Fundamental Constants as Bounds on Inference from Finite Accessibility

Arc IV — Structure Paper 1 Title Fundamental Constants as Bounds on Inference Zenodo DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18225897 Description (Zenodo Abstract / Description Field) This paper reframes the fundamental constants of physics as operational bounds on inference rather than as intrinsic parameters of nature. Within the finite-accessibility framework, constants such as c,h,and G are interpreted as limiting rates, resolutions, or capacities governing correlation, distinguishability, and record formation across physical systems. The analysis demonstrates that many dimensionful constants arise as conversion factors between operationally constrained quantities—time, information, energy, and distinguishability—rather than as indicators of microscopic ontology. From this perspective, constants encode stability conditions required for intersubjective agreement among observers operating under finite bandwidth, finite duration, and finite signal speed. The paper argues that treating constants as inference bounds dissolves long-standing conceptual puzzles regarding naturalness, hierarchy, and universality. Apparent fine-tuning problems are reinterpreted as artifacts of attempting to assign ontological meaning to quantities that are fundamentally operational. This work initiates the Structure Arc by showing how stable physical law emerges from shared limits on inference rather than from pre-imposed dynamical rules, setting the stage for intersubjective stability and emergent geometry in subsequent papers. Keywords fundamental constants; inference bounds; operational physics; finite accessibility; dimensional analysis; intersubjective stability; foundations of physics Notes (Optional / Internal) Arc IV — Structure (opening paper) Conceptual pivot from matter to shared structure Sets up intersubjective stability and geometry papers