CONSTANTS ONTOLOGY – Paper C - Recursive Physical Constants and Force Refinement in the Unified Coherence Framework Root Constants, Coupling Invariants, and the Fine-Structure Constant

Physical constants occupy a distinctive position in modern physics. They structure the equations of naturewith extraordinary precision, yet many of their numerical values remain empirically determined rather thanderived from first principles. This paper develops a coherence-based interpretation of that problem. Within the Unified Coherence Framework, physical constants are understood as stabilized relational invariants:values that preserve coherence, closure, coupling, and scale-consistency within physical regimes. The paperdistinguishes root constants, which define primary physical relations, from compound constants, whichtranslate between already-established regimes. It then examines causal propagation, quantum action,gravitational coupling, charge asymmetry, fermion mass, and the fine-structure constant as progressivelyrefined expressions of stabilized coherence. The fine-structure constant is treated as the central case because it is dimensionless, empirically precise, and structurally links charge, action, light, and electromagnetic coupling. The paper does not claim to derive all constants numerically. Its contribution is to establish a disciplined conceptual architecture in which constants may be interpreted as stable signatures of recursive coherence regimes and in which dimensionless constants become natural candidates for future first-principles derivation. Keywords physical constants; fine-structure constant; root constants; compound constants; Unified CoherenceFramework; coherence-stabilized invariants; coupling constants; force refinement; quantum action;dimensional analysis