Configuration Space Temporality: A Reformulation of Time as State Identity in Configuration Space

Title: Configuration Space Temporality: A Reformulation of Time as State Identity in Configuration Space Authors: Blum, Frederic David (Independent Researcher, Catalyst AI, Tel Aviv, Israel) We propose Configuration Space Temporality (CST), a fundamental reformulation of temporal ontology in which time is not a geometric coordinate along which physical systems evolve, but an emergent property arising from the uniqueness of physical configurations in state space. We define a temporal configuration as the complete specification of all physical degrees of freedom within a bounded spacetime region and demonstrate that the combinatorial vastness of configuration space renders every such specification a unique identifier — an unicum. Within this framework, we reformulate the problem of time travel from one of geometric transport along closed timelike curves to one of distance minimization in configuration space. We introduce a configuration metric, define partial temporal displacement as achievable modification of state parameters, and establish a hierarchy of accessibility across macroscopic, microscopic, and quantum parameter classes. The framework naturally dissolves classical temporal paradoxes (grandfather, bootstrap), provides a novel perspective on the arrow of time through Boltzmann's entropy landscape, and connects to the Wheeler-DeWitt equation's timeless formulation of quantum gravity and the Page-Wootters mechanism. We further explore the spectral properties of propagation operators on configuration manifolds with cyclic boundary conditions and propose a threshold conjecture for experiential temporal displacement. This work was developed with AI assistance from Claude Opus 4.6 (Thinking) by Anthropic. Keywords: temporal ontology, configuration space, state-based time, closed timelike curves, spectral operators, chronology protection, Wheeler-DeWitt equation, information theory, Boltzmann entropy, emergent time, Page-Wootters mechanism, time travel License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Resource type: Preprint Language: English Related identifiers / References: Gödel (1949), Hawking (1992), Page & Wootters (1983), Wheeler & DeWitt (1967), Novikov (1989)