Speed, Precision, and Dissipation Bounds for Boundary Maintenance in Finite Distinction Systems: Finite Update Windows, Bottleneck Throughput, and Resource-Ledger Exit Theorems

Yining Wu · 2026-05-18

Studies boundary maintenance as a real-time physical process constrained by finite update windows, finite precision, bottleneck throughput, effective causal reach, and resource-ledger costs. A distinction is not operationally maintained merely because it is representable in memory — it must be updated, verified, corrected, or acted upon within its relevant update window. Introduces maintenance throughput, bottleneck internal rate, precision and confidence demand, correction burden, effective causal reach, externalization relief, invariant-compression relief, and a resource-first dissipation ledger. The central exit theorem: if rate-distortion demand exceeds sustainable throughput, the system must enter at least one exit channel. Relates to rate-distortion theory, thermodynamic uncertainty relations, quantum speed limits, finite-time dissipation speed limits, and data-rate/control theory.

@misc{wu2026fdsp6,
  author = {Yining Wu},
  title = {Speed, Precision, and Dissipation Bounds for Boundary Maintenance in Finite Distinction Systems: Finite Update Windows, Bottleneck Throughput, and Resource-Ledger Exit Theorems},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.5281/zenodo.20269733},
}