A Constraint–Relaxation Energy Model: Interaction-Dependent Emergence of Energy from Structured Information

Abstract

This paper presents the Constraint–Relaxation Energy Model (CREM), a theoretical framework proposing that energy is an emergent consequence of imposing and relaxing constraints on an underlying phase space of possible states. Building on established principles from thermodynamics, information theory, and systems science, CREM reframes energy as the release of compressed geometric and informational relationships rather than a primitive substance. The model integrates feedback, coherence, and constraint geometry as necessary conditions for stable energy storage and release. Speculative extensions are explicitly delineated from established physics, positioning CREM as a unifying interpretive framework rather than a claim of new empirical phenomena.