From Referential Structures to Physical Entities: A Unified RECT Analysis of the Definability of Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and Physical Fields

This paper presents a foundational analysis of the definability of physical entities within the Referential Entropy Cycle Theory (RECT). RECT begins from the principle that physical quantities arise from referential structures and referential relations. From this perspective, an independently defined physical entity must correspond to an identifiable referential structure capable of generating independently definable physical quantities. The paper applies this criterion to several major concepts in modern physics, including dark matter, dark energy, physical fields, and the historical concept of aether. It distinguishes observational phenomena from the ontological assumption of an independent physical entity and argues that an observational anomaly alone does not establish the existence of a new fundamental entity. A central distinction developed in the paper is: Undefined ≠ Zero ≠ Nonexistent. Accordingly, the inability to establish an independent referential structure for a proposed entity should not be interpreted as experimental proof of its nonexistence. Rather, it indicates that the physical definition of that entity remains incomplete within the RECT framework. The paper further proposes that physical fields can be interpreted as continuous expressions of referential relations, providing a unified conceptual framework connecting physical quantities, relations, and fields. This work is theoretical and foundational in nature. Its conclusions are presented as propositions of the RECT framework and require further mathematical development, phenomenological modeling, and independent empirical testing.