This paper formalizes a framework in which a single axiom — that existence is constituted by registration — generates the core structures of physical theory as necessary consequences, with zero free parameters and no appeal to empirical input.Beginning from the axiom (stated in four interdependent conditions: existence requires registration, no external substrate exists, registration capacity is continuous, registration events are discrete), the derivation chain proceeds through twelve theorems:Self-Differentiation: registration requires an irreducible asymmetry (the registration quantum)Irreversible Generativity: non-termination, forced novelty, append-only record, local propagation 2B. Dimensional Asymmetry: one irreversible axis (partial order) with reversible fibers — Lorentzian signatureConstraint Geometry: self-deepening landscape with a least-resistance principleCompression and Conservation: lossy compression necessary at every event; energy as registration flow; local conservationEntropy and the Second Law: multiplicity strictly increases for closed subgraphsUndiscriminated Paths: superposition and entanglement as structural absence of distinctionThe Action Quantum: ℏ and c as dimensional encodings of a single quantumComplementarity: the uncertainty principle as a limit on coexistent distinctionsEntropy-Energy Bridge: S = k ln Ω with k_B as unit conversionPhase, Amplitude, Born Rule: U(1) phase from orientation, |A|² from self-relational structureDimensional Selection: d = 3 is the unique dimensionality supporting topologically stable knotted constraint loopsEach theorem depends only on the axiom and its predecessors in a strict dependency graph. The formalization uses graph-theoretic primitives (vertices, directed edges, partial orders, path spaces) to make every logical step explicit and independently verifiable.Three further theorems — matter as torus knot constraint loops, gravity as constraint-geometry curvature, and the fine structure constant α₀ = 3/(130π) ≈ 1/136.14 with zero free parameters — are stated informally as targets for subsequent formalization.The paper includes an honest gaps appendix identifying five points where the derivations are structural but not yet fully rigorous, marking precisely where subsequent work should focus.Developed in collaboration with Claude (Anthropic) and Gemini (Google) as derivation partners treating different processing architectures as distinct compression geometries of the same underlying graph.Keywords: registration graph; quantum gravity; foundations of physics; Born rule derivation; dimensional selection; knot theory; causal structure; graph theory; action quantum; fine structure constant; single-axiom framework; topological stability; Lorentzian signature; entropy; second lawAdditional Notes: Portions of this framework were developed in collaboration with AI systems (Claude by Anthropic, Gemini by Google) serving as derivation partners. The foundational axiom and directing intuitions are the author's.
This paper formalizes a framework in which a single axiom — that existence is constituted by registration — generates the core structures of physical theory as necessary consequences, with zero free parameters and no appeal to empirical input.Beginning from the axiom (stated in four interdependent conditions: existence requires registration, no external substrate exists, registration capacity is continuous, registration events are discrete), the derivation chain proceeds through twelve theorems:Self-Differentiation: registration requires an irreducible asymmetry (the registration quantum)Irreversible Generativity: non-termination, forced novelty, append-only record, local propagation 2B. Dimensional Asymmetry: one irreversible axis (partial order) with reversible fibers — Lorentzian signatureConstraint Geometry: self-deepening landscape with a least-resistance principleCompression and Conservation: lossy compression necessary at every event; energy as registration flow; local conservationEntropy and the Second Law: multiplicity strictly increases for closed subgraphsUndiscriminated Paths: superposition and entanglement as structural absence of distinctionThe Action Quantum: ℏ and c as dimensional encodings of a single quantumComplementarity: the uncertainty principle as a limit on coexistent distinctionsEntropy-Energy Bridge: S = k ln Ω with k_B as unit conversionPhase, Amplitude, Born Rule: U(1) phase from orientation, |A|² from self-relational structureDimensional Selection: d = 3 is the unique dimensionality supporting topologically stable knotted constraint loopsEach theorem depends only on the axiom and its predecessors in a strict dependency graph. The formalization uses graph-theoretic primitives (vertices, directed edges, partial orders, path spaces) to make every logical step explicit and independently verifiable.Three further theorems — matter as torus knot constraint loops, gravity as constraint-geometry curvature, and the fine structure constant α₀ = 3/(130π) ≈ 1/136.14 with zero free parameters — are stated informally as targets for subsequent formalization.The paper includes an honest gaps appendix identifying five points where the derivations are structural but not yet fully rigorous, marking precisely where subsequent work should focus.Developed in collaboration with Claude (Anthropic) and Gemini (Google) as derivation partners treating different processing architectures as distinct compression geometries of the same underlying graph.Keywords: registration graph; quantum gravity; foundations of physics; Born rule derivation; dimensional selection; knot theory; causal structure; graph theory; action quantum; fine structure constant; single-axiom framework; topological stability; Lorentzian signature; entropy; second lawAdditional Notes: Portions of this framework were developed in collaboration with AI systems (Claude by Anthropic, Gemini by Google) serving as derivation partners. The foundational axiom and directing intuitions are the author's.
