Generalized Chaplygin gas, accelerated expansion, and dark-energy-matter unification

We consider the scenario emerging from the dynamics of a generalized Born-Infeld theory. The equation of state describing this system is given in terms of the energy density $\ensuremath{\rho}$ and pressure p by the relationship $p=\ensuremath{-}A/{\ensuremath{\rho}}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}},$ where A is a positive constant and $0<\ensuremath{\alpha}<~1.$ We discuss the conditions under which homogeneity arises and show that this equation of state describes the evolution of a universe evolving from a phase dominated by nonrelativistic matter to a phase dominated by a cosmological constant via an intermediate period where the effective equation of state is given by $p=\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\rho}.$