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Other ORP type . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Other ORP type . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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A No-Go Theorem for Unique Low-Energy Constants in Totally Constrained Quantum Theories

Authors: Hiler, Lando;

A No-Go Theorem for Unique Low-Energy Constants in Totally Constrained Quantum Theories

Abstract

This paper establishes a structural no-go theorem for the unique derivation of low-energy constants in totally constrained, background-independent quantum theories with finite observer access. Unlike a large body of work addressing protocol dependence, measurement limitations, or model-specific obstructions, the present result operates at the level of the reduced phase space itself. We show that numerical low-energy parameters (masses, couplings, cosmological constants) are not Dirac observables of the deep theory. Any operational extraction of such constants necessarily requires non-canonical externalization choices—clock selection, background or frame fixing, boundary conditions, or sector conditioning—that are not determined by the constraint algebra. As a result, the mapping from deep-kernel physics to effective low-energy constants is fundamentally non-unique. The theorem is model-independent and does not rely on quantum noise, experimental imperfections, or specific dynamical assumptions. It applies to any background-independent theory formulated as a totally constrained system. The result places a sharp upper bound on what such theories can uniquely predict and clarifies the status of vacuum multiplicity and landscape constructions as relational rather than dynamical phenomena. This work addresses a structurally narrow but foundational question. While related results exist at the operational or protocol level, no-go theorems at the level of gauge-invariant observables in totally constrained systems are comparatively rare. The present theorem is intended to serve as a reference point for future discussions of predictability, parameter derivation, and effective theory emergence in quantum gravity.

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Keywords

Totally constrained systems Background-independent quantum theory Dirac observables Gauge invariance Reduced phase space No-go theorem

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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
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