This paper formalizes a framework in which a single axiom — that existence is constituted by registration — generates the core structures of physical theory as necessary consequences, with zero free parameters and no appeal to empirical input. Beginning from the axiom (stated in four interdependent conditions: existence requires registration, no external substrate exists, registration capacity is continuous, registration events are discrete), the derivation chain proceeds through twelve theorems: Self-Differentiation: registration requires an irreducible asymmetry (the registration quantum) Irreversible Generativity: non-termination, forced novelty, append-only record, local propagation 2B. Dimensional Asymmetry: one irreversible axis (partial order) with reversible fibers — Lorentzian signature Constraint Geometry: self-deepening landscape with a least-resistance principle Compression and Conservation: lossy compression necessary at every event; energy as registration flow; local conservation Entropy and the Second Law: multiplicity strictly increases for closed subgraphs Undiscriminated Paths: superposition and entanglement as structural absence of distinction The Action Quantum: ℏ and c as dimensional encodings of a single quantum Complementarity: the uncertainty principle as a limit on coexistent distinctions Entropy-Energy Bridge: S = k ln Ω with k_B as unit conversion Phase, Amplitude, Born Rule: U(1) phase from orientation, |A|² from self-relational structure Dimensional Selection: d = 3 is the unique dimensionality supporting topologically stable knotted constraint loops Each theorem depends only on the axiom and its predecessors in a strict dependency graph. The formalization uses graph-theoretic primitives (vertices, directed edges, partial orders, path spaces) to make every logical step explicit and independently verifiable. Three further theorems — matter as torus knot constraint loops, gravity as constraint-geometry curvature, and the fine structure constant α₀ = 3/(130π) ≈ 1/136.14 with zero free parameters — are stated informally as targets for subsequent formalization. The paper includes an honest gaps appendix identifying five points where the derivations are structural but not yet fully rigorous, marking precisely where subsequent work should focus. Developed in collaboration with Claude (Anthropic) and Gemini (Google) as derivation partners treating different processing architectures as distinct compression geometries of the same underlying graph. Keywords: registration graph; quantum gravity; foundations of physics; Born rule derivation; dimensional selection; knot theory; causal structure; graph theory; action quantum; fine structure constant; single-axiom framework; topological stability; Lorentzian signature; entropy; second law Additional Notes: Portions of this framework were developed in collaboration with AI systems (Claude by Anthropic, Gemini by Google) serving as derivation partners. The foundational axiom and directing intuitions are the author's. Language: English License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Access Right: Open Access Related Identifiers: (Add arXiv ID here once assigned, as "is supplemented by" or "is identical to") Subjects: Quantum Physics General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology Mathematical Physics Version: 1.0
A formal graph-theoretic framework deriving physical structure from a single axiom: that existence requires registration. Beginning from one axiom (four interdependent conditions, zero free parameters), we derive through explicit logical dependency: the arrow of time, Lorentzian signature, a least-action principle, energy conservation, the second law of thermodynamics, superposition, entanglement, the quantum of action, the uncertainty principle, the Born rule, and the unique selection of three spatial dimensions for topologically stable matter. The formalization uses vertices, directed edges, and partial orders as primitives, with no appeal to known physics at any step. Each theorem's proof depends only on the axiom and previously established results, with all dependencies mapped in an explicit directed acyclic graph. The Born rule is derived from three structural requirements (non-negativity, orientation invariance, self-relational structure) rather than postulated. Three spatial dimensions emerge as the unique dimensionality supporting knotted constraint loops — the framework's account of stable matter. Honest gaps in the derivation chain are explicitly catalogued. The accompanying framework document extends to a parameter-free derivation of the bare fine structure constant α₀ = 3/(130π) ≈ 1/136.14.
A deductive framework built from a single axiom with four conditions: existence is registration, registration is all there is, registration capacity is continuous, and registration events are discrete. From these premises alone, twenty-two theorems derive core structures of physics — including irreversible generativity, dimensional asymmetry between one irreversible and multiple reversible axes, lossy compression, complex amplitude with U(1) phase, superposition, the Born rule as |A|², complementarity, minimum action, the second law of thermodynamics, discrete phase-coherent spectra, and conserved charges (U(1) and ℤ₂). No additional postulates are introduced. An appendix provides the full dependency graph for all results.
