve these challenges, many alternative models have been proposed. The problem that arises is that many of these alternative scenarios lead to the same results, giving rise to a degeneracy among them. Cosmography has become one of the main model independent tools to try to break this degeneracy. In the present paper, the well-known energy conditions will be used together with cosmography in order to place restrictions on f (R, T) = f (R) + f (T) gravity models, where R is the Ricci scalar and T is the trace of the energy-momentum tensor. Our results, together with the observational values of the parameters involved, showed that the quintessence models are preferred as the dark energy model for such a theory.