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Journal . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Journal . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Signal, Nodes, and Nested Order, A Generative Architecture for Cross-Domain Systems Analysis, A Working Hypothesis

Authors: Tanner, Christopher;

Signal, Nodes, and Nested Order, A Generative Architecture for Cross-Domain Systems Analysis, A Working Hypothesis

Abstract

This paper proposes a generative ontology grounded in two irreducible primitives: nodes and signal. A node is any system of sufficient organizational complexity to receive, process, and retransmit state changes; signal is the propagation of those state changes between nodes. We argue that this two-element grammar provides a coherent account of structural patterns observed across physical, biological, linguistic, and social systems, each representing a higher order of signal modulation nested upon a first-order physical substrate. Drawing on established work in information theory (Shannon, 1948), thermodynamics of self-organization (Prigogine & Stengers, 1984), the informational interpretation of quantum mechanics (Wheeler, 1990), and complex adaptive systems (Kauffman, 1993), the framework situates Signal Alignment Theory (SAT; Tanner, 2025a) within a coherent foundational architecture. We further contend that several major theoretical traditions, in physics, biology, linguistics, and cybernetics, have each been describing distinct organizational levels of the same underlying node-signal structure, and that recognizing this shared grammar enables principled cross-domain comparison and predictive analysis.

Keywords

Signal, Dissipative Structures, Node-Signal Architecture, Nodes, Claude Shannon, Information Theory, Complex Systems, Cross-Domain Systems Analysis, Recursive Cognition, Generative Systems Ontology, Nested Order, Noise, Cybernetics, Information Dynamics, Signal Alignment Theory

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
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