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Preprint . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Time Reversal, Entropy Relativity, and Computational Naturalness: A Unified Perspective on the Arrow of Time

Authors: Underdal, Olav Mitchell;

Time Reversal, Entropy Relativity, and Computational Naturalness: A Unified Perspective on the Arrow of Time

Abstract

We investigate the fundamental nature of \emph{time‑reversal symmetry} and its progressive breakdown in complex, structured dynamical systems. Drawing on the fluctuation theorem and recent quantum time‑reversal experiments, we show that although microscopic laws remain reversible, the emergence of \emph{computational naturalness}, characterized by a compact \emph{calculation cone} for forward prediction and an expansive \emph{retrodiction sphere} for reversal, inevitably yields intrinsic irreversibility. We formalize this via the \emph{naturalness ratio}, comparing the informational requirements of reversal versus prediction, and demonstrate how structural complexity and causal constraints sharply curtail the duration of reversible dynamics. Concurrently, we introduce a formal measure of \emph{entropy relativity}: an \emph{observer‑relative entropy} based on a Kullback–Leibler divergence that reproduces Gibbs entropy in equilibrium while capturing nonlocal correlations. Applied to cosmology, entropy relativity reveals that the early Universe, maximally entropic in its co‑moving frame, appears low in entropy when measured against its later expanded state, resolving the low‑entropy initial condition puzzle. We classify systems into \emph{fully reversible}, \emph{entropy‑resistant}, and \emph{structurally irreversible} regimes, and examine the role of \emph{CPT symmetry} in preserving fundamental laws despite quantum‑level asymmetries. Together, these insights bridge microscopic reversibility and macroscopic irreversibility, offering a \emph{unified framework} for entropy relativity, computational naturalness, and the cosmological arrow of time.

Keywords

Irreversibility, Time reversal symmetry, Dynamical symmetry breaking, Entropy, Arrow of Time, CPT symmetry, Fluctuation Theorem, Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics, Statistical mechanics, Entropy relativity, Computational Evolution, Cosmology, Big-Bang Entropy

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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