Physics Theory Auditor
Structural evaluation of physical frameworks for internal consistency, empirical grounding, and domain classification.
1 · What This Auditor Does
This auditor applies a structured set of filters to any physics theory and returns a qualitative assessment of its coherence, empirical standing, and domain classification. It does not judge whether a theory is true. It asks whether a theory is internally consistent, empirically grounded, operationally defined, and correctly self-classified.
Section 1 — Core Filters. Every theory is evaluated against both a classical filter set and a quantum filter set. This is a domain classification tool, not a competition. A well-formed classical theory should satisfy classical filters and fail quantum filters. A well-formed quantum theory should do the opposite. A theory that satisfies both is making incoherent claims. A theory that satisfies neither lacks the basic structural properties of any physical framework.
Sections 2–9 — Validation Criteria. Fourteen criteria that apply universally regardless of domain. They test empirical testability, mathematical consistency, symmetry structure, correspondence with known physics, parsimony, causality, operational clarity, and dynamical completeness.
There is no threshold score. There is no passing number. The auditor returns a structured qualitative profile. A hard fail on I1 — causality violation — results in immediate rejection regardless of all other verdicts.
2 · Verdicts
Each criterion returns one of four verdicts:
Numerical accuracy alone does not constitute a pass on any criterion. A theory must provide the structural machinery that generates an accurate number, not merely report it.
3 · Filter Notation
Each filter is expressed in formal logical notation alongside a plain-language description.
Section 1: Classical Filters
| ID | Name | Notation | Plain Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Definite States | S₁ ≠ S₂ ⊢ ∃Ô (Ô(S₁) ≠ Ô(S₂)) | States are definite and distinguishable before measurement. |
| F2 | Local Causation | ∀y (Change(y) → ∃x (Cause(x) ∧ Loc(x) ∩ Loc(y) ≠ ∅)) | Every change has a local cause. Action at a distance is prohibited. |
| F3 | Commutativity | ∀A,B (A ∘ B = B ∘ A) | Order of operations does not matter. |
| F4 | No Retrocausality | ∀A,B p(A | B_future) = p(A) | The future does not affect the past. |
| F5a | Info Conservation | I(t₀) ≡ I(t₁) | Information is conserved in isolated systems. |
| F5b | Continuity | ∀x ∃δ (|Δx| < δ) | Change is continuous. Arbitrarily small changes are possible. |
| F6 | No Minimum Scale | ¬∃ϵ > 0 (Δ ≥ ϵ) | No fundamental indivisible unit of action. |
Section 1: Quantum Filters
| ID | Name | Notation | Plain Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Operational Definition | ∀x (Prop(x) ↔ ∃y Interact(x,y)) | Properties only become definite through measurement or interaction. |
| F2 | Path Interference | Event(e) ⊢ Interference(∑_{paths} amp) | Outcomes arise from interference of multiple paths with complex amplitudes. |
| F3 | Eigenvalue Measurement | ∀Q Val(Q) ∈ Spec(Q̂) ∧ Projection | Measurement yields eigenvalues via projection. |
| F4 | Non-Commutativity | [A,B] ≠ 0 → (A ∘ B ≠ B ∘ A) | Order of measurements matters. Conjugate observables do not commute. |
| F5a | No Retrocausality | ∀A,B p(A | B_future) = p(A) | The future does not affect past measurement outcomes. |
| F5b | Non-Local Correlations | ∃A,B (Dist(A,B) > 0 ∧ p(A|B) ≠ p(A)) ∧ ¬Signaling | Entanglement-type correlations permitted without FTL signaling. |
| F6 | Minimum Action Scale | ∃ϵ > 0 (Δ ≥ ℏ/2) | Planck's constant sets a fundamental lower bound on action. |
Sections 2–9: Universal Validation Criteria
| ID | Section | Name | Plain Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| E1 | Empirical | Testable Predictions | Makes new, falsifiable, practically testable predictions consistent with observation. |
