Time in the UNNS Substrate
In the UNNS framework, time is not an external continuous parameter but an emergent property of recursive depth, echo propagation, and repair flow. This note formalizes the notion of time as it arises in recursion, provides a layered interpretation, and illustrates the role of operator grammar in defining temporal structure.
Time as Recursion Depth
Definition 1 (Recursion Depth): Let {u_n} be a UNNS sequence generated by recurrence u_{n+1} = f(u_n, ..., u_{n-r}). The index n is called the recursion depth and serves as the primary measure of UNNS time.
Thus, each iteration step corresponds to a "tick" of UNNS time, giving it a discrete and nested character.
Time as Echo Propagation
Recursions generate echoes—residual terms that propagate through the lattice of nests. If e_n denotes the echo residue at step n, then time may also be measured by the distance these echoes have traveled:
T_echo ~ sup{k : e_{n+k} ≠0}
Remark: This interpretation views time not only as depth but also as a measure of propagation of instability.
Time as Repair Flow
DNA-inspired repair rules in UNNS act to stabilize unstable recursions. Let R denote a repair operator. The repair flow time is given by the trajectory of
u_{n+1} = R(u_n)
which moves sequences from unstable to stable configurations. Thus, time becomes the gradient of stabilization.
Time as Operator Grammar
UNNS operators (Inletting, Inlaying, Repair/Normalization, Trans-Sentifying) define different orderings that produce different histories.
Lemma 1 (Operator Time): Let O = (O_1, O_2, ..., O_m) be an operator sequence applied to initial nest N_0. Then the temporal structure is defined by the order type of O, not just its length.
This implies that time in UNNS can branch, fold, or reorder—capturing nonlinearity akin to paradox resolution.
Philosophical Synthesis
- Physics views time as a real parameter.
- Set theory avoids time entirely.
- UNNS embeds time in recursion itself:
Time = Depth + Propagation + Repair
Moments appear as fixed points where echoes vanish; the arrow of time emerges from monotonic recursion depth.
Applications
- Physics: Provides a discrete tick underlying spacetime curvature.
- Logic: Tames regress paradoxes by embedding them in recursion absorption.
- Information: Defines complexity depth as UNNS-time.
Key Insight: Figure 1 illustrates three aspects of UNNS time: recursion depth (vertical ladder), echo propagation (arrows radiating outward), and repair flow (horizontal gradient toward equilibrium).