This is a research sandbox. The Lab extracts typed structural features from analyses, computes derived indices, evaluates pattern predicates against feature vectors, and flags disagreements between interpretive prose and computable structure.
Direction: Features currently extracted by LLM are scaffolding — to be replaced domain by domain with computed proxies (syntactic parse metrics for literature, spectral ratios for music, structural analysis for architecture). The feature_source column tracks this transition.
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 0–5hybridSelf-Reference Depth
How many levels deep does the work reference its own operations? 0 = none, 5 = the work is entirely about itself.
constraint_exposureint 1–5hybridConstraint Exposure
How visible are the work's structural constraints to the observer? 1 = completely hidden, 5 = the constraints ARE the content.
temporal_structureenumobservableTemporal 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. When multiple temporal logics coexist, select the DOMINANT one — the temporal mode that governs the work's primary structural mechanism. Note the secondary mode in the rationale.
repetition_ratioint 1–5observableRepetition 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 1–5observableHierarchical Depth
How many levels of nested structure exist? 1 = flat/single-level, 5 = deeply nested (structures within structures within structures).
foreground_background_inversionboolinterpretiveForeground/Background Inversion
Does the support structure (scaffolding, infrastructure, process) become the primary subject? True = the "how" becomes the "what".
rule_complexityenumhybridRule 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_variationenumobservableParameter Variation
How systematically does the work explore its parameter space? None = fixed. Selective = chosen examples. Systematic = structured exploration. Exhaustive = complete enumeration.
decomposition_visibleboolinterpretiveDecomposition Visible
Does the work expose its own construction process or decomposition? True = you can see how it was built/how it breaks apart.
element_densityenumobservableElement 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 1–5observableFormal Constraint Count
How many simultaneous formal constraints operate? 1 = single constraint. 5 = five or more constraints operating simultaneously.
transformation_typeenumhybridTransformation 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. When multiple transformation types operate, select the PRIMARY one — the transformation that is most load-bearing for the work's structural identity. Note secondary types in the rationale.
medium_dependenceint 1–5interpretiveMedium 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 1–5interpretiveStructural Autonomy
Can the structure function independently of its specific content? 1 = structure and content are inseparable. 5 = the structure is a standalone system.
observer_roleenuminterpretiveObserver Role
What role must the observer play? Passive = just watch. Participatory = must engage. Constructive = must assemble meaning. Adversarial = must resist or decode. When the work demands different roles at different scales or in different registers, select the role required by the PRIMARY structural mechanism. Note the secondary role in the rationale.
convention_relationshipenuminterpretiveConvention Relationship
How does the work position itself against its PRIMARY genre/tradition conventions? Compliant = follows them. Subversive = violates them purposefully. Indifferent = ignores them. Foundational = establishes new conventions. When a work is subversive in one tradition and foundational in another, select the stance relative to the tradition the work's primary structural mechanism engages. Note the secondary stance in the rationale.
information_distributionenumobservableInformation 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. When multiple distribution patterns coexist (e.g. front-loaded rules with punctuated revelations), select the pattern that governs the MAJORITY of structural information. Note the secondary pattern in the rationale.
resolution_closureint 1–5hybridResolution / 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_invarianceboolobservableScale 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 1–5hybridExternal 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 1–5interpretiveMaterial 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_completenessenumhybridGenerative 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_realizationenuminterpretiveImplication / 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 1–5hybridReduction 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_refusalboolinterpretiveStructural 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.