Cohaerentia - A Structural Grounding of Conscious Agents

Summary

The Cohaerentia framework identifies the minimal structural conditions under which distinctions within relational systems can arise, remain stable under perturbation, and support higher-order processes like evaluation, memory, prediction, and interface structure. It does not propose a physical theory, biological model, or metaphysical ontology, but instead provides a constraint-based analysis: it characterizes what must be structurally true for systems capable of organized relational behavior to exist.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The Cohaerentia Framework (v2.0) A Structural Analysis of Relational Articulation, Persistence, and Evaluability Author: Steven SrebranigVersion: 2.0 (2026) Overview The Cohaerentia framework investigates the minimal structural conditions under which distinctions within relational systems can arise, remain stable under perturbation, and support higher-order processes such as evaluation, memory, prediction, and interface structure. The framework does not propose a physical theory, biological model, or metaphysical ontology.Instead, it provides a structural condition analysis identifying the constraints required for relational systems to maintain meaningful articulation. In this sense, Cohaerentia functions as an analytic lens: it characterizes what must be structurally true for systems capable of organized relational behavior to exist. Core Structural Question At the center of the framework lies a single question: When can positions within a relational structure remain meaningfully distinguishable under perturbation? Answering this question leads to the identification of structural constraints governing: articulation admissibility evaluability persistence predictive transition interface formation Structural Progression The framework develops a progression of necessary structural conditions: Distinction→ Ordered Difference (Gradient)→ Directional Relation→ Feedback Persistence→ Relational Networks→ Invariant Stability→ Relational Evaluation→ Relational Memory→ Predictive Relational Modeling→ Interface Structure Each stage introduces a constraint required for the continued stability and organization of relational distinctions. Corpus Structure The framework is developed across a set of interrelated papers, each addressing a distinct structural layer: Pre-Cohaerentia — Minimal conditions for relational emergence Cohaerentia I — Relational articulation and invariant structure Cohaerentia II — Admissibility and perturbation constraints Cohaerentia III — Relational evaluation Cohaerentia IV — Persistence and relational memory Cohaerentia V — Predictive relational modeling Cohaerentia VI–VIII — Boundary conditions, embedding thresholds, and interface structures Additional companion papers provide structural bridges to: quantum entanglement (non-factorizable admissibility) active inference (bounded evaluative systems) conscious agent frameworks (retained evaluative differentiation) Nature of the Framework Cohaerentia is a constraint-based structural analysis, not a model of implementation. It does not attempt to describe: physical substrates biological mechanisms computational architectures Instead, it identifies the conditions that must hold for such systems to be possible. Key Structural Results Evaluability as a Central Constraint Relational systems capable of maintaining articulation must support evaluability—the ability to compare relational states under constraint. This requirement leads directly to: persistence (memory) constraint propagation restricted transition structure Persistence and Memory Relational memory is derived as a structural requirement: Without retention of prior states, systems cannot: compare configurations maintain invariants perform evaluation support prediction Predictive Systems Systems satisfying persistence and evaluability naturally support predictive relational modeling. Predictive behavior emerges as: restriction of admissible transitions compression of relational dynamics stabilization of invariant structure Apparent goal-directedness arises as a consequence of constraint maintenance rather than intrinsic teleology. Non-Factorizable Admissibility and Entanglement The framework identifies non-factorizable admissibility as a necessary structural condition for entanglement-like behavior: Admissible variation cannot be decomposed across components Relational constraints propagate across subsystems Stronger entanglement regimes require additional structural conditions beyond non-factorizability. Intellectual Position Across disciplines, systems capable of meaningful behavior share a common feature: They operate within constrained sets of distinguishable relational states. The Cohaerentia framework articulates the minimal structural conditions under which such systems can arise and persist. It contributes a structural perspective to: information theory systems theory theoretical biology cognitive science philosophy of perception foundations of physics Current Status Version 2.0 represents the canonical structured release of the framework repository, aligned with the expanded multi-paper corpus. Ongoing development includes: refinement of admissibility structures deeper analysis of propagation constraints expanded bridge papers across domains formalization of regime transitions These represent extensions of the framework rather than revisions of its core structure. Citation Please cite using the Zenodo DOI associated with this repository. Author Steven SrebranigIndependent researcher developing structural analytic frameworks for relational systems, cognition, and perception.