The Architecture
Six constraints. Three axes. One criterion for semantic validity.
The Core Claim
Any semantically complete claim must satisfy exactly six constraints. Not approximately. Not usually. Exactly six.
Fewer than six and the claim has gaps—places where it can fail without warning.
This isn't theory. It's geometry.
The Six Constraints
| # | Constraint | Question | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Referential | WHAT is being claimed? | Establishes determinate content |
| 2 | Contextual | Under what CONDITIONS? | Specifies scope and applicability |
| 3 | Premissive | On what GROUNDS? | Provides warrant and support |
| 4 | Inferential | WHY does this follow? | Shows logical connection |
| 5 | Constraining | What are the LIMITS? | Defines boundaries and exclusions |
| 6 | Teleological | What is this FOR? | Establishes purpose and relevance |
Every valid claim answers all six. Every invalid claim is missing at least one.
Why Six?
Consider the simplest three-dimensional enclosure: a tetrahedron.
Figure 2
- 4 vertices — the components being related
- 6 edges — the relations between them
- 4 faces — the surfaces that enclose
Remove any edge and the structure collapses. It no longer bounds a volume. It's no longer closed.
Semantic validity works the same way. The six constraints are the six edges. Remove any one and meaning leaks out—the claim can be true in ways you didn't intend, false in ways you can't detect.
The Three Axes
Every claim exists in a three-dimensional space:
Figure 3
| Axis | What It Tracks | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| USER | Who's asking, expertise level, intent | Same answer isn't right for everyone |
| SUBJECT | What's being discussed, certainty level | Different topics require different rigor |
| METHOD | Inference type, confidence warranted | Deduction ≠ speculation |
Current systems flatten this to one axis: input → output.
Valid systems track all three throughout processing.
The Validation Process
Figure 4
Claims that fail any constraint have three options:
- Revise — Fix the missing constraint
- Hedge — Acknowledge the incompleteness explicitly
- Refuse — Decline to output until constraint can be satisfied
Option 3 is a feature, not a failure. A system that refuses when it shouldn't answer is more trustworthy than one that always produces output.
Inference Type Discrimination
Not all inferences are equal. The architecture tracks four types:
| Type | Operation | Confidence | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deduction | Necessary conclusion from premises | Certain (if valid) | "This follows necessarily..." |
| Induction | Generalization from instances | Probable | "Evidence suggests..." |
| Abduction | Inference to best explanation | Plausible | "The best explanation is..." |
| Interpolation | Pattern completion from structure | Recognition-dependent | "This appears consistent with..." |
Current systems conflate all four. The architecture requires tagging. Users know what kind of inference produced the claim.
Closure Authority
Not every output should be finalized by the system. The architecture includes a closure registry:
| Output Type | Closure Authority |
|---|---|
| Factual lookup | System closes |
| Calculation | System closes |
| Creative generation | System closes |
| Medical advice | Human review |
| Legal determination | Human closes |
| Ethical judgment | Human closes |
| Safety-critical | Human closes |
| Uncertainty | Explicit hedge |
The system routes outputs to appropriate closure. It doesn't decide what humans should decide.
Patent Coverage
Ten patent families protect this architecture:
| Family | Coverage |
|---|---|
| A | Tetrahedral validity structure |
| B | Form-preserving memory |
| C | Inference discrimination |
| D | Semantic state signaling |
| E | Constraint governance |
| F | Closure authority |
| G | Integrated system |
| H | Semantic condensation and reconstitution |
| I | Hexis-governed cognitive pedagogy |
| I-Ext | Extended pedagogical and diagnostic applications |
Provisionals filed. Full specifications available under NDA.
Next Steps
- Review THE PROOF — See how this dissolves known problems
- Study THE VOCABULARY — Learn the precise terms
- Contact for integration — themis@echosphere.io