arXiv subjects

Kevin Hudnall

Publications and source records attributed to Kevin Hudnall.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Multifractality in the Tree of Life: A Branching-Process RIFS Proof

We study a branching-process random iterated function system (RIFS) defined by a recursive replacement of leaves by finite subtrees at strictly smaller contraction scales. This construction yields a tree-valued, infinite-depth random geometry that unifies classical branching processes and random iterated function systems while remaining distinct from both. We prove rigorously that the resulting branching-process RIFS is multifractal under explicit and mild assumptions. Two variants are analyzed: a non-anchored case with a nontrivial compact attractor, and a biologically motivated anchored case in which the invariant geometric set collapses to a point, while tangent measures obey the same multifractal law. The construction formalizes the foundational principles of nestedness, duality, and randomness in the living tree of life (Hudnall & D'Souza, 2025), yielding a minimal-condition theorem that explains the ubiquity of multifractal signatures in biological data.

math.PR↗

arXiv2025

Information and the living tree of life: A theory of measurement grounded in biology

We extend a formal framework that previously derived time from the multifractal structure of biological lineages (Hudnall \& D'Souza, 2025). That work showed that time itself is multifractal -- not a universal background dimension, but an observer-dependent geometry. Here we develop the corresponding theory of measurement: showing that a multifractal conception of time not only permits measurement, but grounds it more rigorously in the structure of biology. The tree of life is modeled as the outcome of stochastic, convex branching, and we show how information-theoretic and fractal measures render its multifractal geometry into measurable, observer-relative time intervals. At the core is a dilation equation that expresses relative time elapse between entities as dimensionless ratios. Operational standards such as the SI second remain valid, but our framework makes explicit their lineage-dependence. This framework unifies measurement theory with biological form, preserves full compatibility with established science, and provides a biologically grounded theory of observation. It enables comparative analyses of duration and kinematics across lineages, with predictions that are directly open to experimental validation.

q-bio.PE↗

arXiv2025

What does the tree of life look like as it grows? Evolution and the multifractality of time

By unifying three foundational principles of modern biology, we develop a mathematical framework to analyze the growing tree of life. Contrary to the static case, where the analogy between phylogenetic trees and the tree that grows in soil is drawn, our framework shows that the living tree of life is analogous to a Cantor dust where each branch is a distinct fractal curve. The system as a whole is therefore multifractal in the sense that it consists of many unique fractals. The three foundational principles for the mathematical framework are that phylogeny is nested, phylogeny is dualistic (i.e., transitive between singularities and populations), and phylogeny is stochastic. Integrating these three principles, we model the dynamic (i.e., living) tree of life as a random iterated function system that generates unique convexly related sequences of branching random variables (visualized in Animation 1). The multifractal nature of this dynamic tree of life implies that, for any two living entities, the time interval from their last common ancestor to the present moment is a distinct fractal curve for each. Thus, the length of a time interval along each distinct branch is unique, so that time is also multifractal and not an ultrametric on the tree of life.

q-bio.PE↗