Exo-Centered Equilibrium as a Cognitive Operating Model: A Specification for Structure-First Processing

Exo-Centered Equilibrium as a Cognitive Operating Model: A Specification for Structure-First Processing This technical note proposes a cognitive and computational specification based on the Exo-Centered Equilibrium (ECE) framework. It redefines “understanding” not as the attainment and storage of static semantic states, but as a dynamic maintenance process governed by processing order and feedback latency. In Structure-First Processing, “meaning” and “concepts” are treated as emergent transient images that manifest only while structural dominance holds. Invariant hierarchy (top-down causality): Structure → Function → Image Structure: Processing order and feedback latency (time-scale competition). Function (Operator L): Steering via corrective routing and constraint feedback. Image: Emergent meaning and concepts (observed semantics). Dominance condition (Operational Protocol): A system qualifies as being in ECE only while: τ_steer < τ_drift τ_drift (drift timescale): Characteristic time for irreversible deviation due to noise, context attenuation, or error accumulation. τ_steer (steering timescale): Total latency to detect deviation and restore structural equilibrium via Operator L. Operational constraints: Semantics is an emergent image produced only while the dominance condition holds. PROHIBITED: Direct semantic patching as a corrective action. MUST: Repairs target time-scales only (reduce τ_steer and/or increase τ_drift). The “stop operation” (static fixation) is classified as a symptom of latency failure, not a cognitive achievement. Measurable metrics: Dominance Ratio: R_D := τ_steer / τ_drift (REQUIREMENT: R_D < 1). Maintenance Horizon: H_M (duration without stop patch). Stop-Patch Frequency: F_SP (forced fixations per unit time). Status: Technical Note / Specification (Not peer-reviewed). Implementation-agnostic.