Foundations of the Unified Theory of Information. Article 1: Ontological Basis and Fundamental Principles

This paper presents the first installment in a series establishing the axiomatic foundations of Unified Information Theory (UIT) — a fundamental theory that posits information as the primary ontological substance of reality. Unlike existing approaches that treat information as a measure of uncertainty (Shannon) or description length (Kolmogorov), UIT defines information as an objectively existing entity irreducible to matter, energy, or space-time. The paper formulates seven independent axioms that constitute a minimal, logically closed system. Six of these are mathematical axioms; the first is an ontological axiom defining the interpretive context of the entire theory. Based on these axioms, we introduce rigorous definitions of information, informational systems, and informational fields, and formulate the Principle of Least Informational Action, the Principle of Information Conservation, and the Principle of Global Information Flow. All propositions are strictly separated into axioms (initial assumptions), definitions (the language of the theory), and interpretations (philosophical consequences that are not part of the formal theory). The paper is deliberately limited to constructing the formal basis; the derivation of physical laws is deferred to subsequent publications.