ICC XX: Dark Energy from Evolving Copying Dynamics

We derive dark energy from the renormalization-group flow of the copying rate field in the Information-Copying Cosmology framework. The effective potential V (ϕ) for the copying rate ϕ(x,t) evolves with cosmic time due to defect annihilation and spectral renormalization, mimicking a cosmological constant at late times. The equation of state parameter is predicted to be: wDE =−1+α∆+O(∆2), where ∆ = 0.10±0.02 is the fundamental copying parameter extracted from spectral statistics (ICC XII 9) and α ≈ 0.59 is determined by geometric enhancement and higher-order RG corrections. This yields w0 = −0.94±0.01, consistent with current constraints from DESI and Planck. The model predicts a mild redshift evolution: wDE(z) = −1+α∆1+βln(1+z), with β ≈ 0.10 set by the defect annihilation rate. The deviation |w0 +1| ≈ 0.06 will be tested at 3.9σ by DESI Year 5 (2026), 5.9σ by Euclid (2027), and 7.3σ by Roman (2027). The framework is UV-complete by construction and requires no new fields or fine-tuning beyond the copying dynamics established in previous ICC works. This work completes the emergent cosmology program within ICC: spacetime (VI VII) → quantum mechanics (IX) → matter (XIII–XVIII) → gravity (XIX) → dark energy (XX). It establishes cosmic acceleration as an emergent phenomenon of in formation copying, providing a falsifiable roadmap for next-generation cosmological surveys.