This is a research sandbox. It doesn't touch the existing pipeline, pattern library, or any live UI. The goal: test whether structural features can be reliably extracted from analyses and whether pattern predicates can computably match works.
Workflow: Schema → Extract features from profiles → Define predicates for patterns → Evaluate predicates against feature vectors → Check if the math agrees with the prose.
Feature Schema v3
25 typed features. Integers (1-5), booleans, and small enums. No floats — honest about extraction precision. v3 adds implication/realization, reduction levels, structural element refusal, and collisive transformation type.
self_reference_depthint 0–5Self-Reference Depth
How many levels deep does the work reference its own operations? 0 = none, 5 = the work is entirely about itself.
constraint_exposureint 1–5Constraint Exposure
How visible are the work's structural constraints to the observer? 1 = completely hidden, 5 = the constraints ARE the content.
temporal_structureenumTemporal Structure
How does the work organize time? Linear = A→B→C. Cyclical = returns to start. Recursive = contains smaller copies of itself. Fragmented = broken/non-sequential. Parallel = simultaneous streams. Simultaneous = everything at once.
repetition_ratioint 1–5Repetition Ratio
What proportion of structural elements repeat vs. appear uniquely? 1 = all elements are unique, 5 = near-total repetition of a small set.
hierarchical_depthint 1–5Hierarchical Depth
How many levels of nested structure exist? 1 = flat/single-level, 5 = deeply nested (structures within structures within structures).
foreground_background_inversionboolForeground/Background Inversion
Does the support structure (scaffolding, infrastructure, process) become the primary subject? True = the "how" becomes the "what".
rule_complexityenumRule Complexity
How complex are the generative rules? Simple = one or two clear rules. Compound = multiple interacting rules. Emergent = simple rules producing complex unpredictable behavior.
parameter_variationenumParameter Variation
How systematically does the work explore its parameter space? None = fixed. Selective = chosen examples. Systematic = structured exploration. Exhaustive = complete enumeration.
decomposition_visibleboolDecomposition Visible
Does the work expose its own construction process or decomposition? True = you can see how it was built/how it breaks apart.
element_densityenumElement Density
How dense is the structural element space? Minimal = few elements, lots of space. Moderate = balanced. Dense = tightly packed. Saturated = every position occupied.
formal_constraint_countint 1–5Formal Constraint Count
How many simultaneous formal constraints operate? 1 = single constraint. 5 = five or more constraints operating simultaneously.
transformation_typeenumTransformation Type
How does the work primarily transform its material? Additive = accumulation. Subtractive = removal. Permutative = reordering. Substitutive = replacement. Invertive = flipping. Collisive = meaning through juxtaposition/collision (Eisenstein montage — neither element alone contains the emergent meaning). None = static.
medium_dependenceint 1–5Medium Dependence
How tied is the structural mechanism to its specific medium? 1 = only works in this medium. 5 = the mechanism is fully transferable to any medium.
structural_autonomyint 1–5Structural Autonomy
Can the structure function independently of its specific content? 1 = structure and content are inseparable. 5 = the structure is a standalone system.
observer_roleenumObserver Role
What role must the observer play? Passive = just watch. Participatory = must engage. Constructive = must assemble meaning. Adversarial = must resist or decode.
convention_relationshipenumConvention Relationship
How does the work position itself against its genre/tradition conventions? Compliant = follows them. Subversive = violates them purposefully. Indifferent = ignores them. Foundational = establishes new conventions.
information_distributionenumInformation Distribution
Where does structural information concentrate? Uniform = spread evenly. Front-loaded = key structures revealed early. Back-loaded = withheld until end. Punctuated = burst-distributed at intervals.
resolution_closureint 1–5Resolution / Closure
Does the structure resolve its own tensions? 1 = complete irresolution, all tensions remain open. 5 = complete structural closure, all questions answered. This is about structural closure, not narrative resolution.
scale_invarianceboolScale Invariance
Does the same structural logic hold at multiple scales simultaneously (macro, meso, micro)? True = fractal-like — the same mechanism governs each level. Distinct from hierarchical depth, which counts levels.
external_reference_densityint 1–5External Reference Density
How much structural weight do external references carry? 1 = entirely self-contained, the structure works without outside knowledge. 5 = the structure is only legible in relation to external works/contexts. Measures load-bearing reference, not citation count.
material_resistanceint 1–5Material Resistance
How much does the medium push back against the structural logic? 1 = the medium is perfectly compliant, structure flows naturally. 5 = the medium actively resists, and that friction is load-bearing. Distinct from medium_dependence (transferability).
generative_completenessenumGenerative Completeness
Did the work exhaust its own generative logic? Partial = stopped before the logic was fully explored. Complete = ran to its natural end. Over-run = went beyond what the logic required. Indeterminate = the logic has no natural termination.
implication_realizationenumImplication / Realization
Does the work deliver what its own structure promised? Fulfilled = structural implications are realized. Subverted = implications are met but through unexpected means. Denied = implications are established then withheld. Suspended = implications are held open indefinitely. Distinct from resolution_closure: resolution asks "do tensions close?", implication asks "does the work deliver what its structure promised?" A fugue can resolve (closure 5) while subverting its harmonic implications.
reduction_levelsint 1–5Reduction Levels
How many structural levels remain meaningful under progressive simplification? 1 = collapses to a single logic (Russian stacking doll: deeply nested but one idea). 5 = every level contains independent load-bearing structure (Art of Fugue: subject, countersubject, canonic framework, collection architecture all survive). Different from hierarchical_depth which counts nesting — a work can be deeply nested but trivially reducible.
structural_element_refusalboolStructural Element Refusal
Does any structural element systematically contradict the governing logic of the work? Not general tension (the prose covers that). Not the medium fighting the logic (material_resistance). This is a specific element that BELONGS to the system but operates by different rules — the Laurentian staircase refusing the proportional system, late Beethoven voices breaking harmonic convention, Beckett's narrator collapsing narrative apparatus from within. Default false. True requires the refusal to be systematic, not incidental.