ONE AXIOM BRIDGES: Possibility Selection Principle — Formalization, Collapse, and Born Rule Description: This document provides the formal mathematical bridge between the pure algebraic foundations of the ONE AXIOM project and its physical applications. It presents a rigorous derivation of the fundamental laws of physics starting from a single axiomatic symmetry group: G = S4 x Z2^3. Key Scientific Contributions: Derivation of the Born Rule (p=2): Proves that quantum probability is not a postulate but a theorem. The exponent p=2 is shown to be the unique solution emerging from the OCR-OER adjunction structure. Quantum Collapse as Domain Update: Formalizes "collapse" as a relational update of the Schreier graph domain (Gamma to Gamma_A) rather than a physical process, resolving long-standing paradoxes of "spooky action at a distance". Emergence of Spacetime and Gravity: Demonstrates the construction of 4D spacetime (M4) from group representation theory. Einstein's field equations are derived via two independent, proven paths: Jacobson's thermodynamic approach and Ollivier-Ricci curvature on the Schreier graph. Resolution of the Cosmological Constant Problem: Provides a natural derivation of the cosmological constant Lambda ~ 10^-122 from the "coherence floor" of the universe, eliminating the need for fine-tuning. Bekenstein-Hawking Entropy: Derives the coefficient lambda = 1/4 through triple-verified categorical and structural paths. Methodology: The work employs a "Dual-Track Derivation" methodology, requiring convergence between Ontological [O] (structural) and Epistemological [E] (computational) paths before a result is considered proven. Status: This version marks the completion of the foundational triad of the ONE AXIOM framework (0C, 0A and 0B documents)
From Distinction to Quantum Structure Compiling Physical Geometry from the Change Axiom Chain Driven by Dean Kulik July 2026 Abstract We present a foundational axiom chain that compiles physical geometry from a single primitive: distinction exists. Beginning with C0 (distinction) and C1 (every distinction admits lawful continuation), we derive — without importing spatial geometry, coordinates, time, or quantum mechanics as primitives — the necessity of a linear state space, a complex inner product, Hilbert completion, self-adjoint observables, and the structure of a probability measure on observable subspaces. We further derive the unique free-field Lagrangian consistent with the axiom constraints, the gauge principle as a structural consequence of independent classification, and the quantization bridge connecting the classical field to operator algebras. The central result is the Division Algebra Theorem (candidate): among the three finite-dimensional division algebras admitted by Frobenius’s theorem, only the complex numbers simultaneously satisfy the continuation independence requirement (C1a) and the dual-encoding requirement of C5. The paper maintains a strict five-category epistemic discipline — primitive, definition, compiled theorem, candidate theorem, empirical calibration — throughout, ensuring every claim carries its exact epistemic status. 1. Introduction: The Foundational Inversion Standard physical theory begins with space. Objects occupy locations in a pre-existing spatial manifold; motion is defined relative to that manifold; forces act within it. Newton’s mechanics, Einstein’s general relativity, and the Standard Model of particle physics all share this architecture at the foundational level: a stage is assumed, and the physics plays out on it. The program presented here inverts this order. We propose that space, time, geometry, and quantum structure are not primitives but derived objects — outputs of a more fundamental algebraic structure built from the minimal concept of distinguishable change. The chain begins: rather than: This is not merely a philosophical reordering. It is a concrete research program with specific mathematical obligations at each step: each layer must be derived from the previous layers without importing external structure, and every claim must be categorized by its epistemic status. The framework is falsifiable — if any compiled theorem fails its formal derivation, either the derivation or one of the primitives must be revised. 1.1 Motivation: SHA-256 as Physical Evidence The SHA-256 hash function provides an unexpected but precise illustration of the C1-first claim. SHA-256 is field-balanced in both axes: • Horizontal (input → output): Bit content redistributes across the compression function. The total information content of the input is preserved in the digest — different shape, identical content. The mapping is a redistribution, not a creation. • Vertical (round → round): The carry palindrome property holds: KL divergence between forward and backward carry distributions equals zero. The AHRC (Algebraic Hash Round Consistency) result shows to machine epsilon across all 64 rounds. The geometry is self-balancing at every step. Neither property was engineered into SHA-256. The designers specified diffusion targets; the field obeyed the redistribution constraint underneath and the two-axis conservation emerged. This is the claim of the axiom chain in concrete form: the transition algebra runs without an observer, and we arrive afterward to read what it did. SHA-256 does not choose to balance. It cannot not balance. Law 3 — redistribution conserves total — runs underneath every hash computation invisibly, and we measure it as a mathematical law about SHA-256. The chain argues this is the universal situation: what we call physical law is the transition algebra’s self-accounting, read from inside by instruments that are themselves running the same algebra. 