Published January 17, 2026 | Version Version 8
Preprint Open

On the Phenomenon of Life

Authors/Creators

Description

NOTE(new): I have found some errors in my proofs including typos and logic both on my own work and the material I imported from elsewhere. The final results are still valid. I need some time to fix my mistakes. I am at the process of making amendments.   I also have found places to expand on and be more rigorous. 

NOTE(old): I have found some typos and minor mistakes, I would recommend that anyone serious about my work contact me by visiting my website, https://yehancomplex.github.io/My_Website/ . Also I shall be adding amendments to this work in future. A youtube video is given as supplimentary material. 
This monograph explores the idea that the universe can be understood as a computational system, and that life can be seen as a kind of program — specifically, a self-replicating and evolving process, similar to Cohen’s theory of computer viruses and von Neumann’s universal constructor. Importantly, this does not claim that the universe is literally a computer. Rather, it reflects the nature of human explanation: all explanations are symbolic, taking the form of strings or structures analogous to code. Using this perspective, we introduce a Generalized Computational Framework, which allows us to consistently model the universe and its processes as computational systems. This framework builds on the work of Turing, von Neumann, Chaitin, and Cohen, and offers a coherent way to address philosophical questions about life and the structure of reality. Feedback and discussion on the plausibility and implications of this computational interpretation are welcome.

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Additional details

Additional titles

Alternative title
A Computational Theory of Life

Dates

Collected
2021-01 / 2025-11
Collected research
Created
2024-11/2026-01
Created the monograph
Submitted
2026-01-17
Submitted to Zenodo as a preprint

References