Bit-Collapse Theory (BCT): Informational Identity, Born Measure, and the Arrow of Time (with Booklet, Objections, Glossary)

Bit-Collapse Theory (BCT) is an ontological interpretation of quantum mechanics in which the primitive is not a physical collapse, but informational identity. A (conscious) configuration is treated as a discrete informational macro-state: multiple microphysical realizations may instantiate the same macro-identity, so experiential “superposition” corresponds to physical multiplicity under one informational equivalence class. “Collapse” is defined as equivalence-breaking: when a distinguishing bit becomes macro-relevant and persistently recorded, a shared macro-description can no longer cover the alternatives, yielding distinct continuations. This release is designed for public dissemination and includes:(1) a technical note deriving Born weights as the unique identity-measure compatible with fine-graining invariance and symmetry, and linking the experiential arrow of time to the monotonic accumulation of persistent records, with an explicit bridge to subsystem entropy via entanglement and redundancy;(2) a short popular booklet introducing the framework without mysticism;(3) an objections & responses document;(4) a compact glossary. BCT introduces no modification to Schrödinger dynamics and is presented as an interpretive framework: it reorganizes definiteness, probability, and temporal directionality in terms of informational equivalence classes and persistent records. Note: This DOI currently contains an exploratory technical note, a popular booklet, a glossary, and a short objections-and-responses document. The package develops BCT as an exploratory interpretation centered on informational identity, Born measure, and the arrow of time from persistent records. One especially promising line within the package is the bridge from persistent records to entanglement, subsystem entropy growth, and the arrow of time. A fuller technical version would require additional work on the selection/relevance criterion for the descriptive map, a more explicit positioning relative to Quantum Darwinism, and a stronger treatment of the relation between the present Born-measure argument and standard fine-graining approaches. For now, this record is kept as a structured exploratory package rather than as a finalized journal-ready paper. AI assistance disclosure: Large language models (LLMs) were used during the development of this work. The author is solely responsible for the content and any errors. If you’d like to collaborate (technical critique, examples, simulations, or experimental test ideas), email me at batoritranslation@gmail.com — I’m happy to discuss and will credit substantial contributions in future releases. Keywords: quantum foundations; interpretation of quantum mechanics; measurement problem; Born rule; decoherence; quantum Darwinism; informational identity; equivalence classes; persistent records; arrow of time; entropy; macro-definiteness; information theory