Structure defines the backbone of a framework: its components, their relationships, and the rules that maintain coherence.
Every framework begins with a structural spine — the minimal set of elements that define its identity and hold the rest of the system together.
The spine is not the full framework. It is the skeleton that everything else attaches to.
Components are the building blocks of the framework. They may be conceptual, mathematical, procedural, or symbolic — but they must be defined clearly.
Components must be minimal, non‑overlapping, and structurally coherent.
Relationships define how components interact. They determine the shape of the framework and the flow of information or influence.
A framework’s structure emerges from the pattern of relationships, not from the components alone.
Constraints define what the framework cannot do. They prevent drift, maintain coherence, and ensure the system behaves as intended.
Constraints are not restrictions — they are the guardrails that keep the framework meaningful.
Coherence rules ensure that the structure remains internally consistent. They define how the framework maintains identity across use cases.
Coherence rules are the glue that holds the structure together.