The RECT Principle of Cosmic Totality: The Universe as the Totality of Referential Structures and Their Relations

What is the universe, and in relation to what does it exist? Conventional descriptions often treat the universe as an independent physical container within which matter, energy, space, and time exist. However, this description leaves a fundamental question unresolved: if the universe is the totality of everything, what external reference structure establishes its existence and defines its boundaries? The Referential Entropy Cycle Theory (RECT) proposes a different definition. The universe is not an independently existing container outside all referential relations. Rather, it is the totality of all reference structures and the relations among them. The existence of physical quantities depends on their corresponding referential relations, while the establishment of referential relations depends on the existence of corresponding reference structures. This paper formulates the RECT Principle of Cosmic Totality and establishes the universe as a self-contained relational system. Within this framework, space is understood as a geometric expression of referential relations, while physical quantities and physical fields must also be grounded in corresponding reference structures and relations. The paper further presents the bidirectional conservation relationship between the number of reference structures and the total number of their corresponding relations. The purpose of this formulation is to provide a unified definition of the universe from the perspective of referential structures, rather than assuming the universe to be a pre-existing spatial container.