Entropy Cancellation and the Information Mass of Dark Matter in the SV0 Cyclic Universe

This manuscript is the seventeenth paper in a series establishing the Signed-Volume Effective-Fluid (SV0) model. In Papers I-XVI, we introduced the SV0 model, derived its microphysics, analyzed its perturbations, established its dynamical stability, provided a string-theoretic embedding, constructed a unified cosmological history with an early-universe bounce, resolved the cosmological constant problem, analyzed CMB signatures, explored its quantum cosmology, provided a discrete spacetime derivation, explained baryogenesis, discussed the emergence of gauge symmetries, and introduced the Universal Information Field (UIF). In this seventeenth work, we resolve Tolman's entropy problem in cyclic universe models and propose a novel explanation for Dark Matter. We demonstrate that the positive-volume sector and the negative-volume sector have entropy contributions of opposite signs, which exactly cancel at the quantum bounce, allowing an eternal cyclic universe without heat death. Furthermore, grounded in Landauer's principle and Wheeler's "It from Bit" paradigm, we show that the information stored in the UIF possesses a physical mass. This information mass gravitates but lacks electromagnetic charge, perfectly mimicking Dark Matter without the need for exotic WIMPs. This unifies the entropy reset of the cyclic universe with the missing mass problem. Related Works:Paper I: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24026844Paper II: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24032977Paper III: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24033838Paper IV: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24034927Paper V: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24035268Paper VI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24035911Paper VII: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24038624Paper VIII: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24039486Paper IX: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24040648Paper X: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24046082Paper XI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24046162Paper XII: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24046233Paper XIII: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24046352Paper XIV: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24046520Paper XV: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24046626Paper XVI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24047178