Ermakov-Pinney equation in scalar field cosmologies

It is shown that the dynamics of cosmologies sourced by a mixture of perfect fluids and self-interacting scalar fields are described by the nonlinear, Ermakov-Pinney equation. The general solution of this equation can be expressed in terms of particular solutions to a related, linear differential equation. This characteristic is employed to derive exact cosmologies in the inflationary and quintessential scenarios. The relevance of the Ermakov-Pinney equation to the braneworld scenario is discussed.