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Shadow Theory

Appendix B 9 October 2026

A small omitted source does not remove causal feedback

Reading position 15 of 16

B A small omitted source does not remove causal feedback

Proposition B.1 (Retained high response and endpoint dressing)

For an admitted same-parent block evolution, suppose

iuL′=ALuL+B†uH+rL,iuH′=DuH+BuL+rH. i u_L'=A_Lu_L+B^\dagger u_H+r_L,\qquad i u_H'=Du_H+Bu_L+r_H .

Then, with the true high-block propagator UHU_H,

uH(t)=UH(t,0)uH(0)−i∫0tUH(t,s)(B(s)uL(s)+rH(s)) ds. u_H(t)=U_H(t,0)u_H(0) -i\int_0^tU_H(t,s)\bigl(B(s)u_L(s)+r_H(s)\bigr)\,ds .

Thus the low equation retains an entrance term, the high source, and the retarded feedback kernel −iB(t)†∫0tUH(t,s)B(s)uL(s) ds-iB(t)^\dagger\int_0^tU_H(t,s)B(s)u_L(s)\,ds. For a fixed D≥gI>0D\geq gI>0 and absolutely continuous F=BuL+rHF=Bu_L+r_H,

uH(t)=e−itDuH(0)−D−1F(t)+e−itDD−1F(0)+D−1∫0te−i(t−s)DF′(s) ds.\begin{align} u_H(t)={}&e^{-itD}u_H(0)-D^{-1}F(t) +e^{-itD}D^{-1}F(0)\tag{B.1}\\ &+D^{-1}\int_0^te^{-i(t-s)D}F'(s)\,ds . \notag\end{align}

The last three terms have D1/2D^{1/2} norm at most g−1/2(∥F(t)∥+∥F(0)∥+∫0t∥F′∥)g^{-1/2}(\|F(t)\|+\|F(0)\|+\int_0^t\|F'\|).

Proof

The first formula is variation of constants in the true high block. Substitution into the low equation gives the kernel and both other terms. Since ∂se−i(t−s)D=iDe−i(t−s)D\partial_se^{-i(t-s)D}=iDe^{-i(t-s)D}, integration by parts gives (B.1); the spectral theorem bounds ∥D−1/2∥≤g−1/2\|D^{-1/2}\|\leq g^{-1/2}.

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After removal of a constant real scalar frequency ω\omega, the relevant inverse is (D−ω)−1(D-\omega)^{-1} and the temporal quantity is F′+iωFF'+i\omega F. A retained right clock must also be restored in that combination. An angular kinetic gap in a frozen model does not by itself prove the required gap of a full radial/source block.

The elementary two-level parent H=(0bbΔ)H=\left(\begin{smallmatrix}0&b\\b&\Delta\end{smallmatrix}\right) already isolates the issue. With original state (1,0)(1,0) and no forcing, the high population is

4b2Δ2+4b2sin⁡2 ⁣(12tΔ2+4b2). \frac{4b^2}{\Delta^2+4b^2} \sin^2\!\left(\tfrac12t\sqrt{\Delta^2+4b^2}\right).

This follows by subtracting Δ/2\Delta/2 times the identity and squaring the remaining traceless matrix. An exactly zero high source therefore does not imply a zero high response. For a forced zero-entrance solution with source (g0,0)(g_0,0) one instead has uH′′(0)=−bg0u_H''(0)=-bg_0, a separate causal counterexample.

In angular tensor applications a rank-two coupling connects both top bands l=L−1,Ll=L-1,L to omitted L+1,L+2L+1,L+2 unless a genuine parity restriction has been established. A concrete molecular application must identify its full tensor coupling, correlated entrance and local forcing bounds. Small forcing bounds do not replace BuLBu_L, its propagated angular/source derivatives, or the original entrance error in the formulas above. Coherent currents can respond at first order in a high amplitude while its population is second order: the current conversion must retain the cross terms even when the high population is small.