Summary: We offer a new proposal for cosmic singularity resolution based upon a quantum cosmology with a unitary bounce. This proposal is illustrated via a novel quantization of a mini-superspace model in which there can be superpositions of the cosmological constant. This possibility leads to a finite, bouncing unitary cosmology. Whereas the usual Wheeler-DeWitt cosmology generically displays pathological behaviour in terms of non-finite expectation values and non-unitary dynamics, the finiteness and unitarity of our model are formally guaranteed. For classically singular models with a massless scalar field and cosmological constant, we show that well-behaved quantum observables can be constructed and generic solutions to the universal Schrödinger equation are singularity-free. Generic solutions of our model displays novel features including: (i) superpositions of values of the cosmological constant; (ii) universal effective physics due to non-trivial self-adjoint extensions of the Hamiltonian; and (iii) bound ‘Efimov universe’ states for negative cosmological constant. The last feature provides a new platform for quantum simulation of the early universe. A companion paper provides detailed interpretation and analysis of particular cosmological solutions that display a cosmic bounce due to quantum gravitational effects, a well-defined FLRW limit far from the bounce, and a semi-classical turnaround point in the dynamics of the scalar field which resembles an effective inflationary epoch.
For Part II, see [the authors, ibid. 36, No. 3, Article ID 035010, 33 p. (2019; Zbl 1475.83138)].