article Open access

Causal Priority Theory Part-8 Coarse-Graining Classes, Stable Order, and Admissible Partitions of Derived Time

  • Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
  • European Organization for Nuclear Research
Research footprint

At a glance

Citations
0
References
1
Comments
0
Paper overview

Abstract

This paper clarifies when time comparisons are physically meaningful in Causal Priority Theory (CPT), introducing a structured notion of comparability. In CPT, time is defined as the accumulation of a causal update quantity along a history, and is therefore inherently dependent on event partitioning. As a result, time is not globally unique, raising the question of when different histories can be meaningfully compared. To address this, the paper introduces three key structures: coarse-graining classes (describing how distinguishability is reduced), stable order (identifying when temporal ordering is preserved), and admissible partition classes (defining domains of robust comparison). These lead to a central conclusion: comparability is not absolute but physically constrained by information loss and redistribution. The monotonicity of the update quantity under CPTP maps induces a contraction structure that organizes derived time into distinct comparability regimes. CPT thus replaces the assumption of globally comparable time with a notion of layered comparability, consisting of history-dependent time, coarse-graining-dependent comparison, and robust comparison within admissible classes. This framework establishes the physical scope of time comparison and sets the stage for Part-9, where the necessity of quantum relative entropy is justified. --- Update (v2): Added description for clarity and discoverability.

Record transparency

Publication details

DOI
10.5281/zenodo.19657331
OpenAlex
W7154972730
Document type
article
Language
EN
Source
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Last metadata update
Community

Comments

Log in to join the discussion.

  1. No comments yet. Start the discussion.