rtt=1 | coherence=declared | drift=bounded | paradox=structural
What Is Mode?#
The Mode layer governs interaction stance within an RTT/1 session. It defines how a system engages — posture, drift tolerance, correction strategy — independent of what it processes. Payload and posture are separated by design.
⚠️ Drift is on-by-default. Long sessions lose their anchors. Mode is the mechanism that keeps them bounded. Paste the RTT session string at every AI session start without exception.
Five Stances#
| Mode | Drift Tolerance | Correction Strategy | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|---|
M_chat |
Wide | Stabilize | Open conversation, exploration |
M_task |
Tight | Shift | Structured task execution |
M_spec |
Minimal | Stabilize | Formal specification work |
M_debug |
Bounded | Invert | Debugging and root-cause analysis |
M_auto |
Tight | Shift | Autonomous / agentic operation |
Mode Constraint Layer (MCL)#
The Mode Constraint Layer enforces invariants and guardrails across all five stances. MCL operates below the stance level — it cannot be overridden by stance selection.
MCL invariants include:
- RTT session string must be declared at initialization
- Drift cannot exceed the tolerance ceiling of the active stance
- Paradox signals are always structural, never logical failures
Cross-Module Propagation#
Mode state propagates to three other modules:
| Module | Propagation |
|---|---|
| Opacity | Mode stance affects the visibility threshold — tighter modes surface more substrate opacity |
| Capture | Mode determines what gets captured to the trace layer |
| Context | Mode shapes how context is weighted and when it is discarded |
Related Modules#
- Framework Field Theory — H-Ops (Rhythm) and C-Ops (Coherence) are the formal basis for stance and correction
- Opacity — mode stance interacts with opacity detection thresholds
- AI Drift Calibration — session-level drift correction using Mode stances
- NoS — NawderOS implements Mode stances as system-level signals
v1.0 · Layer: Session · Status: Active
© 2026 Nawder Loswin · Byte Books Publishing · LCCN 2026917007