The Information Gradient Hypothesis: A Thermodynamic Reconstruction of General Relativity

This work argues that spacetime curvature is not fundamental but emerges as a geometric response to gradients in the density of physical information. Building on the thermodynamic derivation of Einstein's equations and holographic principles, we develop a covariant framework—Information-Gradient Extended Gravity (IGEG)—where an "Informational Tensor" I μ ν I μν ​ , sourced by the gradient of an information density scalar ψ ψ, contributes to the stress-energy. The theory contains General Relativity as the equilibrium limit ( ∇ ψ = 0 ∇ψ=0) and predicts deviations in high-entropy environments: smoothed black hole horizons, singularity-resolution via information bounds, and modified neutron star structure. This provides a unified interpretation: inertia is resistance to changing information configuration; attraction is a tendency toward informational equilibrium. The framework suggests a relational ontology where spacetime is not a substance but a network of informational relationships, offering a potential path to resolve tensions between gravity and quantum mechanics.