Why is the Photon Massless? A Geometric Explanation via Spacetime Memory Bandwidth and Lorentz Symmetry

In the Standard Model of particle physics, the photon is assumed to be massless due to gauge symmetry. However, the fundamental physical reason for its zero rest mass remains an open question. Using the Adaptive Memory-Driven Coupling Framework (AMDCF), this study provides a computational and geometric explanation. We demonstrate that mass is not an intrinsic property, but a measure of a particle's interaction with the non-Markovian memory field (M_μν) of spacetime. As a particle's velocity approaches the speed of light (c), its effective mass goes to zero, and the "memory drag" of spacetime approaches infinity. The photon, traveling at exactly c, does not interact with the memory drag; it is the physical manifestation of the spacetime field updating itself at its maximum clock speed. Therefore, the photon is massless because it is pure information, propagating at the absolute bandwidth limit of the universe.