variational_step_unique
The uniqueness theorem for variational steps asserts that any two configurations minimizing total defect subject to log-charge conservation from a given current state must have identical entries. Researchers deriving deterministic ledger evolution from the Recognition Science framework cite this to guarantee a single next state at each tick. The proof exhibits the constant configuration with preserved average log-charge as the unique minimizer and shows both candidates equal it by defect equality and charge preservation.
claimLet $N > 0$ be a natural number and let $c$ be a configuration of $N$ entries. Suppose next$_1$ and next$_2$ are both variational successors of $c$, i.e., each lies in the feasible set from $c$ and attains the minimal total defect among all feasible configurations from $c$. Then the entry vectors of next$_1$ and next$_2$ coincide.
background
The VariationalDynamics module supplies the explicit update rule for the Recognition Science ledger: the next state is the global minimizer of total defect over the feasible set defined by conservation of total log-charge. The predicate IsVariationalSuccessor c next holds precisely when next belongs to the feasible set from c and total_defect next equals the infimum of total_defect over that set. This construction rests on the J-cost Jlog(t) = ((e^t + e^{-t})/2) - 1 whose strict convexity, established in the upstream LawOfExistence and Determinism modules, forces uniqueness of minimizers. The module_doc states that prior results had shown defect is non-increasing but had left the concrete dynamics unspecified.
proof idea
The proof first constructs the uniform configuration u with every entry exp((log_charge c)/N) and verifies it is a variational successor by direct computation of its log_charge together with the total_defect_lower_bound. For each given successor next_i it obtains total_defect next_i = N * Jlog(avg) by applying the minimality property of next_i to u and the minimality property of u to next_i, then invoking le_antisymm. It next applies eq_constant_config_of_defect_eq to conclude that next_i must itself be the constant configuration carrying the preserved charge. The two charges are identical by the IsVariationalSuccessor hypotheses, so the constant configurations coincide and therefore the entry vectors are equal.
why it matters in Recognition Science
This theorem supplies the uniqueness half of the variational update rule and is invoked directly by the downstream variational_dynamics_deterministic to conclude that entire trajectories are uniquely determined by the initial configuration. It realizes the determinism promised in the Determinism module and completes the equation-of-motion description in the module_doc. Within the Recognition Science chain it closes the gap between non-increasing defect (TimeEmergence) and the uniqueness required for a well-defined dynamics, thereby enabling the eight-tick octave and spatial-dimension derivations that rest on deterministic evolution.
scope and limits
- Does not establish existence of any variational successor.
- Does not extend to continuous-time limits or differential equations.
- Applies only for finite N > 0.
- Assumes the feasible set is nonempty (guaranteed by sibling results).
- Does not address stability under small perturbations of the initial charge.
Lean usage
have h_eq : next₁.entries = next₂.entries := variational_step_unique hN c next₁ next₂ h₁ h₂
formal statement (Lean)
290theorem variational_step_unique {N : ℕ} (hN : 0 < N)
291 (c : Configuration N)
292 (next₁ next₂ : Configuration N)
293 (h₁ : IsVariationalSuccessor c next₁)
294 (h₂ : IsVariationalSuccessor c next₂) :
295 next₁.entries = next₂.entries := by
proof body
Tactic-mode proof.
296 have h_uniform : IsVariationalSuccessor c (constant_config (log_charge c / N) : Configuration N) := by
297 constructor
298 · show log_charge (constant_config (log_charge c / N) : Configuration N) = log_charge c
299 rw [constant_config_log_charge]
300 exact mul_div_cancel₀ _ (Nat.cast_ne_zero.mpr (Nat.pos_iff_ne_zero.mp hN))
301 · intro c' hc'
302 rw [constant_config_total_defect]
303 have hbound := total_defect_lower_bound hN c'
304 rw [hc'] at hbound
305 exact hbound
306 have h1_eq_min : total_defect next₁ = (N : ℝ) * Jlog (log_charge c / N) := by
307 have h1le := h₁.2 (constant_config (log_charge c / N) : Configuration N) h_uniform.1
308 have h1ge := h_uniform.2 next₁ h₁.1
309 rw [constant_config_total_defect] at h1le h1ge
310 exact le_antisymm h1le h1ge
311 have h2_eq_min : total_defect next₂ = (N : ℝ) * Jlog (log_charge c / N) := by
312 have h2le := h₂.2 (constant_config (log_charge c / N) : Configuration N) h_uniform.1
313 have h2ge := h_uniform.2 next₂ h₂.1
314 rw [constant_config_total_defect] at h2le h2ge
315 exact le_antisymm h2le h2ge
316 have h1_const :
317 next₁.entries = (constant_config (log_charge next₁ / N) : Configuration N).entries := by
318 apply eq_constant_config_of_defect_eq hN next₁
319 rw [← h₁.1] at h1_eq_min
320 exact h1_eq_min
321 have h2_const :
322 next₂.entries = (constant_config (log_charge next₂ / N) : Configuration N).entries := by
323 apply eq_constant_config_of_defect_eq hN next₂
324 rw [← h₂.1] at h2_eq_min
325 exact h2_eq_min
326 have hcharge1 : log_charge next₁ = log_charge c := h₁.1
327 have hcharge2 : log_charge next₂ = log_charge c := h₂.1
328 calc
329 next₁.entries = (constant_config (log_charge next₁ / N) : Configuration N).entries := h1_const
330 _ = (constant_config (log_charge c / N) : Configuration N).entries := by rw [hcharge1]
331 _ = (constant_config (log_charge next₂ / N) : Configuration N).entries := by rw [hcharge2]
332 _ = next₂.entries := h2_const.symm
333
334/-! ## Defect Reduction -/
335
336/-- **Theorem (Variational Step Reduces Defect)**:
337 The total defect of the successor is at most the total defect
338 of the current state.
339
340 This follows immediately: the current state is feasible for itself,
341 and the successor minimizes over the feasible set, so the successor's
342 cost is at most the current state's cost. -/
used by (1)
depends on (32)
-
of -
Jlog -
Jlog -
Jlog -
Defect -
le_antisymm -
of -
Configuration -
total_defect -
defect -
cost -
cost -
is -
of -
Configuration -
is -
of -
for -
constant_config -
constant_config_log_charge -
constant_config_total_defect -
eq_constant_config_of_defect_eq -
IsVariationalSuccessor -
log_charge -
total_defect_lower_bound -
is -
of -
is -
feasible -
total