Entropy, Information, and the Curvature of Spacetime in the Informational Second Law

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Authors: Florian Neukart, Eike Marx, V. M. Vinokur
Cited by: 5
References: 40

Abstract

We develop an informational extension of spacetime thermodynamics in which local entropy production is coupled to spacetime curvature within an effective covariant framework. Spacetime is modeled as a continuum limit of finite-capacity information registers, giving rise to a coarse-grained entropy field whose gradients define an informational flux. Within a nonminimally coupled scalar–tensor formulation, the resulting field equations imply that the local divergence of this flux is sourced by the Ricci scalar, establishing a direct relation between curvature and entropy production. The corresponding integral form links cumulative entropy generation to the integrated spacetime curvature over a causal region. In stationary limits, the framework reproduces the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy of horizons, while in homogeneous expanding cosmologies it yields monotonic entropy growth consistent with the observed arrow of time. The construction remains compatible with unitarity at the microscopic level and with holographic entropy bounds in the stationary limit. Numerical solutions in flat FLRW backgrounds are used as consistency checks of the coupled evolution equations and confirm the expected curvature–entropy behavior across cosmological epochs. Overall, the results provide a thermodynamically consistent interpretation of curvature as a geometric source of irreversible information flow, without modifying the underlying gravitational field equations.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Cosmology and Gravitation Theories Statistical Mechanics and Entropy Black Holes and Theoretical Physics

Publication details

Journal / source
Information
Publisher
MDPI AG
Volume
17
Issue
2
Pages
169–169
Publication date
6 February 2026
Language
EN