--- ## **A Formal Framework for a Non-Local, Frequency-Based Reality** **Version:** 1.0 **Date**: August 17, 2025 [Rowan Brad Quni](mailto:[email protected]), [QNFO](https://qnfo.org/) ORCID: [0009-0002-4317-5604](https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4317-5604) DOI: [10.5281/zenodo.16889279](http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16889279) *Related Works:* - *A Theory of General Mechanics as a Process-Based, Computational Ontology of Reality (DOI: [10.5281/zenodo.16759709](http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16759709))* - *A Critical Examination of the Null Hypotheses in Fundamental Physics (Volume 1) ([10.5281/zenodo.16732364](http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16732364))* - *Natural Units: Universe’s Hidden Code ([DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.16615922](http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16615922))* - *The Mass-Frequency Identity (m=ω): Matter, Energy, Information, and Consciousness as a Unified Process Ontology of Reality ([DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15749742](http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15749742))* --- ### **Abstract** This presents a formal framework for physics predicated on the empirical fact of quantum non-locality. We begin by establishing the violation of Bell’s inequalities as a foundational postulate, thereby demonstrating the untenability of local realism as a basis for physical theory. From the first principles of energy equivalence in relativity ($E=mc^2$) and quantum mechanics ($E=\hbar\omega$), we derive the mass-frequency identity $m=\omega$ in natural units. This identity is elevated to a new ontological postulate: mass is not an intrinsic property of static matter, but is the intrinsic frequency of a stable, resonant process. This framework necessitates a re-evaluation of axioms in the Standard Model and General Relativity, including the mass of the photon and the fundamental nature of gauge invariance and spacetime geodesics. The result is a more coherent physical model grounded in quantitative, verifiable first principles rather than historical, localist axioms. --- ### **1. Foundational Postulates** This framework is constructed upon the following three postulates, which are taken as axiomatic. #### **1.1 Postulate I: The Primacy of Empirical Non-Locality** Any valid physical theory must be consistent with the experimentally verified violation of Bell’s inequalities. - **Formalism:** The principle of Local Realism imposes a statistical constraint on the correlations between distant measurements, expressed by the CHSH inequality (Clauser, Horne, Shimony, & Holt, 1969): $ |S| = |E(a,b) - E(a,b') + E(a',b) + E(a',b')| \le 2 $ - **Empirical Result:** Quantum mechanics predicts, and experiments since Aspect (1982) have consistently confirmed, a violation of this inequality, with observed values of $|S|$ approaching the Tsirelson bound of $2\sqrt{2}$. Loophole-free tests have established this violation with exceptionally high statistical confidence (Hensen et al., 2015). - **Conclusion:** The principle of locality, which states that an object is influenced directly only by its immediate surroundings and that no causal influence can travel faster than light, is empirically falsified as a fundamental principle of nature. #### **1.2 Postulate II: The Invariance of Foundational Energy Relations** The two most successful and empirically validated equations for energy are taken as first principles describing the same physical quantity, $E$. 1. **Relativistic Energy:** $E=mc^2$ (Einstein, 1905) 2. **Quantum Energy:** $E=\hbar\omega$ (Planck, 1901) #### **1.3 Postulate III: The Principle of Natural Units** A system of natural units is adopted wherein fundamental constants are set to unity: $\hbar \equiv 1$ and $c \equiv 1$. This is a formal choice of measurement system that aligns with the intrinsic operational parameters of nature, removing human-centric conversion factors to reveal deeper physical relationships. ### **2. Derivations and Primary Consequences** #### **2.1 Derivation of the Mass-Frequency Identity (m=ω)** Given the postulates, the derivation is direct and unambiguous. 