Cohesion Dynamics: A Foundational Program for Emergent Physics (Paper F v1.4)

Cohesion Dynamics (CD) proposes a substrate-independent framework describing the minimal informational structure required for a universe to exhibit coherent evolution, stable classical regimes, quantum-like branching, and emergent continuum behavior. This paper establishes priority of conjecture and program: it identifies necessary conceptual primitives, not completed derivations.

Core Primitives:

• Mismatch tension — local informational inconsistency; Tolerance — limits on resolvable gradients
• Relaxation — ambiguity-resolving exploration; Closure — mismatch-reducing commitments defining temporal succession
• Height — minimal deficit to restore compatibility; Cohesive phases — regions where finite subsets have finite height
• Provenance branching — bookkeeping when multiple closure states exist

Priority Claims: CD claims priority over (i) the informational-constraint ontology, (ii) mismatch-tolerance-driven dynamics, and (iii) the hypothesis that quantum and spacetime structure emerge as stability-selected calculi within such a substrate. These are conjectural but programmatically precise.

Epistemic Status: This is a foundational postulate paper, not a mathematical formalization. Formal mechanics appear in Paper A, continuum physics in Paper B, metaphysical foundations in M-series, empirical emergence in E-series.

Paper ID: CD-F | Series: F-series (Foundational Postulates) | Status: v1.4 | Dependencies: None (starting assumptions)