# Cascade Hexgrid Specification **Canonical reference for the 127-hex / 7-ring Cascade substrate** *Source: `sources/cascade-hexgrid.pdf` (canonical 1-page spec). This document expands the spec into a usable reference for cohort operators and integrates the v1 ring terminology where it adds meaning.* --- ## Overview Cascade is a personal relational substrate organized as a hexagonal map. Every cohort member uses the same map structure — the visual grammar is shared, but what fills the hexes is personal. **Numbers:** 127 hexes, 7 rings (R0–R6), 5 currencies, 5 warmth bands. The substrate is what the Oscillator Model's parameters (ω, A, φ, ζ) operate *on*. The map is the surface; the oscillator dynamics are the substrate underneath. --- ## The 127 Hexes | Ring | Name | Count | Geometric structure | |---|---|---|---| | R0 | You | 1 | Center hex | | R1 | Inner Circle | 6 | Ring of 6 hexes around center | | R2 | Archetypes | 12 | Two layers of 6 | | R3 | The Longing | 18 | Three layers of 6 | | R4 | The Echo | 24 | Four layers of 6 | | R5 | The Wave | 30 | Five layers of 6 | | R6 | The Current | 36 | Six layers of 6 | | **Total** | | **127** | Hexagonal close-packing | This is a hexagonal close-packing: each ring adds 6 hexes in a perfect radial pattern. The count of 127 is the geometric upper bound of the canonical map — not an empirically validated limit. ### Why this geometry A hex grid is used (rather than a square grid) because hexagons have **6 equidistant neighbors** — there is no "diagonal" distance. Every neighbor of a hex is the same distance away, which makes the rings radially symmetric. This symmetry matches the Oscillator Model's requirement that ω operate radially (no preferred direction). A square grid would introduce four diagonals that are farther than orthogonal neighbors, which would corrupt the radial "phase-lock at one tempo" structure. --- ## The 7 Rings Each ring is a **phase-lockable ω** — a tempo at which interactions can cohere. Rings do not interlace; a relationship lives at one tempo, and that tempo is a structural choice. | Ring | Name | Tempo | Total hex count | Operator feel | |---|---|---|---|---| | R0 | You | — | 1 | The sovereign — reference point for all other rings | | R1 | Inner Circle | Yearly | 6 | Lifelong anchors | | R2 | Archetypes | Quarterly | 12 | Role-relationships (mentor, sibling, peer) | | R3 | The Longing | Monthly | 18 | People you reach for | | R4 | The Echo | Weekly | 24 | People whose voice you hear weekly | | R5 | The Wave | Daily | 30 | Daily rhythm people | | R6 | The Current | Hourly | 36 | Real-time, ambient presence | R0 is the sovereign's seat — the irreducible observer-actor from whom all relational axes radiate. Every other hex (R1–R6) is in relationship TO R0. R0 is not a relationship that can be promoted or demoted; it is the reference point for the entire map. The operator observes their own state from R0 but does not 'relate to' themselves as one of the 126 hexes of relationships. ### Mapping to v1 ring names | v1 ring | v2 ring | Notes | |---|---|---| | R1 Inner Circle | **R1 Inner Circle** | Identical meaning | | R2 Extended Network | **R2 Archetypes** | Reframed — relationships as role-patterns | | R3 Vectors | **R3 The Longing** | Same intentional flavor; more emotionally honest | | R4 Confirmation Ring | **R4 The Echo** | v1 name was aspirational; v2 describes what actually happens | | R5 Daily Awareness | **R5 The Wave** | Rhythmic; matches the wave-hit tempo | | R6 Hourly/Real-time | **R6 The Current** | Same; "The Current" is canonical | | — | **R0 You** | New in v2 — the observer hex | --- ## The 5 Warmth Bands Each hex carries a warmth score (0–100). The bands translate the raw score into a qualitative state. | Band | Score | Meaning | |---|---|---| | Blazing | 80–100 | Highest phase-lock; minimal forcing required | | Hot | 61–79 | Strong resonance; high sync | | Warm | 41–60 | Steady state; reciprocal flow | | Cool | 21–40 | Declining or just-formed; needs attention | | Cold | 0–20 | Inactive or rupture; candidate for Lethe | A hex that