Paper B3 Physical Theories Reclassified as Stability Classes

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Authors: Amos Maley
Cited by: 0

Abstract

This paper reclassifies physical theories according to stability class rather than explanatory content, interpretation, or empirical scope. It shows that theories function as regime descriptions whose legitimacy is determined by whether their underlying constraints form stable, metastable, or impossible bonds under admissibility. The central result is that many apparent disagreements between physical theories are not disputes about reality, but differences in stability status. Some theories describe stable regimes, others metastable regimes that inevitably fail under admissible extension, and others regimes that are structurally impossible despite internal coherence or partial empirical success. By shifting classification from ontology and dynamics to constraint stability, the paper dissolves long-standing interpretive conflicts and blocks illicit reconciliation strategies that attempt to stabilize metastable or impossible theories via reinterpretation, additional structure, or deferred justification. No constructions, models, or operational criteria are introduced. The analysis is structural, exhaustion-based, and auditable in principle. Keywords: physical theories, stability classes, admissibility, regime analysis, foundations of physics, impossibility results

Fields of Study & Subjects

Philosophy Science and History Philosophy and History of Science Relativity and Gravitational Theory

Publication details

Journal / source
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Publication date
8 February 2026