Spectral Asymmetry of C137 and the Origin of the Fine-Structure Constant: a Self-Contained Account( Version 6)

Abstract

We present a self-contained discrete framework in which the fine-structure constant is decomposed as alpha^{-1} = N + eta with N = 137 and eta = pi^2/2N = pi^2/274 = 0.0360204540..., and in which both integers 137 and 13 are forced by two independent and convergent selection mechanisms acting on a cyclic causal hypergraph C_{137} with GF(2) linear constraints: a spectral window floor(8N/pi^2) and a satisfiability window, both obtained in closed form, intersect in the single element 137. All mathematics is proved or derived in place; every numerical claim is recomputed under a pre-registered anti-numerology protocol; and every physical reading carries an explicit epistemic status (theorem, postulated principle, prediction, conjecture, or excluded reading). The framework retains falsifiable predictions with experimental deadlines -- including a tensor-to-scalar ratio r = 16 eta^2 = 0.021 and a spectral dimension d_s = 4 - eta -- and is confronted with experiment at full precision: the raw prediction alpha^{-1} = 137.0360204540 deviates from the measured value by 2.1 x 10^{-5}, about 10^3 standard deviations. This pointlike gap (PA2) is now closed conditionally (Version 6): the framework's native sine spectrum is forced by locality, and a Wilson-loop anchor counting in the flux sector yields exactly 27 defect addresses -- one of which is absorbed by the window defect under a single declared new postulate [D] -- giving alpha^{-1} = N + eta + 27*g_1 = 137.03599915, within 3.2 x 10^{-8} (0.149% of the gap) of CODATA, with the fine residue of 0.0402 copies named and open. Three closure campaigns and a full internal audit -- including a zeta'(0) two-worlds no-go theorem, an exhaustive sweep of 24,970,400 formulas in eta, and an exactly computed [[137,124,2]] code weight enumerator -- are reported under frozen pre-registration, with dated errata. A plain-language appendix explains the entire content to non-specialists.

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