goes cold is a Lethe candidate — its phase-lock has decayed below the noise floor. Under the Oscillator Model, a cold hex is one where the energy input required to sustain ζ has not been provided. --- ## The 5 Currencies Cascade tracks relational state through five currencies. Each currency is observable in app behavior or explicit user action. | Currency | Symbol | Meaning | Maps to Oscillator Model | |---|---|---|---| | **Hearts** | ❤ | Direct overlap — explicit resonance events (a message, a meeting, a shared moment) | High-A, high-φ event | | **Stars** | ★ | Category match — relational category congruence (same tribe, same field, same work) | Phase alignment via shared context | | **Moons** | ☾ | Complement — what fills the gap in your operator (the relationship that completes something) | Differential damping; lowers effective ζ | | **Hourglasses** | ⧖ | Energy ledger — energy spent vs. energy received | The budget currency of the Oscillator Model | | **Balloons** | 🎈 | Presence — passive ambient awareness ("I know they're there") | Low-A, low-ω, but not zero | ### Hourglasses as the energy ledger In v1, Hourglasses were a quarterly values-quiz score. In v2, they are the **running tally of energy spent vs. energy received** in each relationship. This is the operational expression of the Oscillator Model's `E_rel ≈ k · A · ω · ζ` cost formula. See `energy-budget-protocol.md` for the daily practice. --- ## Reading the Map When a cohort member looks at their Cascade, they see: - **127 hexes** arranged radially around R0 (themselves) - **Each hex is empty, cold, cool, warm, hot, or blazing** based on the warmth score - **Each hex has 5 currency readouts** — Hearts, Stars, Moons, Hourglasses, Balloons The map is a **state snapshot**, not a feed. It does not update in real time. Updates happen at decision points (typically daily for the Wave, weekly for the Echo, etc.). --- ## Map vs. Feed Cascade is **not** a social network. It has no algorithmic feed. No posts, no stories, no notifications beyond what the user explicitly configures. The map is the operator's reflection surface. Other cohort members can compare maps (this is a feature of Cohort Zero pilot practice), but no single map is "the canonical map." --- ## What Goes in a Hex A hex represents a **specific person** (or, in v3, possibly a group). A hex is *not* a category — categories live in Stars. A hex is *not* an intention — intentions live in The Longing (R3) as a specific tilt of the hex's current toward a target. A hex carries: - The person it represents - The warmth score (which determines the band) - The five currency values - A history of ring transitions (when did this person promote from R5 to R4?) - A note field (optional) --- ## Ring Transitions A relationship can promote from a higher-ω ring to a lower-ω ring (e.g., R5 Wave → R4 Echo) or demote the other way. Under the Oscillator Model: - **Promotion** happens when sustained resonance has lowered ζ enough that the relationship needs less ω to stay above noise. See §4 of `oscillator-model.md`. - **Demotion** happens when the relationship's energy cost exceeds what the operator can supply, or when a rupture drives ζ back up. The transition is the **decision point** at which ζ is re-assessed. v2 does not specify the exact transition logic; the cohort operator makes the call. v3 will codify this. --- ## What's NOT on the Map - No follower counts - No likes or reactions (those are currency events, not display items) - No DMs (those are *currency events* logged on a hex) - No algorithmic ranking - No "trending" or "discover" The map is a personal substrate. It is reflective, not performative. --- ## Source The hexgrid spec is taken from `sources/cascade-hexgrid.pdf`. The PDF is a one-page canonical reference: "Room for 126. Grown from 6." (Note: 126 hexes of relationships, plus R0 = 127 total. The "126" in the source counts R1–R6.) --- *This document is the canonical substrate spec. The Oscillator Model describes the dynamics underneath; the Energy Budget Protocol describes the daily practice on top.*