Topos-Theoretic Foundations of Emergent Gravity: A Categorical Derivation of Verlinde's Entropic Force

We present a rigorous categorical foundation for Verlinde’s theory

of emergent gravity using topos-theoretic methods. By constructing

a Grothendieck topos T= Sh(C,J) of sheaves on a site of holo-

graphic screens equipped with gradient data, we derive, rather than

postulate, the fundamental physical laws. Temperature emerges from

energy conservation and the sheaf condition through the holographic

equipartition theorem. Physical quantities are defined as sheaves with

non-trivial restriction maps encoding the coarse-graining physics. The

entropic force law F= T∇S arises necessarily from the tensor-hom ad-

junction, with entropy gradient as a natural transformation. Newton’s

law F= ma follows as a theorem from these categorical structures.

We present the derivation of field equations (Poisson and Einstein) as

well-motivated conjectures, providing a roadmap for future develop-

ment. This demonstrates that gravitational physics emerges inevitably

from the information-theoretic structure of the topos, providing both

mathematical rigor and conceptual clarity to Verlinde’s framework.