| M1 | Mathematical | Internal Consistency | No internal contradictions. Renormalizable or UV-complete. |
| M2 | Mathematical | No-Go Theorems | Respects Coleman-Mandula and Weinberg-Witten constraints. |
| S1 | Symmetry | Noether's Theorem | Every continuous symmetry corresponds to a conserved quantity. |
| S2a | Symmetry | Unitarity | Time evolution preserves inner product structure. |
| S2b | Symmetry | Probability Preservation | Total probability remains normalized at all times. |
| C1 | Correspondence | Recover Known Physics | Reproduces established physics in appropriate limits. |
| C2 | Correspondence | Smooth Transitions | Transitions between regimes are continuous. |
| O1 | Parsimony | Minimal Parameters | Uses minimal free parameters. Constants derived or strongly justified. |
| O2 | Parsimony | Prefer Simpler | Simpler theory preferred when explanatory power is equal. |
| I1 | Causality | No Causality Violation ⚠ HARD FAIL | No CTCs, no FTL signaling, no fundamental information loss. |
| I2 | Causality | Entropy Bounds | Respects Bekenstein or covariant entropy bounds. |
| OP1 | Operational | Computable Algorithm | Clear procedure exists to compute predictions from axioms. |
| DER1 | Dynamics | Well-Defined Evolution | Clear, computable rule for time evolution given any initial state. |
4 · Worked Examples: EFE and QFT
We audit two of the most well-established theories in physics: Einstein's Field Equations (EFE) as the canonical classical theory, and Quantum Field Theory (QFT) as the canonical quantum theory. Running them through the auditor validates that it correctly classifies known theories and illustrates what the verdicts look like in practice.
We also run each theory against the wrong domain. A well-formed theory fails the opposite domain's filters not because it is a bad theory, but because it belongs to a different framework. The failures are informative, not damning.
Example 1: Einstein Field Equations (EFE)
Equation: Gμν + Λgμν = (8πG/c⁴)Tμν
Gravity is the curvature of spacetime caused by mass-energy. The metric tensor gμν is a definite geometric object at every point. All quantities are continuous, local, and deterministic.
| Filter | Reasoning | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | gμν is a definite field everywhere, independent of measurement. | PASS |
| F2 | Curvature at a point determined entirely by local stress-energy. Influence propagates at c. | PASS |
| F3 | Metric components are real numbers. All tensor operations commute classically. | PASS |
| F4 | Deterministic PDE system evolving forward from Cauchy data. | PASS |
| F5a | Deterministic evolution — initial conditions fix entire history. | PASS |
| F5b | Smooth differentiable manifold. Arbitrarily small metric perturbations permitted. | PASS |
| F6 | No ℏ in the theory. Manifold is infinitely divisible in principle. | PASS |
| Filter | Reasoning | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | gμν exists as a definite property independent of any measurement. | FAIL |
| F2 | Single deterministic PDE solution. No superposition of paths. | FAIL |
| F3 | No operators, no spectra. Curvature takes continuous real values. | FAIL |
| F4 | [gμν, gρσ] = 0. Metric components commute. | FAIL |
| F5a | Shared requirement of both frameworks. EFE satisfies it. | PASS |
| F5b | Purely local and deterministic. No entanglement structure. | FAIL |
| F6 | ℏ entirely absent from the theory. No minimum scale. | FAIL |
Example 2: Quantum Field Theory (QFT)
Equations: [φ̂(x), π̂(y)] = iℏδ³(x−y) | ΔxΔp ≥ ℏ/2
Particles are excitations of quantum fields. Field values are operators on a Hilbert space. Properties only become definite upon measurement. Entanglement is structural.
