Information Density, Representability, and Perceptual Compression Across Structured Systems (with Plain-Language Companion)

This record contains two linked documents presenting a unified structural framework for understanding the relationship between information density and representability. The primary paper, “Information Density, Representability, and Perceptual Compression Across Tiered Structure,” establishes that as information increases, the ability to distinguish and isolate elements decreases. At maximal information, systems become complete but non-separable, transitioning from depictable structure to integrated coherence. Observation is shown to occur only under compression, where observable states represent constrained projections of deeper relational structure. The paper further defines a structural threshold at which incoming information exceeds representational capacity, producing non-fluid processing, overload, and breakdown unless mediated through filtering, translation, or gating. The companion document, “A Plain-Language Companion to Information Density, Representability, and Perceptual Compression Across Tiered Structure,” presents the same system in expanded, descriptive language without reliance on tiered terminology. It serves as an interpretive layer, enabling accessibility while preserving the structural meaning of the primary work. Together, these documents describe the same framework at two levels of compression: a formal, structural presentation an accessible, human-readable interpretation This combined record preserves both precision and interpretability, allowing the framework to be engaged across different levels of technical depth.