The Ontology of Entropy: Irreversibility and Thermodynamics in Constraint Networks

Why does entropy increase? What is the physical meaning of temperature? Why are some processes irreversible? In Energy-Efficiency Theory (EET), these questions receive first-principles answers rooted in the dynamics of constraint networks. Entropy is not a mysterious statistical quantity but the logarithm of the accessible free-state volume of a constraint network. The Second Law of Thermodynamics is not an independent axiom but a theorem derived from the barrier asymmetry $E_b^{\mathrm{melt}} \gg E_b^{\mathrm{form}}$. This paper develops the ontology of entropy and irreversibility from the generative foundations of EET Core Rules v5.0. A constraint network consists of persistent constraints (localized…