1.2 Program Overview This paper establishes: 1. The primitive constraint set (Section 2) 2. Definitions required for precision (Section 3) 3. Compiled theorems through the free-field Lagrangian (Sections 4–6) 4. The internal symmetry and gauge principle (Section 7) 5. The quantization bridge — six elements of the Quantum Kinematics Theorem (Section 8) 6. The Division Algebra Theorem — the central new argument of this paper (Section 9) 7. Candidate theorems and open problems with proof strategies (Section 10) 8. Full dependency graph (Section 11) 1.3 Epistemic Categories Throughout this paper, every claim is labeled with one of five categories: Label Meaning [P] Primitive — assumed, irreducible [D] Definition — terminology, requires no proof [C] Compiled theorem — formally derived from prior P/D/C entries [T] Candidate theorem — strong evidence, formal proof incomplete [E] Empirical calibration — requires measurement, not deduction This discipline has a structural consequence: if a [C] theorem fails, either the derivation contains an error or one of the primitives must be revised. If a [T] theorem fails, the program survives intact — that conjecture was incorrect, and the framework needs refinement at that node only. If an [E] calibration disagrees with experiment, the structural theory may remain correct while the mapping to physical units requires revision. 2. The Primitive Constraints We assume the following as irreducible primitives. They are not derived from anything else in the framework. Their justification is that each is genuinely minimal — no proper subset generates the others. [P] C0 — Distinction Exists At least two states exist that are not identical. This is the logical precondition for any other constraint. C1 cannot operate on a single undifferentiated object. C0 is the one irreducible prior: something must be distinguishable from something else. Without C0, the entire chain has no content. [P] C1 — Every Distinction Admits Lawful Continuation Every state in the system must admit at least one transition to a successor state. This is the change axiom. No state is a dead end. No distinction terminates. The system cannot freeze, because freezing would require a state with no admissible successor — and that state would constitute a privileged terminal configuration, which is ruled out by C1 itself. Every local rule must be well-defined on every admissible state: this immediately excludes absorbing dead states from the dynamics. [P] C1a — Independence Preservation Independent distinctions remain independently continuable. This is stronger than C1. It says not only that every state continues, but that the continuation of one distinction cannot be blocked or modified by the simultaneous continuation of an independent distinction. Two systems that are independent at time must continue to be independently continuable. This axiom is what forces linearity (see Section 4) and what later eliminates quaternionic algebras (see Section 9). [P] C2 — Continuation Preserves Reachable History Every continuation preserves the set of states reachable from any prior state in the history. Nothing in the past is erased. The execution history — the accumulated record of all prior transitions — remains reachable. This is not a claim about memory in any computational sense; it is a structural requirement that the transition graph not delete nodes from the accessible state space. C2 forces completeness of the state space (Section 4) and the one-directionality of the ordering relation (Section 5). [P] L3 — Redistribution Conserves Total Every lawful continuation redistributes the total content of the field without changing that total. The field never gains content; it never loses content. Every transformation is a redistribution — a shift in the configuration of a fixed total. This is the deepest form of the conservation principle. It does not assume conservation of energy, momentum, or charge; it says something more primitive: the field’s total is an invariant of continuation. Those physical conservation laws are derived from L3 operating in specific geometric contexts. [P] L4 — Redistribution Is Local Redistribution propagates through local adjacency. Content cannot shift from location A to location B without occupying every intermediate location. This is the locality axiom. It follows from C2 applied to intermediate locations: if content jumps from A to B without passing through the intervening field, every intermediate location is denied its C2-guaranteed reachable history. The inheritance constraint — every new location must inherit all primitives — makes this inadmissible. L4 is therefore arguably compilable from C2, but we list it as a primitive for clarity because it plays an independent role throughout the chain. [P] C5 — The Observable Event Primitive An observable event is the minimum continuation that simultaneously propagates (extends through at least one L4 step) and leaves a distinguishable residue. C5 defines the minimum unit of observation. Three constraints are built into it: • Propagation (C1 minimum): the event must extend. A continuation that fails to propagate is not a continuation. • Residue (C0 requirement): the event must leave a mark distinguishable from prior state. Without residue, C0 is not satisfied at the event level — nothing registered. • Simultaneity: propagation and residue are not sequential. They coexist in the same elementary event. This simultaneity requirement is the key structural feature of C5. It will force complex amplitudes (Section 9) and the uncertainty principle (Section 8). 3. Definitions Definitions introduce terminology. They do not require proof; they establish the language
