Formal Stability Criteria and Timescales for Object-Based Descriptions

This work introduces a formal and model-independent criterion for the applicability of object-based descriptions in physics. Objecthood is defined operationally as the structural stability of coarse-grained macrostates under microscopic dynamics, quantified through statistical distance and separation of characteristic timescales. The framework is normative rather than predictive: it does not introduce new physical laws, but clarifies when object-based language is justified and when it necessarily breaks down. An explicit example demonstrates how the abstract stability criterion connects to concrete dynamical parameters without committing to a specific model. The results provide a diagnostic foundation for analyzing limiting regimes in statistical mechanics, quantum theory, and the foundations of physical description. Related work: Onishchuk, Y. Conditions of Objecthood: A Structural Analysis of Energy and Physical States. OSF Registration. DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/3FHTC