A Geometric Derivation of the Fine-Structure Constant from Closure Constraints in Space-Change Geometry

This paper presents a geometric derivation of the electromagnetic fine-structure constant within the framework of Space-Change Geometry (SCG). SCG retains three spatial dimensions, each with an embedded imaginary component representing internal change. The derivation follows solely from closure and admissibility constraints, introducing no adjustable parameters. Enforcing consistent multi-phase closure under a strict 2pi condition restricts admissible evolution to discrete global cycles, selecting a maximally symmetric set of allowed orientations exhibiting icosahedral symmetry. The electromagnetic coupling emerges as the ratio of excess curvature to total rotational capacity within an admissible planar transport sector, yielding a value consistent with the CODATA-2022 fine-structure constant at the 10^-7 level.