
The problem of the origin of time, i.e., ”how time emerges from the foundationof quantum gravity,” is a central challenge in modern physics. This paper proposesa background-independent and computable emergence mechanism: time is not ana priori coordinate but rather a chain of partially ordered slices spontaneouslyorganized by quantum geometric states under the action of discrete renormalizationgroup flow. We construct a joint categorical framework that unifies the entanglement renormalization of spin networks and the geometric evolution of discrete Ricciflowas afunctorial evolution sequence. It is theoretically proven that when the jointevolution follows macroscopic monotonicity of entanglement entropy, this sequencenaturally generates a causal chain with a natural partial order. The macroscopic”time measure” is given by a topological invariant—the H0 barcode length in persistent homology—and its ”arrow of time” is locked by the irreversible growth ofentanglement entropy, without requiring additional thermodynamic or boundarycondition assumptions. We conduct large-scale numerical experiments on a 323periodic lattice, verifying the core theoretical prediction: the barcode lifetime Land the system’s low-energy spectral gap ∆ exhibit a universal inverse relationship, satisfying ∆ · L = 0.144(5), with a coefficient of determination R2 = 0.999.This mechanism directly leads to two observable cosmological predictions: 1) A”barcode modulation” in the low-ℓ power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background radiation, with characteristic scale ∆ℓ ≈ 3 and amplitude A ≈ 0.05; 2) Aprimordial stochastic gravitational wave background with peak frequency in the10−9–10−8 Hz range. These predictions can be tested by next-generation observational experiments such as CMB-S4 and SKA-PTA, thereby transforming the”origin of time” from a philosophical speculation into a computable, simulatable,and falsifiable physical problem.
Time emergence; quantum geometry; renormalization group; persistent ho mology; entanglement entropy; holographic principle
Time emergence; quantum geometry; renormalization group; persistent ho mology; entanglement entropy; holographic principle
| 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). | 0 | |
| 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. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
