DriftGate(): Not just a weekend challenge

Description and use

driftGate() is a stateless primitive that classifies an agent’s signed drift from a moving reference, enabling separation of measurement from domain logic.

Problem

How to report signed drift of an agent’s activity from a moving reference without imposing domain semantics or stateful logic?

Outcome

driftGate() decouples drift measurement from domain interpretation, enabling reusable, stateless boundary checks across diverse systems.

Workflow

• Define reference point and bounds (minHard, minSoft, maxSoft, maxHard).
• On each agent action, compute value - reference as drift.
• Call driftGate(value, reference, bounds) to get {drift, state, side}.
• Use returned state to decide: allow movement (ok), warn (resist), or block (jam).
• Adjust bounds or reference externally to change behavior without modifying agent logic.

Evidence

driftGate() is a small, stateless function that classifies signed deviation (value - reference) into ok, resist, or jam

Source

The primitive can tell the surrounding system that activity is over, under, resist, or jam without pretending to know whether the agent's movement is actually desirable.

Source