C01研究代表者大泉 匡史さんが、araya代表取締役の金井良太さん、および大泉研究室ポスドクのChanseok Limさんと執筆した研究成果論文のプレプリントを公開しました。この論文は、クオリア構造の本質に関する理論的洞察を示し、今後の研究の指針になると考えています。クオリア構造は、脳が世界から学ぶ対称性から自然に生じる主束幾何学によって完全に特徴づけられることを提起しています。

　こちらから全文をお読みいただけますので是非ご一読ください。大泉さんのX(旧:Twitter)でも紹介されていますので、ご覧ください。

Paper Information

著者名：Oizumi, Masafumi, Chanseok Lim, and Ryota Kanai

タイトル：Principal Bundle Geometry of Qualia: Understanding the Quality of Consciousness from Symmetry

掲載誌： PsyArXiv. July 15. (2025)

Preprint DOI：https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/agupq_v2

Abstract: 

 Qualia, the subjective qualities of experience, pose a fundamental challenge to scientific explanation. A promising recent approach is to characterize qualia by their relational structures rather than their intrinsic nature. Assuming the structure of qualia is characterized by the geometry of neural representations, we posit that this geometry is fundamentally organized by symmetry. We propose that the principal bundle, induced by a symmetry group $G$ acting on a neural network's state space, is the essential mathematical object that provides a complete and rigorous characterization of this geometric structure. The core mathematical principle is that, for a $G$-equivariant network, its state space partitions into a quotient space $Q$ and orbits induced by the group $G$. This framework reveals a three-level hierarchy for characterizing qualia. First, the choice of the symmetry group $G$ itself defines the fundamental nature of the qualia modality (e.g., vision versus audition). Second, we identify a qualia signature with a point in the quotient space $Q$ (e.g., perceiving the signature ``cat''), representing the invariant identity of a percept. Third, we identify a qualia attribute with a position on a specific orbit (e.g., the cat's location), representing its continuous variations. This framework uncovers a powerful duality: the geometry of the orbits is rigid, inheriting the structure of the group $G$, which explains the stable relational structure of qualia attributes. In contrast, the geometry of the quotient space is plastic, allowing the relationships between qualia signatures to be shaped by learning. This geometric hierarchy provides a unified language for explaining the structure of perceptual experience. Furthermore, our framework generates empirical predictions and a clear research strategy for characterizing qualia, offering a path to a deeper scientific understanding of subjective experience.