The Shadow Price of Distinguishability: Operational Indistinguishability, Resource Conflict, and a Testable Theory of Consciousness

Key Points

• The research develops a formal framework linking consciousness to operational codes and shadow prices of distinguishability.
• Established a theoretical framework involving operational codes and shadow prices.
• Derived predictions using three toy models to illustrate concepts.
• Simulated agent behaviors under varying resource constraints, verifying findings across multiple conditions.
• Identified key inequalities for various human behaviors under constraints.
• Demonstrated distinct agentive regimes based on budget levels during simulation.
• Proposed a quantitative constraint on nuance degradation with increasing cognitive load.