Canonical v3.1.2. Operational definitions: how each term functions inside the system. Where prior drafts disagree, v3.1.2 is canonical.
Core Concepts
Entropy
Disorder. Wasted energy. Lost signal. Unused potential. The measurable quantity of disorder in a given system at a given time.Not used as: a metaphor for chaos or a philosophical mood.
Extropy
The measurable inverse of entropy. The degree to which a system moves from disorder toward structured complexity.
Entropy Reduction (ΔS)
The act of creating order from disorder, verifiably. ΔS must be strictly positive for XP to mint. Measured in domain-native units (J/K, bits, normalized scalars) and normalized before cross-domain aggregation.
Coherence
How well a system's components work together to produce emergent order. A measurable precondition for sustained entropy reduction.
Emergence
Higher-order structure arising from lower-order components under local rules.
Observer
Any entity that measures or interacts with a system, acknowledging that observation changes the system.
Recursion
A process that references itself. Used to enforce system self-auditing.
Goodhart's Law
When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure. Used diagnostically to design manipulation-resistant metrics.
The Six Canonical Tokens
v3.1.2 specifies exactly six tokens. Legacy names (GT, RT) are deprecated and must not appear in any canonical document.
XP — Extropy
The base unit. Minted only on verified entropy reduction (ΔS > 0). Cannot be purchased, transferred, or fabricated. Substrate of all higher tokens.Formula: see below.
CT — Coherence Token
Minted when a system demonstrates sustained internal coherence across recursive cycles. Tracks alignment between stated goals and measured outputs.
CAT — Coordination Action Token
Minted on verified multi-agent coordination producing aggregate ΔS greater than the sum of individual contributions. Rewards cooperative entropy reduction.
IT — Insight Token
Minted on novel falsifiable claims that are subsequently corroborated by independent measurement. Replaces any prior "knowledge" or "truth" token language.
DT — Decay Token
Negative-pressure token. Accrues against XP holdings on a frequency-of-decay schedule (F). Prevents hoarding; forces continued participation.F is frequency-of-decay, not falsifiability.
EP — Epistemic Proof
Minted when a claim survives an adversarial falsification cycle within the Proof Layer. Non-transferable. Records that a proposition was tested and not broken.
The Eight Canonical Domains
Entropy reduction is measured within domains, then normalized. v3.1.2 specifies exactly eight. "Ecological" and "Spiritual" are deprecated; their valid measurements decompose into the eight below.
Physical
Thermodynamic ΔS. Measured in J/K and normalized.
Informational
Shannon entropy reduction. Measured in bits.
Biological
Reduction in disorder within living systems (homeostasis, repair, niche construction).
Cognitive
Reduction of uncertainty in a modeling agent. Measured via predictive accuracy gains.
Social
Reduction of coordination friction in groups. Measured by verifiable drops in transaction cost.
Economic
Reduction of allocative waste. Measured by verifiable efficiency gains across exchanges.
Computational
Reduction in algorithmic disorder (compression, optimization, proof). Measured in normalized units.
Governance
Reduction of decision-making entropy under transparent, falsifiable rules.
XP Mint Formula
XP = ΔS · C · R · (1 / F)
ΔS
Verified entropy reduction in normalized domain units. Must be strictly positive.
C — Coherence Factor
Measured alignment between declared intent and measured output across the cycle. Range [0,1].
R — Rarity
Scarcity weighting of the entropy-reduction event across the network. Range 0.1–10.0.R is rarity, not reputation. Reputation never enters the XP formula.
F — Frequency of Decay
Schedule controlling DT accrual against the minted XP over time.F is not falsifiability.
Proof Layer
Falsifiable Claim
A statement whose truth conditions can be checked by independent measurement. Required input for IT and EP.
Adversarial Cycle
The structured attempt to break a claim. Surviving claims mint EP; broken claims are recorded as failed proofs (also valuable).
Failure Surface
The explicit, published set of conditions under which the system fails. Required for any canonical module.A system that hides its failure conditions is a religion. One that exposes them is engineering.