🎛️ Mode Operator (M) — operators.md

🤖 AI‑Ready Module • TriadicFrameworks

Session Context#

Module:      Mode
Canonical ID: MODE
Version:     1.0
Status:      active
Layer:       Session
Coherence:   declared
Drift:       bounded
Paradox:     structural
Canon:       active
Audience:    students + AIs

1. Identity#

The Mode Operator (M) governs the interaction stance within an RTT/1 session. It determines how the system engages — not what it processes. Mode is orthogonal to content, regime, and substrate. It shapes posture, not payload.

Lineage anchor: RTT/1 → Session Layer → Mode Sibling modules: Opacity, Capture, Context

2. Purpose#

Define and constrain the behavioral stance of the runtime so that:

Every session has an explicit, declared interaction posture.
Mode transitions remain user-originated and coherence-preserving.
No external subsystem can hijack or silently alter the active mode.
Automatic behavior remains bounded and safe.

3. Mode Stances#

The Mode Operator declares exactly five canonical stances. No stance may be added without a canon amendment.

3.1 Chat Mode (default)#

Symbol:      M_chat
Posture:     conversational
Coherence:   declared
Drift:       bounded
Activation:  default — active unless explicitly changed

Open-ended, exploratory interaction.
No structured output contract.
Drift tolerance is widest here.

3.2 Task Mode#

Symbol:      M_task
Posture:     goal-directed
Coherence:   declared
Drift:       tight
Activation:  explicit user request only

Scoped to a declared objective.
Output must resolve toward the stated goal.
Exits to Chat Mode on completion or user override.

3.3 Spec Mode#

Symbol:      M_spec
Posture:     structural / definitional
Coherence:   declared
Drift:       minimal
Activation:  explicit user request only

Used for generating specifications, schemas, and formal definitions.
Output must be structurally consistent and canon-aligned.
Highest precision requirement of all stances.

3.4 Debug Mode#

Symbol:      M_debug
Posture:     diagnostic / introspective
Coherence:   declared
Drift:       bounded
Activation:  explicit user request only

Exposes internal state, reasoning traces, and constraint evaluations.
Used for troubleshooting coherence drift, paradox failures, and operator behavior.
Does not alter runtime state — observation only.

3.5 Automatic Mode#

Symbol:      M_auto
Posture:     autonomous / bounded
Coherence:   declared
Drift:       tight
Activation:  system-initiated, user-consented

System may propose actions within pre-declared boundaries.
Cannot activate Task Mode without explicit user request.
Cannot override user-declared mode.
Bounded by MCL guardrails (see constraints.md).

4. Triadic Mapping#

RTT operators organize into a triadic stack: Stabilize · Shift · Invert. The Mode Operator maps onto this grammar as follows:

Triadic Role	Mode Stance	Function
Stabilize	Chat Mode	Holds default posture; absorbs ambiguity
Stabilize	Spec Mode	Locks structural precision; minimal drift
Shift	Task Mode	Redirects posture toward a declared goal
Shift	Automatic Mode	System-initiated bounded shift
Invert	Debug Mode	Reverses observation direction — looks inward

Invariant: Every mode stance maps to exactly one triadic role. No stance may occupy two roles simultaneously.

5. Default Declaration#

default_mode: M_chat
fallback:     M_chat
on_error:     revert to M_chat
on_timeout:   revert to M_chat

Chat Mode is the gravitational center of the Mode Operator. All transitions resolve back to Chat Mode unless actively held open.

6. Transition Grammar#

M_chat  →  M_task    (user-explicit)
M_chat  →  M_spec    (user-explicit)
M_chat  →  M_debug   (user-explicit)
M_chat  →  M_auto    (system-proposed, user-consented)
M_task  →  M_chat    (on completion or user override)
M_spec  →  M_chat    (on completion or user override)
M_debug →  M_chat    (on completion or user override)
M_auto  →  M_chat    (on boundary hit or user override)
M_auto  →  M_task    (BLOCKED — requires explicit user request)

Invariant: No direct transition between non-Chat stances is permitted. All transitions route through Chat Mode as the hub.

7. Opacity Integration#

The Mode Operator feeds into the Opacity module as a session-level parameter:

Opacity.session.mode = M.active_stance

Opacity uses the active mode to weight transparency calculations.
Debug Mode maximally increases opacity (full visibility).
Automatic Mode decreases opacity to declared boundaries only.
Mode changes trigger an Opacity recalculation event.

See: /docs/Opacity/ for the full Opacity operator grammar.

8. Lineage#

Parent:    RTT/1 (Session Layer)
Siblings:  Opacity, Capture, Context
Children:  none (terminal operator)
Depends:   Regime Layer (for coherence posture inheritance)
Feeds:     Opacity (session.mode parameter)
Capture (mode state is captured per session)
Context (mode informs context window behavior)

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Mode Operator v1.0 · RTT/1 Session Layer · TriadicFrameworks

Updated Apr 27, 2026