The Asymmetric Derivation of Space and Time: Ontological Primitives and Observational Derivatives in Physical Description

Abstract

Highlights Space and time follow different routes of physical derivation. Material instantiation is separated from observational individuation. Formal equivalence does not establish ontological equivalence. Relational structures are compared across foundational physical accounts. Recurring distinctions yield criteria for interpreting physical models. Working Summary What constitutes space and time, and how do their physical statuses differ? This paper takes modality, reaction, and superposition as three ontological primitives and traces how derivative elements and spatiotemporal descriptions are realized. It distinguishes materially instantiated from observationally individuated elements, as well as ontic, observational, and interpretive relations. On this basis, it analyzes relational structures across existing physical theories and extracts recurring distinctions as methodological considerations for the construction and interpretation of physical descriptions.