adaptation: bounded asymmetry and institutional stability
why real systems require bounded deviation from symmetric invariants
abstract
this paper introduces the sentinel framework (adaptation), which assembles the epistemic diagnostic of contradiction and the procedural invariance of symmetry into an operational model of institutional coherence under drift. the framework formalises coherence as behavioural invariance under a publicly declared family of admissible symmetries that preserve an institution’s rationale (R), narrative (N), and behaviour (B). these symmetries generate a falsifiable evidential architecture built from metamorphic sentinel tests, anytime-valid e-processes, and a projected prime controller that maintains coherence under bounded drift without altering declared commitments. within this framework, behavioural deviation is not treated as anomaly but as evidence: contradiction, divergence, and asymmetry become measurable indicators of external inconsistency. a tamper-evident sentinel ledger records all symmetry applications, coherence residuals, e-values, and prime updates, enabling transparent reconstruction and independent audit. institutions are assessed not by narrative claim but by their capacity to preserve declared invariances under structured challenge. adaptation completes the opening trilogy in the mathematics of integrity series by supplying the bounded prime layer linking epistemic contradiction and symmetry to dynamically evolving institutional behaviour.