Journal of Advanced Robotics, Autonomous Systems and Human-Machine Interaction
The Extended Fifth Law of Thermodynamics: Establishing Information as a Fundamental Physical Quantity
Abstract
Ndenga Lumbu Barack
The classical laws of thermodynamics describe the evolution of energy, entropy, and equilibrium in physical systems, yet they do not explicitly treat information as a physical quantity with thermodynamic status. In this work, I propose the Extended Fifth Law of Thermodynamics, asserting that information acts as a fundamental physical variable governing organization, stability, and the direction of evolution in complex systems. I formalize this principle and introduce a quantity—organizational efficiency, denoted R—defined by the balance between information and entropy. I demonstrate how this framework unifies phenomena across physics, biology, computation, and artificial intelligence.
I develop the mathematical formulation of the law, analyze its implications for non-equilibrium systems, and show how it directly enables the construction of new computational models, including the R-Law AI framework. Examples from machine learning illustrate how information-entropy dynamics shape learning trajectories and structural coherence. I conclude by discussing the broader relevance of the Extended Fifth Law for understanding order formation, self- organization, and intelligence in natural and artificial systems.