Determine the binding optimization constraint for mature technological civilisations

Determine whether construction mass or the total energy available over cosmic timescales is the binding constraint governing the operating temperature and waste-heat regime of a real technological civilisation.

Background

The paper contrasts two optimization regimes. Under a construction-mass constraint, a civilisation gains computation most efficiently per unit mass by placing relatively small collecting structures close to the host star, producing comparatively warm waste heat. Under an energy-limited, long-lived regime, operating at low temperature maximizes the number of irreversible computations obtainable from a fixed energy budget and favours cold circumstellar radiators.

The authors state that the relevant constraint cannot be settled from first principles. Resolving which regime characterizes actual technological civilisations would determine whether warm infrared searches or cold far-infrared and submillimetre searches are more representative of mature technological activity.