Information-Induced Wavefunction Collapse: A Quantized View of Observation

Information-Induced Wavefunction Collapse: A Quantized View of Observation | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Information-Induced Wavefunction Collapse: A Quantized View of Observation Srijoy Subhrakanti Nayak This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6851199/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This paper presents a novel interpretation of wavefunction collapse grounded in quantum information theory. We propose that collapse is not triggered by observation itself, but by a quantized increase in a system's informational entropy. Specifically, we introduce a threshold condition: collapse occurs only when the von Neumann entropy of the system exceeds a critical value, δIc, due to entanglement with the environment. This reframing allows wavefunction collapse to be understood as an objective, testable process driven by entropy flow, rather than subjective measurement. We formalize this framework using mathematical postulates and simulate its behavior in canonical quantum setups, including the double-slit experiment, spin measurement, and Schrödinger’s cat. The model not only aligns with known phenomena but also makes falsifiable predictions—suggesting that collapse is conditional and occurs only beyond an entropy threshold. This provides a new lens on the quantum measurement problem and opens experimental paths for validating information-induced collapse. Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6851199","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":468392726,"identity":"df3f56e1-1f05-48b0-a70d-ba8e98247787","order_by":0,"name":"Srijoy Subhrakanti Nayak","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Srijoy","middleName":"Subhrakanti","lastName":"Nayak","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-06-09 06:23:25","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6851199/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6851199/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":87017200,"identity":"fb386228-abe0-43ca-a322-2db98045c12e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-18 10:24:06","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":368565,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"collapseofawavefunction.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6851199/v1_covered_520daf85-17f2-4b0f-bb2c-1dcb0d34a129.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Information-Induced Wavefunction Collapse: A Quantized View of Observation","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6851199/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6851199/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"This paper presents a novel interpretation of wavefunction collapse grounded in quantum information theory. 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