Worksheet: Simulation Steps

A guided exercise for running step‑by‑step GSM simulations

This worksheet helps students practice evaluating structural states, computing drift, interpreting physics forces, classifying regime modes, and determining transitions. It is designed for classroom use, workshops, and self‑guided learning.

1. Starting structural state#

Record the initial vector and metadata.

initial_state:
  vector: [C, M, O, A, T]
  invariants:
    aligned: [...]
    tension: [...]
    violated: [...]
    tension_score: <number>
  drift:
    vector: [0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
    magnitude: 0
    category: micro
  physics_forces: [...]
  basin:
    nearest_basin: <CPL|CPF|CTR|PCL|HCL>
    basin_distance: <number>
    boundary_proximity: <number>
    stability_score: <number>
  regime_mode: <mode>
  phase_state: <phase>
  absorptive_strength: <0–1>
  notes: "<context>"

2. Step evaluation template#

Use this template for each simulation step.

Step N#

step_N:
  input_vector: [C, M, O, A, T]
 
  # 1. Invariant evaluation
  invariants:
    aligned: [...]
    tension: [...]
    violated: [...]
    tension_score: <number>
 
  # 2. Physics forces
  physics_forces:
    - axis_pair: "<C↔O | M↔A | O↔T>"
      magnitude: <number>
      direction: "<positive|negative>"
 
  # 3. Drift computation
  drift:
    vector: [dC, dM, dO, dA, dT]
    magnitude: <number>
    category: "<micro|meso|macro|regime_shift>"
 
  # 4. Updated structural vector
  updated_vector: [C', M', O', A', T']
 
  # 5. Basin classification
  basin:
    nearest_basin: <CPL|CPF|CTR|PCL|HCL>
    basin_distance: <number>
    boundary_proximity: <number>
    stability_score: <number>
 
  # 6. Regime mode
  regime_mode: "<mode>"
 
  # 7. Phase state
  phase_state: "<phase>"
 
  # 8. Events
  events:
    - type: "<alignment|tension|drift|transition|regime_shift|reconstruction>"
      summary: "<short description>"
 
  # 9. Narrative
  narrative:
    summary: "<short interpretation>"
    highlights:
      - "<key insight>"
      - "<key insight>"

3. Step‑by‑step practice sequence#

Students repeat the template for each step.

Step 1#

Evaluate invariants → physics → drift → basin → mode → phase → events → narrative.

Step 2#

Use the updated vector from Step 1 as the new input.

Step 3#

Continue until a transition, reconstruction, or stabilization occurs.

4. Transition checkpoints#

At each step, check for:

tension rise (tension_score > 3)
drift escalation (meso → macro → regime_shift)
boundary proximity (> 0.7)
absorptive failure (< 0.3)
invariant violations (≥ 2)
regime mode changes
phase transitions

These checkpoints help determine whether the system is stabilizing, escalating, or transitioning.

5. End‑of‑simulation summary#

After completing all steps, fill out:

simulation_summary:
  total_steps: <number>
  final_vector: [C, M, O, A, T]
  final_basin: <CPL|CPF|CTR|PCL|HCL>
  final_regime_mode: <mode>
  final_phase_state: <phase>
  cumulative_drift: <number>
  invariant_violations: <number>
  transitions_detected: <number>
  regime_shifts_detected: <number>
  narrative:
    - "<summary insight>"
    - "<summary insight>"

6. Reflection prompts#

What forces drove the system’s movement?
Where did tension accumulate?
How did drift evolve across steps?
Did the system approach or cross a basin boundary?
Which regime modes appeared, and why?
Was the transition phase‑honest?
What structural narrative emerges from the sequence?

These prompts help students build structural intuition.