Society · Coordination
Resonate
Implicit coordination via signal amplification
Definition
Mechanism
Agents expose observable Signals through their actions and adjust subsequent actions in response to what they observe, without negotiating an explicit agreement. Compatible responses reinforce the observed signal; active counter-signals may Dampen it, and unreinforced alignment strength undergoes Decay. Alignment is inferred from the resulting pattern of repeated mutual adjustment.
Preconditions
- At least two agents
- Shared signal medium (Environment)
Postconditions
- Local alignment cluster formed OR dispersed
Invariants
- Each reinforcing or dampening adjustment responds to a previously observed Signal.
- Repeated compatible responses increase alignment strength; for the same responses, a larger `amplification_factor` cannot produce a smaller increase.
- Absent reinforcement, alignment strength does not increase; its attenuation follows `signal_decay`.
Risks
Failure modes
False Resonance
Apparent alignment that is actually random Noise.
Adversarial imitation
agents emit actions or Signals crafted to mimic compatibility without corresponding alignment.
Precise-coordination mismatch
RESONATE only achieves approximate alignment; high-stakes actions requiring precision need a different coordination primitive.
Oscillation between conflicting patterns.
Relationships
Builds on
Used by
References
Discovering existing agreement
Mind
Phase transition from implicit resonance to explicit contract
Reference
Parameters
amplification_factorFloat, (1.0, 2.0]- How much repeated alignment signals boost coordination strength
signal_decayFloat, [0.1, 0.9]- Rate at which unconfirmed alignment signals weaken over time