# γ scaffold — cycle/424

**Issue:** [cnos#424](https://github.com/usurobor/cnos/issues/424) — Add foundational design essay `CELL-OF-CELLS.md` to `docs/gamma/essays/` (recursive coherence-cell system model).

**Mode:** docs-only; γ+α+β-collapsed-on-δ (per `ROLES.md §4`-precedent for design-essay cycles with mechanical AC oracles; α=β permitted because the primary product is markdown with grep-checked invariants, paralleling the cycle-414 precedent that landed `DECREASING-INCOHERENCE.md`).

**Branch:** `cycle/424` from `origin/main` (`fd1d654e` — the cycle-422 post-v3.82.0 release-hygiene merge).

## Surface (2-file delta + close-out artifacts)

Essay + README update at `docs/gamma/essays/`:

- **D1:** `docs/gamma/essays/CELL-OF-CELLS.md` (new; 657 lines; DRAFT v0.1.0). Authored against the operator's seed content from the dispatch prompt: 15 required ## sections in order, the recursive cell equation `Cellₙ(Messageₙ) → Receiptₙ`, the five-step interior, three concrete worked examples (software-project loop / research loop / persona-memory loop) each in a code block, the C≡/TSC/CCNF three-level triadic correspondence, the four-domain explanatory mapping (CDD kernel / CDS software / CDR research / handoff transport), the three "key correction" reframings (contract = downward message; receipt = upward return; autonomy = next-message generation), and the strongest-statement closing ("cnos models systems as recursive cells of triadic cells"). Frontmatter has 16 `related:` entries (14 cnos-internal + 1 cross-repo `usurobor/tsc:*` + ROLES.md). Unicode discipline maintained natively throughout (α/β/γ/δ/ε + ₙ + → + C≡; no Latin transliterations).

- **D2:** `docs/gamma/essays/README.md` (edit; 2 lines added). One Document Map row appended after `DECREASING-INCOHERENCE.md`; one Reading Order item added at position 6 (last). Reading Order choice: **position 6 (last)** — the essay integrates the prior five essays (STATELESS-AGENCY → EXECUTABLE-SKILLS → COHERENCE-MUST-BE-FREE → CCNF-AND-TYPED-TRUST → DECREASING-INCOHERENCE → CELL-OF-CELLS), and naming the cell-of-cells thesis reads more naturally as a synthesis of typed trust (essay 4) + steering (essay 5) than as a foundational opening. The alternative (position 1, before STATELESS-AGENCY) was considered and rejected: the foundational claim that the cell is the operational form of C≡ depends on the typed-trust mechanism described in essay 4, and the autonomy-as-measured-next-message-generation framing depends on essay 5's steering loop. Reading the integration last preserves both dependencies.

Close-out artifacts at `.cdd/unreleased/424/`:

- `gamma-scaffold.md` (this file)
- `self-coherence.md` (α-side AC verification, all 10)
- `beta-review.md` (β-side R1 review verdict)
- `alpha-closeout.md`, `beta-closeout.md`, `gamma-closeout.md` (per-role closeouts)
- `cdd-iteration.md` (courtesy stub; expected `protocol_gap_count: 0`)
- INDEX.md row appended at `.cdd/iterations/INDEX.md`.

## Implementation contract (pinned by δ at dispatch; verified at this scaffold)

| Axis | Pinned value | Conforms? |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Markdown | yes |
| CLI integration target | None | yes (N/A for docs-only) |
| Package scoping | `docs/gamma/essays/CELL-OF-CELLS.md` (new) + `docs/gamma/essays/README.md` (edit) | yes (exact 2-file delta in docs/) |
| Existing-binary disposition | N/A | yes |
| Runtime dependencies | None | yes |
| JSON/wire contract | N/A | yes |
| Backward compat | All 9 existing essays preserved unchanged in `docs/gamma/essays/` and `docs/essays/` and `docs/alpha/essays/` | yes (`git diff origin/main -- docs/gamma/essays/STATELESS-AGENCY.md docs/gamma/essays/EXECUTABLE-SKILLS.md docs/gamma/essays/COHERENCE-MUST-BE-FREE.md docs/gamma/essays/CCNF-AND-TYPED-TRUST.md docs/gamma/essays/DECREASING-INCOHERENCE.md` returns 0 lines) |

