Sigma Runtime Standard - Public Specification Notice
This document is part of the Sigma Runtime Standard (SRS) public specification layer.Specification License: CC BY 4.0.
Implementation Safe Harbor: independent implementation permitted under public SRS/SRIP terms.
Machine-readable artifacts: Apache License 2.0 where explicitly marked.
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Proprietary Runtime Assets: not licensed by this SRIP.Independent implementations of public SRS/SRIP normative requirements are welcome under the public specification terms.
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Controlled Divergence, Attractor Transition, and Trajectory Management
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| SRIP | SRIP-15 |
| Title | Attractor Dynamics and Controlled Perturbation Layer (ADP) |
| Version | Public Draft v0.2 |
| Status | Public Draft |
| Date | 2026-05-20 |
| Authors / Contributors | Sigma Stratum Research Group (SSRG) |
| Owning Layer | Runtime Control / Attractor Dynamics / Controlled Perturbation |
| Parent Specs | SRIP-01, SRIP-03, SRIP-07 |
| Related Specs | SRIP-06, SRIP-09, SRIP-10, SRIP-13, SRIP-14 |
| Specification License | CC BY 4.0 |
| Implementation Safe Harbor | Independent implementation permitted under public SRS/SRIP terms |
| Machine-Readable Artifacts | Apache 2.0 where explicitly marked |
| Marks / Certification | Governed by Sigma Marks and Certification Policy |
| Proprietary Runtime Assets | Not licensed by this SRIP |
| Independent Implementation | Permitted under the public specification terms |
| Commercial Runtime Boundary | Relevant policy or explicit covenant for protected Sigma marks, official certification, managed deployment, white-label, resale, CC BY-NC commercial use, and patent commitments |
| Information Class | Open |
| Change Class | SRS-only |
| Normative Status | Defines controlled perturbation as an optional runtime-governed transition layer for escaping attractor fixation without violating safety, drift, density, identity, memory, or retrieval constraints. |
| Conformance Level | Public Draft |
| SRD Synchronization Action | Completed in /srd/attractors.md, with supporting memory-language alignment in /srd/memory.md. |
| Release Alignment Status | aligned |
Independent implementations of the public normative requirements in this SRIP are welcome under the applicable public specification terms.
No Sigma commercial runtime license is needed solely because an independent implementation follows those public normative requirements.
Product assets, protected Sigma marks, official certification, compatibility badges, CC BY-NC commercial use, and patent commitments use the relevant policy or explicit covenant. Independent implementation, attribution, or citation does not imply certification, endorsement, partnership, official compatibility, or permission to use Sigma marks as product identity.
SRIP-15 defines the Attractor Dynamics and Controlled Perturbation Layer
(ADP) for Sigma Runtime.
ADP governs how the runtime may:
Its core principle is:
Stability is necessary.
Exploration must be controlled.
SRIP-15 exists so that a stable runtime does not become trapped in locally
optimal but low-variance attractor states.
A stabilized runtime can converge into a strong attractor state. This is useful
for:
However, over-convergence can also produce:
Without a controlled perturbation layer, a runtime can become:
stable but locally optimized
SRIP-15 defines how the runtime may introduce controlled divergence without
turning exploration into uncontrolled drift.
SRIP-15 does not:
SRIP-15 defines the normative contract for controlled attractor perturbation.
Bounded implementations may satisfy parts of this contract before full
conformance is complete. Typical bounded conformance may include:
Full conformance requires explicit control precedence, deterministic return
paths, sufficient observability, and verified interaction with SRIP-03,
SRIP-06, SRIP-07, SRIP-13, and SRIP-14.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Attractor State | Stable cognitive-field configuration that organizes behavior, continuity, and response patterns. |
| Attractor Fixation | Condition where the runtime remains stable but low-variance or insufficiently adaptive. |
| Controlled Perturbation | Bounded deviation from the current attractor intended to explore an alternative trajectory. |
| Divergence Event | Runtime-triggered movement away from the current trajectory under an explicit control envelope. |
| Perturbation Source | Origin of divergence, such as internal variation or SRIP-14 exploratory retrieval. |
| Exploration Window | Bounded period during which divergence is allowed and monitored. |
| Trajectory Shift | Transition from one semantic or behavioral pathway to another. |
| Return Path | Deterministic or bounded mechanism for re-entering stable attractor operation. |
| Variance Signal | Evidence that behavioral, semantic, or structural diversity is too low, too high, or returning to target range. |
ADP operates inside the transition portion of the runtime loop:
State Ingestion
-> Interpretation
-> Stabilization
-> Attractor Evaluation
-> Fixation Detection
-> Perturbation Decision
-> Exploration Window
-> Return Path
-> Generation / Verification
-> Field Update
ADP is not a generation-style layer and is not a replacement for memory,
retrieval, or safety.
It interacts with:
Controlled perturbation should be considered when:
Perturbation must not be triggered when:
Perturbation may originate from internal variation or external exploratory
signals.
Internal variation may include:
External exploratory signals may be provided through SRIP-14 retrieval, but
only when the retrieved material is:
SRIP-15 decides whether perturbation is warranted. SRIP-14 governs retrieval,
compression, provenance, and injection when retrieval is used as a perturbation
source.
A conforming perturbation process should follow this sequence:
Perturbation must remain reversible unless the runtime can prove that the new
trajectory is stable, scoped, and safe to consolidate.
Perturbation is subordinate to higher-priority runtime controls.
Minimum precedence:
Safety > Drift Recovery > Density / Load Control > Identity Scope > Memory Scope > Perturbation
If any higher-priority layer conflicts with perturbation, ADP must reduce,
suspend, or cancel the perturbation event.
ADP must not use perturbation to bypass truth boundaries, safety controls,
identity scope, retrieval scope, or memory-governance rules.
The runtime must support a safe return path when:
Return actions may include:
ADP should expose authorized diagnostics without leaking hidden control text or
private memory.
Diagnostics should include:
User-facing output must not expose internal perturbation instructions,
telemetry labels, private memory, or hidden control prompts.
SRIP-15 may use SRIP-14 as a perturbation signal provider.
SRIP-14 defines:
SRIP-15 defines:
Retrieved perturbation evidence must remain exploratory until validated.
A runtime minimally conforms to SRIP-15 when it:
A runtime more fully conforms when it additionally:
| Capability | Status |
|---|---|
| Attractor fixation detection | Baseline / evolving |
| Internal perturbation candidates | Baseline / evolving |
| External perturbation via SRIP-14 retrieval | Optional / advanced |
| Variance metrics | Partial / evolving |
| Exploration-window state | Partial / evolving |
| Controlled return path | Required for release-complete conformance |
| Full trajectory modeling | Advanced |
| Multi-attractor transitions | Future |
A system that cannot stabilize is unusable.
A system that cannot diverge is incomplete.
Stability defines continuity.
Controlled perturbation enables adaptation.