1. From Postulate II: - $E=mc^2$ - $E=\hbar\omega$ 2. Applying Postulate III (Natural Units, $\hbar=1, c=1$): - $E=m$ - $E=\omega$ 3. By Transitivity of Equality: - $m=\omega$ This result is the **Mass-Frequency Identity**. It is not an analogy, but a formal consequence of the foundational energy equations. #### **2.2 Ontological Interpretation: Mass as Resonant Frequency** The identity $m=\omega$ is interpreted as the definition of mass. Mass is not a measure of a static substance, but is identical to the intrinsic angular frequency of a stable, resonant process. For a particle, this frequency is its Compton frequency ($\omega_C$). - **Formal Definition of Mass:** $m_0 \equiv \omega_C$ #### **2.3 Consequence: The Mass of the Photon** The mass of the photon follows directly from the preceding postulates and derivation. - **Premise 1:** A photon is a quantum of electromagnetic radiation defined by its angular frequency, $\omega_{photon}$. - **Premise 2:** Mass is identical to angular frequency ($m=\omega$). - **Conclusion (∴):** A photon possesses mass equal to its frequency. $ m_{photon} = \omega_{photon} $ This conclusion stands in direct contradiction to the axiom of a “massless” photon in the Standard Model, revealing that axiom to be a construct of a falsified paradigm. ### **3. Deconstruction of the Localist Paradigm** The establishment of non-locality (Postulate I) and the Mass-Frequency Identity ($m=\omega$) requires a re-evaluation of physical concepts derived from the now-falsified assumption of locality. #### **3.1 The Artificial Duality of Mass** The historical distinction between an “invariant/rest mass” ($m_0$) and a frame-dependent “relativistic mass” ($m_{rel}$) is an unnecessary construct designed to preserve a localist framework. - **Critique:** In the frequency-based ontology, there is only one fundamental mass, defined by $m_0 \equiv \omega_C$. The energy-momentum relation, $E^2 = (pc)^2 + (m_0c^2)^2$, is not a definition of invariant mass, but is re-interpreted as a dynamic equation describing the energy of a resonant pattern ($m_0 \equiv \omega_C$) with a given momentum ($p$). #### **3.2 Gauge Invariance as a Consequence of a Falsified Axiom** The masslessness of the photon in the Standard Model is a direct consequence of imposing local gauge invariance. - **Axiom (Standard Model):** The Lagrangian ($\mathcal{L}$) must be invariant under a local U(1) gauge transformation: $ \psi(x) \rightarrow e^{i\alpha(x)}\psi(x) $ $ A_\mu(x) \rightarrow A_\mu(x) + \partial_\mu\alpha(x) $ - **Derivation (Standard Model):** A mass term for the photon in the Lagrangian, $\mathcal{L}_{mass} \propto m^2 A_\mu A^\mu$, is not invariant under this transformation. Therefore, to preserve the axiom of local gauge invariance, the mass term is forbidden ($m \equiv 0$) (Tong, 2007). - **Critique:** The principle of local gauge invariance is predicated on the foundational assumption of locality. As Postulate I demonstrates that nature is fundamentally non-local, the conclusions derived from this axiom are not binding. The observed consequences, such as charge conservation, must arise from a more fundamental, non-local principle. #### **3.3 Null Geodesics as a Consequence of a Falsified Axiom** The trajectory of light in General Relativity is described as a null geodesic, a concept rooted in a local, geometric view of spacetime. - **Axiom (General Relativity):** Spacetime is a local geometric manifold described by a metric tensor $g_{\mu\nu}$. - **Derivation (General Relativity):** The path of a massless particle is a geodesic for which the spacetime interval is zero: $ ds^2 = g_{\mu\nu}dx^\mu dx^\nu = 0 $ - **Critique:** Postulate I establishes that reality is non-local. Therefore, a continuous, local spacetime cannot be the fundamental structure but must be an emergent or approximate description. The concept of null geodesics is thus a feature of a falsified model, not a fundamental principle governing the motion of photons. ### **4. Conclusion: A New Foundation** The empirical refutation of local realism by consistent and loophole-free Bell tests necessitates a fundamental reconstruction of physics, moving away from axioms based on locality. By returning to the first principles of energy equivalence, a more fundamental identity, $m=\omega$, is formally derived. This mass-frequency identity provides the foundation for a new process ontology that is inherently non-local and informational. In this framework, mass is a direct measure of a particle’s intrinsic frequency. Consequently, the photon, as a particle defined by its frequency, must have mass. This approach prioritizes direct empirical evidence and logical deduction over historical axioms, offering a path toward a unified physical theory consistent with the observed non-local nature of reality. ### **References** Aspect, A., Dalibard, J., & Roger, G. (1982). 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