The Anti-Snapshot Theorem: Temporal Corrective Structure in Finite Systems
Abstract
This paper derives a witness operator for temporal corrective structure and proves that no bounded snapshot can substitute for real history. It identifies three necessary modes of temporal burden—multi-record independence, hierarchical cross-scale nesting, and future-probe answerability—and uses them to distinguish real temporal process from static present-state encoding. The theorem is also applied to the Boltzmann brain problem as a structural distinction between real history and fluctuation-generated snapshots.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Quantum Mechanics and Applications
Neural dynamics and brain function
Embodied and Extended Cognition
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Publication date
- 6 April 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Preprint