BEDS: Bayesian Emergent Dissipative Structures
Laurent Caraffa
TL;DR
BEDS (Bayesian Emergent Dissipative Structures) proposes that learning across physical, biological, and computational systems is the conversion of flux into structure via entropy export, formalized through a thermodynamic–Bayesian isomorphism. It links open-system dissipation to Bayesian updating, introduces a recursive emergence principle where crystallized posteriors become priors for higher-level emergence, and derives fundamental constants $e$, $π$, and $φ$ as fixed points of inference under minimal axioms. A Gödel–Landauer–Prigogine conjecture argues pathologies in formal systems mirror dissipation deficits in physical systems, highlighting the necessity of openness and dissipation for coherent mathematics. The paper also demonstrates a practical, energy-efficient P2P implementation of BEDS, achieving orders-of-magnitude improvements over existing distributed consensus while enabling continuous learning. Together, these contributions bridge physics, information theory, and system design to chart a pathway toward sustainable, adaptive AI architecture.
Abstract
We present BEDS (Bayesian Emergent Dissipative Structures), a theoretical framework that unifies concepts from non-equilibrium thermodynamics, Bayesian inference, information geometry, and machine learning. The central thesis proposes that learning, across physical, biological, and computational systems, fundamentally constitutes the conversion of flux into structure through entropy export. Building on Prigogine's theory of dissipative structures, we establish a formal isomorphism between thermodynamic processes and Bayesian updating, demonstrating that sustainable learning systems must follow dissipative patterns where crystallized posteriors become priors for subsequent levels of emergence. We derive fundamental mathematical constants (e, π, φ) as fixed points of Bayesian inference under minimal axioms, suggesting these constants emerge necessarily from any system capable of representing and updating uncertainty. Furthermore, we propose a conjecture linking Gödel's incompleteness theorems to thermodynamic constraints, hypothesizing that pathologies of formal systems (incompleteness, undecidability) are structurally analogous to dissipation deficits in physical systems. As practical validation, we present a peer-to-peer network architecture implementing BEDS principles, achieving six orders of magnitude improvement in energy efficiency compared to existing distributed consensus systems while enabling continuous learning. This work bridges fundamental physics, mathematical logic, and practical system design, offering both theoretical insights into the nature of learning and computation, and a concrete pathway toward sustainable artificial intelligence.