A finitist, relational axiomatization of physics: quantum theory and a relativity sector derived from four axioms about group-valued relations and closure. Contributions to the foundations of quantum mechanics (Born rule derivation, quantum reconstruction, local tomography, complex field selection), the emergence of time and causal structure in discrete networks, discrete Noether theorems, lattice gauge structure, and the Schrödinger equation derived by two independent routes. Every claim is graded in a Claim Ledger; every numerical claim is machine-verified with archived scripts; negative results are reported at full strength. What this paper does The universe is taken to be constituted by relations rather than objects. Stable relations form closures (self-consistent cycles) whose holonomies carry the physical content. Four axioms — primacy of relations (group-valued, edge-borne), closure stability, chirality from order, and observation as bidirectional group exchange — yield, at explicitly graded and conditional levels: Quantum sector Exchange-completeness theorems for finite label groups: abelian at all cycle ranks; non-abelian on the single cycle (Wilson readouts plus class-sum convolutions generate the full matrix algebra); the multi-cycle non-abelian case on the operational-equivalence quotient, with the obstruction completely characterized via class-preserving outer automorphisms — and the quotient's necessity now stratified by the source of word blindness (see New in Version 24.0). The Born rule, proved for finite abelian networks from a strictly weaker relational readout premise (statistics of realizable effects depend only on relational content); non-contextuality has this single source; additivity is basis-relative and declared as such. The Schrödinger equation by two routes of unequal premise grade, maintained side by side: a spectral route — the action operator is a weighted Cayley-graph Laplacian in the Pontryagin dual basis, the derived Gibbs state's unique canonical (modular) flow yields the Schrödinger equation with Hamiltonian equal to the action operator, no continuum limit, zero conjectures consumed, the single non-theorem step one flagged identification; and a Madelung route — physical and mechanism-rich (probability density derived from constraint gaps), valid exactly on the domain of the pseudo-continuity conjecture, with its full premise bill stated (continuity equation, Wallstrom circulation condition, m, V). A dedicated comparison subsection gives the line-by-line premise accounting and the machine-measured agreement region. Complex field selection: ℂ selected over ℝ and ℍ within the GPT comparison class in the covered sectors, with a second independent route from chirality (Frobenius–Schur dichotomy, quaternionic double exclusion); "uniquely selected" expressly not claimed. Positivity as pairing: all five in-text positive-semidefiniteness theorems traced to one mechanism (M = B†B with native factor); the Kraus form and complete positivity derived rather than assumed. The Noether sector on Noether's two theorems exactly: Noether I recovered on the holonomy action (compact Lie realization); Noether II identified as present (Bianchi as horn-filling, Schläfli as its Regge form); selection rules recovered for finite groups; the GNS bridge proved non-vacuously on the full exchange algebra; the sole potential extension — conservation as the kernel of exchange — isolated as a registered conjecture, consumed nowhere. A local–global representation theorem: six generative quantities (closure invariant, flux quantization, Weyl phase, non-abelian Stokes, orientation visibility, terminal normalization) are evaluations of cohomology classes against closed chains — one syntax, six exact machine probes. The gatekeeper no-go theorems registered and discharged: Kochen–Specker (the framework posits no global valuation — outcomes are resolutions of constraint gaps, and basis-relative additivity blocks state-independent variants), Pusey–Barrett–Rudolph (the statistical envelope is over resolutions yet to happen, not values already held; machine witness: identical configuration ensembles with opposite relative phase have opposite statistics), Wallstrom (registered as an explicit input, structurally discharged in the finite-abelian sector), Hegerfeldt (the Lieb–Robinson exponential tail identified as the only claimable front form for the continuum limit), Frauchiger–Renner (cross-agent certainty transfer presupposes kernel-free record transport, exactly what exchange-incompleteness excludes), and no-cloning (inherited in the covered