Bouncing cosmology in $f(R,\mathcal{G})$ gravity by order reduction

A bouncing universe is a viable candidate to solve the initial singularity problem. Here we consider bouncing solutions in the context of $f(R,\mathcal{G})$ gravity by using an order reduction technique which allows one to find solutions that are perturbatively close to General Relativity. This procedure also acts as a model selection approach. Indeed, several covariant gravitational actions leading to a bounce are directly selected by demanding that the Friedmann equation derived within such gravity theories coincides with the one emerging from Loop Quantum Cosmology.
Comment: v1: 7 pages; v2: 8 pages. Matches published version in Annals of Physics