  The fine-structure constant {\alpha}, the dimensionless number that
represents the strength of electromagnetic coupling in the limit of
sufficiently low energy interactions, is the crucial fundamental physical
parameter that governs a nearly limitless range of phenomena involving the
interaction of radiation with materials. Ideally, the apparatus of physical
theory should be competent to provide a calculational procedure that yields a
quantitatively correct value for {\alpha} and the physical basis for its
computation. This study presents the first demonstration of an observationally
anchored theoretical procedure that predicts a unique value for {\alpha} that
stands in full agreement with the best (~370 ppt) high-precision experimental
determinations. In a directly connected cryptographic computation, the method
that gives these results also yields the magnitude of the cosmological constant
{\Omega}{\Lambda} in conformance with the observational data and the condition
of perfect flatness ({\Omega}{\Lambda} + {\Omega}m=1.0). Connecting
quantitatively the colossal with the tiny by exact statements, these findings
testify that the universe is a system of such astonishing perfection that an
epistemological limit is unavoidably encountered.