| Filter | Reasoning | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | Field operators have no definite value prior to measurement. | PASS |
| F2 | Path integral formulation is foundational. Amplitudes sum over all field configurations. | PASS |
| F3 | Observables are self-adjoint operators. Measurement yields eigenvalues. | PASS |
| F4 | [φ̂(x), π̂(y)] = iℏδ³(x−y) ≠ 0. Non-commutativity is structural. | PASS |
| F5a | No-communication theorem ensures no backward-in-time signaling. | PASS |
| F5b | Entanglement produces correlations beyond classical bounds. No-communication theorem holds simultaneously. | PASS |
| F6 | ℏ is central. ΔxΔp ≥ ℏ/2 is a theorem of the operator algebra. | PASS |
| Filter | Reasoning | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| F1 | Field states are superpositions. No definite value prior to measurement. | FAIL |
| F2 | Entanglement produces irreducibly non-local correlations. Bell violations rule out local hidden variables. | FAIL |
| F3 | [φ̂, π̂] = iℏδ³(x−y) ≠ 0. Fails maximally and by construction. | FAIL |
| F4 | Shared requirement. QFT satisfies it in both domains. | PASS |
| F5a | Unitary evolution in flat spacetime conserves information strictly. | PASS |
| F5b | ΔxΔp ≥ ℏ/2 forbids arbitrarily precise simultaneous specification. | FAIL |
| F6 | ℏ is an irreducible minimum scale of action. | FAIL |
Sections 2–9: Universal Validation — EFE and QFT
| Criterion | EFE Assessment | EFE | QFT Assessment | QFT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E1 | Perihelion precession, gravitational lensing, gravitational waves — all predicted and confirmed. | PASS | Electron g-factor to 12 decimal places, Higgs mass, W/Z boson masses confirmed. | PASS |
| M1 | Ten coupled PDEs, well-posed Cauchy problem. UV-complete as a classical theory. | PASS | Renormalizable for electroweak and strong interactions. No internal contradictions. | PASS |
| M2 | Classical field theory. Does not attempt to merge spacetime and internal symmetries. | PASS | Spin-1 gauge bosons. CPT and spin-statistics theorems respected throughout. | PASS |
| S1 | Diffeomorphism invariance → energy-momentum conservation via ∇μGμν = 0. | PASS | U(1) → charge. SU(2)×U(1) → weak isospin. SU(3) → color. | PASS |
| S2a | Deterministic evolution. Liouville's theorem preserves phase space volume. | PASS | Unitary time evolution operator Û(t). S-matrix unitary. | PASS |
| S2b | Deterministic — probabilities trivially 0 or 1. | PASS | Born rule. Σ|cₙ|² = 1 preserved by unitary evolution at all times. | PASS |
| C1 | Weak field slow-motion limit recovers Newtonian gravity exactly. | PASS | ℏ→0 recovers classical fields. Non-relativistic limit recovers QM. | PASS |
| C2 | Weak to strong field transition is continuous. Singularities are solution features, not theory features. | PASS | Running coupling constants vary continuously via renormalization group equations. | PASS |
| O1 | G, c, Λ — three constants for a complete theory of gravity. | PASS | ~19 free parameters in the Standard Model. All empirically measured, none arbitrary. | PASS |
| O2 | Simpler than all modified gravity alternatives with equal or lesser fit. | PASS | Simpler than all BSM alternatives proposed to explain the same phenomena. | PASS |
| I1 ⚠ | No FTL signaling. CTC solutions (Gödel, Kerr interior) considered unphysical. | PASS | No-communication theorem prohibits FTL signaling. Unitary evolution prohibits information loss. | PASS |
| I2 | Bekenstein-Hawking entropy S = A/4 emerges from GR combined with thermodynamics. | PASS | Bekenstein bound respected in AdS/CFT. No known QFT result violates covariant entropy bounds. | PASS |
| OP1 | Given Tμν, solve Gμν + Λgμν = (8πG/c⁴)Tμν. Numerical relativity for general cases. | PASS | Feynman rules derived from Lagrangian. Renormalization procedure well defined. | PASS |
| DER1 | Cauchy problem well-posed for globally hyperbolic spacetimes. | PASS | |ψ(t)⟩ = Û(t)|ψ(0)⟩. Unitary, deterministic, and computable. | PASS |
Audit Profiles
Einstein Field Equations — Classical
Domain classification: Satisfies all classical filters. Fails quantum filters as expected for a classical theory.
Validation: Passes all fourteen universal criteria. Empirically confirmed. Mathematically consistent. Dynamically complete.
What it does not do: EFE is not a quantum theory and was never intended to be. Failure on quantum filters is not a weakness — it is a correct classification.
Quantum Field Theory — Quantum
Domain classification: Satisfies all quantum filters. Fails classical filters as expected for a quantum theory.
Validation: Passes all fourteen universal criteria. Among the most precisely confirmed theories in science.
What it does not do: QFT does not describe gravity in its standard formulation. Failure on classical filters is not a weakness — it is a correct classification.
COREA / EFU AUDIT TO FOLLOW