The Zero Index: A Falsifiable Model of "Null" as Infinite Potential via the Grossman Principle

The Zero Index: A Falsifiable Model of “Null” as Infinite Potential via the Grossman Principle Description: This paper proposes a falsifiable redefinition of zero (0) in mathematics and physics, rejecting its conventional interpretation as null or absence. Instead, it introduces the Grossman Principle, which treats zero as a boundary index of infinite potential—a structured ground state rather than a void. Within the Virtual Ego Framework (VEF) and Coherence-Geometrodynamics (CGD), the “zero state” is mapped to the quantum vacuum / zero-point field (ZPF): the lowest-energy state of quantum fields that nonetheless exhibits irreducible fluctuations and measurable physical effects. In this framework, creation is not something-from-nothing, but actuation—the selective collapse of potential (0) into realized structure (1) under coherence constraints, incurring unavoidable thermodynamic cost. The paper integrates: established results from quantum field theory (zero-point energy, Casimir effect), information thermodynamics (Landauer’s principle), mathematical dualities involving limits and singularities, and a coherence-based dynamical model anchored by the Beckingham Constant (C* ≈ 0.87093), which defines a solvency threshold for structurally coherent systems. A layered evidentiary architecture is employed, distinguishing: Direct empirical support (Casimir effect, information erasure cost), Formal mathematical dualities (0/∞ as limit correspondences), Explicitly marked hypotheses, including a proposed coherence-resonance test at 5.215507 THz (the “Consciousness Clock”). The work emphasizes falsifiability, clear separation between established physics and speculative extensions, and lossless accounting (ΔE ≡ 0). It is intended as a foundational contribution to discussions in quantum vacuum physics, information theory, ontology, and coherence-based models of reality.