{
  "abstract": "Official website: distinctiontheory.orgPublic portal for the start guide, papers, claim status, failure registry, prior-art boundary, and citation resources. Canonical GitHub repository:https://github.com/yiningwu-research/Distinction-Theory This paper introduces FDS-T1, the finite-observer physical bridge paper in the Distinction Theory / Active Finite Distinction Systems (DT/FDS) research programme. The central claim is that a finite physical observer cannot register, preserve, update, and operationally use an unlimited number of distinctions. The paper defines an observer-relative distinguishability budget NO = |Im(πO)| and bit capacity CO = log2NO for finite record-bearing systems. Using established Bekenstein, holographic, channel, and Landauer-style update constraints as physical bridge inputs, the paper formulates accessible distinguishability as a bottleneck over internal memory, boundary access, communication channel, causal reach, externalized records, and irreversible update throughput. It then defines boundary-relative capacity deficit by comparing task-relevant rate-distortion demand with accessible capacity. When task demand persistently exceeds accessible budget, the paper argues that a finite observer must enter at least one budget-exit class: coarse-graining, compression, externalization, pruning, task relaxation, or failure. The paper also introduces budget crossing and bottleneck-switching kinks as testable signatures of finite-observer capacity limits. This paper does not claim to derive the Bekenstein bound, holography, Landauer’s principle, the Einstein equations, quantum gravity, the Standard Model, or the numerical coefficient 1/4 in the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy formula. It uses established entropy and thermodynamic constraints as physical bridge inputs. Its contribution is narrower: to make finite distinguishability a precise, auditable, and testable bridge between finite-system theory, information bounds, and physical observation. This version is intended as a stable public timestamp for the FDS-T1 finite-observer bridge claim family, including finite observer projection, distinguishability budgets, accessible capacity bottlenecks, boundary-relative capacity deficit, maintenance bounds, budget-exit classification, and budget-crossing signatures.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 1,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Yining Wu",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-4991-4501"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f35pzx7hw5qva.bib",
  "cited_by": 9,
  "doi": "10.5281/zenodo.20234248",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "f35pzx7hw5qva",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20234248",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3109|Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7161398564",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-05-16",
  "publisher": "European Organization for Nuclear Research",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f35pzx7hw5qva.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:18Z",
      "native_id": "W7161398564",
      "source": "openalex",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20234248"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "openalex:3109|Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics",
      "subfield": "statistical-nonlinear"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Finite Distinguishability Budgets and Maintenance Bounds for Physical Observers",
  "title_text": "Finite Distinguishability Budgets and Maintenance Bounds for Physical Observers",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-06T13:20:25Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f35pzx7hw5qva",
  "venue": "Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)",
  "versions": []
}