[9] In 2011, Odintsov was included in the list of the top 10 most well-known scientists of Russian origin according to Forbes.
[13][14] His main scientific results are in the fields of quantum field theory and quantum gravity and include the complete development of renormalization group in curved space, the discovery of asymptotic conformal invariance, and a full description of curvature-induced phase transitions.
[16][17] In the study of dark energy cosmology, with Emilio Elizalde and Shin'ichi Nojiri, Odintsov proposed a dark energy model consisting of complex scalar or two scalars (such model was later called quintom) with possibility to realize phantom or quintessence type of acceleration[18] as well as remove finite singularity there by quantum effects.
In 2002, Salvatore Capozziello proposed a fundamental new perspective of dark energy as caused by a modification of gravitational theory.
[23] This picture became even more popular recently due to the increasing possibility that inflation is caused by modified gravity which differs from the usual general relativity.