On the constancy of the fine structure constant alpha

The period doubling phenomenon in a four-degree-of-freedom (4D) nonlinear dynamical system provides an accurate determination of the elementary electric charge from the Planck charge, ultimately leading to the value of the fine structure constant α . Notably, α emerges as an intrinsic property of the four-degree-of-freedom system, independent of any fundamental physical constant. This perspective broadens the understanding of α as a universal feature of 4D nonlinear systems. While measurements of α from distant astronomical sources exhibit slight variations, we contend that α should be fundamentally independent of time and place. These discrepancies likely arise from experimental limitations or theoretical interpretations rather than genuine physical variability. The calculated value of α is 0.007% lower than the current Committee on Data of the International Science Council (CODATA) value, while the calculated elementary charge deviates by 0.003% from the CODATA value. The period doubling (PD) cascade aligns naturally with Wheeler’s “it from bit” principle, as the PD mechanism is intrinsically binary: Each bifurcation proceeds through successive factors of two, generating structure through discrete, bit-like transitions.