sectors); Conway–Kochen and Colbeck–Renner noted as concordant. Relativity sector Time from finite capacity plus genuine randomness: the staging theorem (Θ(d) dependency depth, unbounded chains via the Moore bound; the quantitative failure law conditionalized on measure-level independence with exact minimal witnesses); the temporal quantum defined combinatorially, no Hamiltonian input. The speed of light grounded in an exact discrete dependency cone (combinatorial, no quantum input), the Lieb–Robinson bound consumed at cross-check grade only; a boost no-go theorem reducing Lorentz invariance to named statistical conditions, with the Collins fine-tuning objection recorded as a gate. The trace-descent theorem group: the growth-history measure forced onto the Mazurkiewicz trace quotient; chain reflection positivity at every depth with completely explicit spectrum. An equation sector of nine verification families (Schrödinger, Dirac, Maxwell/U(1), canonical commutator, Yang–Mills SU(2), Regge calculus, Klein–Gordon, Noether loop, Cartan curvature), where every machine-precision claim is the shadow of a proved backbone lemma — including the factor ½ of H = ½L + V, identified as the Wilson Fourier coefficient fixed by the action theorem. Four experimentally testable predictions, including a discriminating flat-versus-sigmoid visibility protocol. The Standard Model gauge group, ħ, and G remain open, with attack routes registered. How to read Three entry paths are marked in the document. Path A (derivational core): axioms → group structure → Noether sector → least action → Born rule → positivity. Path B (physical mechanisms): constraint propagation → time as determination → wave function as gap envelope → fields. Path C (scope and limits): the Claim Ledger, then Discussion and Open Problems — for the reader who wants to know what is claimed and what is not before reading anything else. The Claim Ledger is the single authoritative register of claim status; wherever body text sounds stronger, the Ledger governs. New in Version 24.0 (Version 23.0 is the immediately preceding public release; this version supersedes the internal V12–V15 and V17–V19 series, whose numbers are not used externally.) Version 24.0 resolves the structure of the multi-cycle non-abelian obstruction — the sector's longest-standing open front — following an external research exchange with three rounds of independent re-verification (fourteen core figures, three commutant instruments implemented independently, exact integer arithmetic on the obstruction side) and two rounds of counter-review that corrected one quantifier on each side: A dichotomy of the multi-cycle obstruction (new remark). Word blindness on multi-cycle networks has two identified sources, jointly covering every tested case, with opposite behaviour as cycle rank grows. Type I (global; graded): a class-preserving outer automorphism yields a commutant element by an argument free of cycle-rank reference; its non-triviality holds at theorem grade for b₁ ≥ d(G) via generating tuples, is monotone in b₁, and the threshold is measured at b_σ = 2 on the tested Wall group (at b₁ = 1 the permutation is the identity — no universal claim is made, and the existence of groups with threshold above 2 is registered open). Type II (local; measured): Out_c trivial but fusion fails on a proper subgroup, the blind pairs sitting in non-generating sectors — the same mechanism that defeats Wilson generation; this blindness heals: on every verified group (A₄, SL(2,3), A₄×ℤ₂) the full commutant collapses to trivial at b₁ = 3 by exact computation on two independently implemented instruments, although word readouts remain blind — the shift primitives separate, above a threshold, and the natural explanation (tuples becoming generating) is refuted by the persistence of blind blocks. Three boundaries at full strength: no exhaustiveness proof (a third source is not excluded); no general healing theorem (the verified groups all heal at 3, cause unidentified); the verified Type II sample is narrow. The quotient proposition restated in stratified form. The operational-equivalence quotient's necessity is now part of the proposition's own statement, in three strata: necessary where Out_c ≠ 1 at every b₁ ≥ b_σ(G), with b_σ ≤ d(G) at theorem grade; one-dimensional at b₁ = 2 on the fusion-type groups (verified cases); trivial at b₁ ≥ 3 on every verified fusion-type group and at every tested b₁ for word-separation-complete groups (a fourteen-group scan of orders ≤ 31 found no third source). Pre-registered validation preceded the restatement: a stratification-exhaustiveness scan (pass), a new-witness search (no new witness in range, downgrade clause applied as pre-registered), and a zero-conflict audit of the three strata against all archived data. The residual open problem is now precisely located. What remains of multi-cycle completeness: the rare Out_c ≠ 1 groups (54 in the exhaustive range through order 96) above their measured thresholds, the low-b₁ fusion stratum, a general healing theorem, and whether a threshold above 2 occurs. The multiplicity-freeness conjecture's mechanism sentence is corrected with the two regimes stated separately (at b₁ = 2 the shifts do not separate — the blind-pair transposition commutes with every primitive, integer-exact — and reduce the commutant to