Entropy, Decoherence, and the Emergence of Time in Non-Equilibrium Systems

Entropy and temporal irreversibility are foundational features of physical reality, yet their origin and structural role across complex systems remain subjects of active investigation. This work presents a unified theoretical framework in which entropy is interpreted as the progressive loss of dynamical coherence, and time emerges as an ordering parameter for irreversible state transitions. By integrating non-equilibrium thermodynamics, information theory, and dynamical systems analysis, we demonstrate how entropy production corresponds to decoherence across physical, biological, and cognitive systems. This perspective clarifies the relationship between entropy, temporal asymmetry, and the persistence of organized structure far from equilibrium.