Deriving Physical Constants from Discrete Dynamics and Emergent Structure

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Authors: Marc Zaylor
Cited by: 0

Abstract

We investigate whether several physical constants can be understood as derived consequences of discrete update dynamics rather than independent empirical inputs. Physical evolution is modeled as a sequential algorithm operating in discrete system cycles: elementary constituents are updated one after another, and all sub-cycle behavior is inherently granular, requiring a transport description rather than continuous microscopic fields. From the resulting emergent background organization, we derive structural relations that express the speed of light, Planck’s constant, the fine-structure constant, and the vacuum permittivity in terms of a small set of internal system parameters (cycle time, elementary update action, a microscopic spacing scale, and a geometric transport factor). Physical units enter only through a minimal scale anchoring to established reference quantities; no multi-observable fitting is introduced. When rewritten in these structural variables, the standard QED definition of the fine-structure constant becomes algebraically identical to the effective oscillator-response relation of the emergent background, suggesting that quantum-electrodynamic vacuum relations can be interpreted as macroscopic parametrizations of a single underlying discrete transport-and-response structure.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics Advanced Physical and Chemical Molecular Interactions

Publication details

Journal / source
PhilPapers (PhilPapers Foundation)
Publication date
5 January 2026
Language
EN