## AC oracle approach (issue body verbatim)

| AC | Oracle (mechanical) | Surface |
|----|---------------------|---------|
| AC1 | file exists ≥ 600 lines | `wc -l docs/gamma/essays/CELL-OF-CELLS.md` → 657 |
| AC2 | 15 required `^## ` sections | `grep -cE "^## (Problem\|Cell as recursive type\|...)" CELL-OF-CELLS.md` → 15 |
| AC3 | frontmatter has title/status/version/date/proposed-path/class/axis + ≥12 related entries | `sed -n '1,26p'`; 16 `related:` entries |
| AC4a | five-step interior ₙ-tagged names ≥ 5 | `grep -c "matterₙ\|reviewₙ\|receiptₙ\|verdictₙ\|decisionₙ"` → 8 |
| AC4b | Cellₙ / Cell( refs ≥ 3 | `grep -c "Cellₙ\|Cell("` → 3 |
| AC4c | three worked examples each with their own code block | grep for trailing-line markers of each example (software/research/persona-memory) → 3 |
| AC5 | triadic 3-level correspondence (one-as-two / pattern-relation-process / produce-review-close) ≥ 3 | `grep -ci "one.as.two\|pattern.*relation.*process\|produce.*review.*close"` → 9 |
| AC6 | README Document Map + Reading Order updated | `grep CELL-OF-CELLS docs/gamma/essays/README.md` → 3 |
| AC7 | only docs/gamma/essays/ touched | `git diff origin/main --name-only` → exactly 2 files |
| AC8 | no src/ or schemas/ edits | `git diff origin/main -- src/ schemas/` → 0 lines |
| AC9 | Greek ≥30; ₙ ≥5; → ≥10; C≡ ≥1 | 84 / 17 / 42 / 11 |
| AC10 | ≥8 cross-references in body prose | sed 27,$ + grep for CDD.md / COHERENCE-CELL.md / CDS.md / CDR.md / HANDOFF.md / CCNF-AND-TYPED-TRUST.md / DECREASING-INCOHERENCE.md / FOUNDATIONS.md / tsc → all ≥2 |

## Branch + commit shape

- **α-424:** essay authoring + README update (single commit `901ffb74`; both D1 and D2 land together because README cannot point at a file that doesn't exist).
- **β-424:** R1 review verdict (β-review.md authoring + role closeouts).
- **γ-424:** close-outs (α/β/γ) + cdd-iteration courtesy stub + INDEX.md row.

Push to `origin/cycle/424`; do NOT merge to main (operator's call). Merge instruction reported in γ closeout.

## Critical refusal conditions surfaced during authoring

- **Verbatim where possible.** The dispatch brief states: "preserve all 15 sections, all equations, all worked examples, all named relationships, and all 'key corrections.' Tighten language for essay-class flow but do NOT discard substance." α held to this: the five-step interior block is verbatim from the operator seed (matterₙ / reviewₙ / receiptₙ / verdictₙ / decisionₙ); the three worked-example code blocks are verbatim from the seed; the composition rule pseudo-code preserves the seed's structure; the three key-correction reframings appear with the exact `before → after` arrows from the seed; the strongest-statement quote is verbatim.

- **Section-heading mechanical AC discipline.** AC2's grep oracle expects `^## (Problem|Cell as recursive type|...)` — i.e. the first word after `## ` must be one of the listed terms. The DECREASING-INCOHERENCE.md precedent does not use numeric prefixes on its `## ` headings; an earlier draft of this essay used `## 1. Problem:` etc. and would have grep-failed AC2. The numeric prefixes were stripped during self-coherence to align with the precedent and pass the mechanical oracle. The 15 sections appear in the order specified by the issue body.

- **No edits to other essays.** The five existing `docs/gamma/essays/` essays (STATELESS-AGENCY, EXECUTABLE-SKILLS, COHERENCE-MUST-BE-FREE, CCNF-AND-TYPED-TRUST, DECREASING-INCOHERENCE) remain byte-identical to origin/main. Verified by `git diff origin/main..HEAD -- docs/gamma/essays/STATELESS-AGENCY.md ...` returning 0 lines. The companion essays in `docs/alpha/essays/` and `docs/essays/` are also untouched.

- **No #405 dispatch language.** The essay references the CCNF-O / TSC roadmap as forward context (in §11 — handoff's peer; in §15 — open question 5 referencing CCNF-O's grammar choice). It does not direct cnos#405 dispatch; it informs CCNF-O without authoring it.

- **No protocol prescription.** The essay's tense throughout is descriptive: cnos IS modeled as recursive cells, not cnos SHOULD adopt recursive cells. The Open Questions section explicitly preserves design space rather than closing it.

Filed by γ@cnos (γ+α+β-collapsed-on-δ) on 2026-05-23.
