The Constraint Gradient Framework (CGF): A structural Framework for Identity Stability Across Physical Scales

This preprint presents the Constraint Gradient Framework (CGF), a conceptual framework for understanding the emergence and persistence of stable physical identities across scales. CGF proposes that identity stability arises through constraint-driven reduction of accessible state space, organizing physical regimes along a continuous constraint gradient from weakly constrained quantum behavior to strongly constrained classical and gravitational regimes. The framework does not introduce new physical laws or mechanisms, but provides a structural lens consistent with established quantum mechanics, decoherence, thermodynamics, and general relativity. This document serves as a concise overview and scope definition (CGF v1.0), intended as a public reference point for discussion and future formal development rather than a complete theoretical or predictive model.