Constructing Physics From Measurements
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We present a reformulation of fundamental physics from an enumeration of independent axioms into the solution of a single optimization problem. Any experiment begins with an initial state preparation, involves some physical operation, and ends with a final measurement. Working from this structure, we maximize the entropy of a final measurement relative to its initial preparation subject to a measurement constraint. Solving this optimization problem for the natural constraint --the most permissive constraint compatible with said problem-- identifies an optimal physical theory. Rather than existing as a collection of postulates, quantum mechanics, general relativity, and Yang-Mills emerge within a unified theory. Notably, mathematical consistency further restricts valid solutions to 3+1 dimensions only. This reformulation reveals that the apparent complexity of modern physics, with its various forces, symmetries, and dimensional constraints, emerges as the solution to an optimization problem constructed over all experiments realizable within the constraint of nature.