Abstract
<jats:p>The fine-structure constant is an empirical boundary datum of quantum electrodynamics, not a value derived by the Standard Model. We formulate a conditional reconstruction model in which its inverse is the invariant capacity of a neutral codimension-two holonomy defect. The Indefinite Reconstruction Stability Principle requires a persistent neutral parent to remain complement-readable under arbitrarily continued finite reconstruction; with the punctured-normal-fiber theorem, this selects codimension two and an internal winding group Z. In the premetric domain, automorphism-related alternatives receive equal structural weight without invoking distance, energy, or probability. Readout of unit phase and spin-frame channels produces a canonical three-stratum U(1)–SU(2) exposure object with normalized valuation Ω=4π3+π2+π. Four necessary read-out roles together with a protected identity select the first faithful cyclic interface Z/5Z; its reciprocal outgoing–returning incidence space has one protected zero and a transitive orbit of 24 exposed states, fixing the first reciprocal correction. The saturated family of later cyclic resolutions and odd interface grading then determine an absolutely convergent tower with an exact logarithmic resummation. Identifying this response with the Thomson-limit electromagnetic coupling gives α−1=137.035999176142, approximately 0.041 standard deviations below the 2022 CODATA value. The result is parameter-free within the declared axioms and separately falsifiable at its normalization, quotient, incidence, and physical-correspondence steps.</jats:p>