Epistemic Cut

In the paper's words

An inquiry into the foundational principles of physics necessitates a rigorous examination of the relationship between reality and the scientific models constructed to describe it. This text introduces a formal epistemology designed to clarify this relationship, positing that many of the most persistent paradoxes in modern physics arise from a category error: the conflation of the objective, underlying reality with the finite, human-constructed maps used to navigate it. The proposed framework, termed Epistemic Cartography, is built upon a set of foundational axioms and mathematical constraints that define the boundaries of scientific knowledge.

The abstract, verbatim, and its opening sentence is the claim. Every line below is quoted from the text.

Numbers it reports

1. The Planck length, defined as ($l_{P}$ = ), has a value of approximately 1.6 × 10-35 meters.

   from Axiom I:

2. The Planck time, defined as ($t_{P}$ = ), is approximately 5.4 × 10-44 seconds.

   from Axiom I:

3. Based on their current information, the observer assigns a 50% probability to finding the system in state |0> and a 50% probability to finding it in state |1> upon a future measurement.

   from Quantum Measurement Problem

4. The experimentally observed correlations yield a value for S that can reach up to $2\sqrt{2}$, which is approximately 2.828—the maximum value predicted by quantum theory and a clear violation of the local realist bound of 2.

   from Axiom I:

How it is done

1. Formal Statement of the Territory-Map Dichotomy The foundational axiom of this epistemology is formally stated as the strict separation between the ontological territory, denoted as T, and the epistemic map, denoted as M.

   from Axiom I:

2. Function as the Interface Between Territory and Map All empirical data obtained through scientific experiment is generated at this interface.

   from Axiom

3. A computational physical model is formally defined as an ordered pair, $M = (S, L)$, where S represents the state space—the set of all possible configurations of the system—and L represents the law set—the set of rules, equations, or algorithms that govern the evolution of the system’s state through its state space.

   from Constraint of

4. Correlation Incompatibility The second major mathematical constraint is derived from Bell’s theorem in quantum mechanics.

   from Constraint of

What would falsify it

1. It seeks to provide a coherent structure for understanding the emergence of observable phenomena, resolving foundational paradoxes, and guiding future inquiry by making the limits of knowledge an explicit and quantifiable aspect of scientific practice.

   from A Formal

2. This means that no simplified algorithm or computational shortcut exists that can predict the future state of the territory without performing a step-by-step simulation of its full dynamics.

   from Axiom I:

3. It is an axiomatic system built from a limited set of assumptions and operational rules, designed to function as a practical and effective tool for prediction and the organization of empirical knowledge.

   from Axiom I:

Where the claim stops

1. Its existence is postulated to be independent of any observer, model, or act of measurement, and it is not assumed to conform to human-derived categories of logic, geometry, or computation.

   from Axiom I:

2. Instead, they are understood to be approximate, large-scale statistical summaries of the density and structure of these fundamental relations, much as temperature is a summary of molecular motion.

   from Axiom I:

3. This intrinsic incompleteness is not considered a flaw in human reasoning or a temporary limitation of scientific knowledge, but rather a fundamental and unavoidable property of complex, self-referential systems.

   from Axiom I:

Where to read

1. A Formal153 words · 1 min
2. Part I:4,510 words · 20 min
3. Part II:2,359 words · 10 min
4. Part III:1,924 words · 8 min
5. Part1,670 words · 7 min
6. Part V: Calculus of1,223 words · 5 min
7. Part VI:1,562 words · 7 min
8. Part VII:901 words · 4 min