What question did this study set out to answer?

The paper aims to define the essence of number as a fundamental principle in understanding reality and its structures.

February 2, 2026Open Access

The Ontological Definition of Number: Difference, Identity, and the Foundations of Information

Key Points

The paper aims to define the essence of number as a fundamental principle in understanding reality and its structures.
Analysis of the concept of number in relation to ontological frameworks.
Building on previous work linking existence, difference, and information.
Exploration of implications for mathematics, physics, and consciousness.
Number is positioned as the result of information processing distinguishing identity.
Identification of a unifying logical foundation underlying mathematics, physics, and conscious perception.
Clarification of number as a constitutive principle, moving beyond symbolic abstractions.

Abstract

This paper defines the essence of "number" which lies at the root of all layers of the universe description, physical laws, and perception as the structuring of ontological difference. Building upon the equivalence of "Existence = Difference = Information" established in the author’s previous work, this study positions number as the resultof information processing that distinguishes distinctness under identity. By doing so, it clarifies that the structures of mathematics, physics, and consciousness are derived from a single logical foundation. This inquiry represents an attempt to liberate the concept of number from abstract symbolic systems and reconstruct it as the fundamental constitutive principle of reality.

Demander à l'IA

Bookmark

View Full Paper