Physics:Theory of Entropicity(ToE), Idea of Aether and Higgs Field Mechanism

Abstract

The Theory of Entropicity (ToE), first formulated and developed by John Onimisi Obidi, elevates entropy from a statistical descriptor to a universal, dynamical field underlying all observable phenomena. This article develops the conceptual parallels between the entropic field of ToE and two major ideas in physics: the historical notion of a luminiferous aether and the modern Higgs field mechanism. We show how ToE functions as an “entropic aether,” filling all of space, and how its coupling to matter yields a Higgs-like mass generation mechanism while simultaneously explaining motion, gravitation, and the arrow of time.

Introduction

From antiquity through 19th-century physics, the idea of a pervasive medium—an aether—was invoked to explain how light and forces propagate. In the 20th century, relativity discarded the mechanical aether, but quantum field theory introduced a new kind of pervasive medium: the Higgs field responsible for particle masses.

The Theory of Entropicity (ToE) proposes a third, thermodynamic paradigm. It treats entropy not as a global statistic but as a local, dynamic field [math]\displaystyle{ S(x) }[/math] with its own couplings. This field resembles an aether in its universality and a Higgs field in its role in mass generation, but it also introduces irreversibility and entropic geodesics absent from both.

Entropic Aether

Universal Substrate

ToE posits an all-pervading entropic field—a constraint field rather than a mechanical fluid. Every point in space–time carries a local entropy density [math]\displaystyle{ S(x) }[/math] and entropy flow vector [math]\displaystyle{ \nabla S(x) }[/math]. Interactions, signals and motions occur within this field and are limited by a fundamental “entropic time” scale:

[math]\displaystyle{ \Delta t_\text{entropic} \ge \tau_\text{min} }[/math]

This plays the role once assigned to the aether as a background medium but framed in information-theoretic and thermodynamic terms.

Difference from Classical Aether

• Non-mechanical: the entropic field is a scalar–tensor constraint, not a compressible fluid.
• Relativistically compatible: its effects manifest as entropy gradients rather than as a preferred inertial frame.
• Irreversible: it encodes the arrow of time intrinsically, unlike the time-symmetric Maxwell–Lorentz aether models.

Higgs-Like Mass Generation in ToE

Mass as Internal Entropy

In ToE, the inertial and gravitational mass of an object emerges from its internal entropy reservoir:

[math]\displaystyle{ m \;\propto\; S_\text{internal} }[/math]

Objects with larger internal entropy generate stronger external entropy gradients, influencing nearby trajectories—an entropic analogue of gravitation.

Coupling to the Entropic Field

Just as Standard Model particles acquire mass through interaction with the Higgs field, matter in ToE acquires its “effective mass” through coupling to the entropic field. Quantizing this field would yield excitations—“entropions”—analogous to the Higgs boson:

[math]\displaystyle{ \phi_\text{entropic} \quad \text{with quanta} \quad \varepsilon_\text{entropion} }[/math]

These excitations represent localized disturbances in the entropic substrate.

Extended Scope

Unlike the Higgs mechanism, which explains only mass, ToE uses the same field to explain:

• motion along entropy gradients (entropic geodesics),
• gravitational attraction as an emergent effect,
• the fundamental arrow of time.

Motion and Entropic Geodesics

In ToE, free motion corresponds to paths of least entropic resistance:

[math]\displaystyle{ \delta \!\! \int \Lambda(x)\, \mathrm{d}\tau = 0 }[/math]

where [math]\displaystyle{ \Lambda(x) }[/math] is the entropy density functional appearing in the Vuli Ndlela Integral. These “entropic geodesics” replace metric geodesics of General Relativity, unifying inertial and gravitational motion under entropy flow.

Comparative Summary

Parallels Between the Aether, Higgs Field and the Entropic Field of the Theory of Entropicity(ToE)

Feature	Classical Aether	Higgs Field	Entropic Field (ToE)
Medium Type	Mechanical fluid	Quantum scalar field	Thermodynamic constraint field
Universality	Fills all space	Fills vacuum	Fills all space with entropy density
Mass Generation	None	Yes (via symmetry breaking)	Yes (via internal entropy coupling)
Arrow of Time	Absent	Absent	Built-in via irreversibility
Motion Description	Wave propagation	Particle interactions	Entropic geodesics, least-constraint paths

Implications for the Standard Model of Particle Physics

By functioning as both an “entropic aether” and a “Higgs-like” field, ToE provides a unified picture:

• The entropic field acts as the substrate for all interactions.
• Internal entropy endows matter with mass.
• Entropy gradients guide motion and encode time’s arrow.

This framework suggests new experimental and theoretical avenues, including quantization of the entropic field and searches for entropic quanta (“entropions”).

See Also

• Theory of Entropicity
• Vuli-Ndlela Integral
• Obidi Action
• Higgs mechanism
• Aether theories

References

• Obidi, J.O. Theory of Entropicity (ToE): An Entropy-Field Framework for Physics. Cambridge University (2025).
• Higgs, P.W. Broken Symmetries and the Masses of Gauge Bosons. Phys. Rev. Lett. 13 (1964).
• Einstein, A. On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies. Annalen der Physik (1905).
• Verlinde, E. On the Origin of Gravity and the Laws of Newton. JHEP (2011).