Entity: Paper

Module: Rock_Paper_Scissors
Triadic Position: Secondness
ID: paper

1. Triadic Definition#

Paper occupies the Second position in the RPS triad. Secondness is the mode of being defined by its relation to another — brute dyadic encounter. Paper is inherently relational: it does not crush or cut, it covers, wraps, and contextualizes. Its power is derived from mediation, not intrinsic force.

1.1 Positional Semantics#

Dimension	Value
Peirce Mode	Secondness
Quality	Flexibility, coverage, mediation, contextual authority
Modality	Reaction; dyadic encounter; relation-dependence
Sign-type	Sinsign (singular relational event)
Phenomenology	Brute dyadic fact; requires Other to be itself

1.2 Formal Triadic Slot#

Triadic(Paper) = <First=∅, Second=Paper, Third=∅>
  → Paper as relational node; defined by what it covers and what cuts it
  → Affordance for dominance: over Rock (covers/contextualizes)
  → Vulnerability to differentiation: by Scissors (cut)

2. Relational Profile#

Relation	Partner	Outcome	Sign Value	Mechanism
Dominates	Rock	Win	`+1`	Cover (context supersedes force)
Dominated by	Scissors	Loss	`-1`	Cut (differentiation severs mediation)
Symmetric	Paper	Draw	`0`	Equal coverage

3. Agentic Properties#

agent_choice:
  entity: paper
  risk_against: scissors
  reward_against: rock
  nash_weight: 0.333
  heuristic_bias:
    - exploitation: optimal response to Rock-heavy opponent models
    - anti-pattern: least chosen by novice players (~31.7% empirically)
    - second_order: sophisticated players anticipate Paper and pivot to Scissors

4. Triadic Encoding#

{
  "id": "paper",
  "label": "Paper",
  "triadic_position": "Secondness",
  "peirce_sign_type": "Sinsign",
  "beats": ["rock"],
  "beaten_by": ["scissors"],
  "draws": ["paper"],
  "outcome_vector": { "vs_rock": 1, "vs_paper": 0, "vs_scissors": -1 },
  "qualitative_descriptors": ["flexible", "mediating", "covering", "contextual", "relational"],
  "agentic_weight_nash": 0.333
}

5. Cross-References#

entities/Rock.md · entities/Scissors.md · relations/dominance.md · agentic/agent_protocol.md