A High School Level Walkthrough of the General Theory of Cohesion

What is the General Theory of Cohesion?

Think of cohesion as what holds any system together. That could be:

• a living cell
• a sports team
• a country
• a computer network
• or even a patch of grass pushing through cracks in asphalt

The General Theory of Cohesion (GTC) tries to describe all these systems with one consistent rule: a system depends on its boundary — what keeps it separate from everything else.

A boundary could be:

• a cell wall
• national borders
• family rules
• the concrete edge of a parking lot

Every system tries to keep its boundary stable. If it can’t, it will fall apart.

How does GTC describe systems?

According to the GTC, a system has:

• A boundary — marks what is inside vs. outside
• Internal components — the parts inside working together
• Action vectors — how those parts push or pull to stay organized

Example: a soccer team

• Boundary: team membership rules, jerseys
• Components: the players
• Action vectors: passes, teamwork, positions

If the action vectors get messy, the team breaks down. If the boundary fails (anyone can join, no rules), the team collapses.

Components actually make up the boundary

In GTC, the boundary is not just an invisible shell — it is built from the system’s own components:

• Some components become the boundary directly, like guards on the perimeter or a castle wall (boundary maintainers).
• Some push the boundary outward, growing or exploring (boundary expanders).
• Others stay deeper inside, supporting these front-line roles with energy and coordination.

So the boundary is alive and dynamic — formed by certain system parts specializing to hold it together, while others help from behind.

The main measure: Cohesion

GTC defines cohesion with a function (called γ) that basically checks:

Do you have enough energy to keep your boundary intact, even with mistakes, enemies, or surprises?

In rough terms:

Cohesion = (Predicted Useful Energy - Costs to keep the boundary stable) 
           ÷ (Risks and uncertainty over time)
  

If this number is positive, the system can survive. If it is zero or negative, it fails.

How do systems interact?

Whenever two systems are near each other, they affect each other’s boundaries. GTC measures this with a function called Ψ (Psi):

• Ψ > 0 → systems fight each other (rival teams)
• Ψ < 0 → systems help each other (allies)
• Ψ ≈ 0 → systems ignore each other

Three types of boundary behavior

• Ablative (like a bulldozer): breaks down other systems (e.g. a virus destroying a cell)
• Absorptive (like a sponge): merges but keeps both somewhat intact (e.g. company mergers)
• Ambivalent (neutral): leaves other systems alone (e.g. a rock in a field)

Why does this matter?

By describing any system in terms of its boundary, its energy, and its neighbors, GTC gives a single language for:

• cells
• animals
• societies
• ecosystems
• computers

It is like a universal report card for how systems manage their energy and their boundaries.

Everyday Example: Grass vs. Asphalt

• Grass:
  • boundary: leaves and roots
  • energy: stored in the seed
  • action vectors: growth
• Asphalt:
  • boundary: hard, rigid
  • energy: almost none

Ψ measures how grass pushes on asphalt and how asphalt resists. Over time, grass grows, cracks the asphalt, and wins — because it can adapt while the asphalt cannot.

What about people?

Example: Yanomami villages

• boundary: tribe’s culture and family rules
• components: people
• action vectors: cooperation, norms, social roles

If there is too much conflict or growth, the boundary fails and the group splits. GTC models this mathematically, predicting village splits and transitions.

What is a “component” in GTC?

A component is a piece of the system described by:

• strength
• energy use
• energy sharing
• negotiation skill
• alignment to system goals

Some components become the boundary itself, while others stay deeper inside to help them. All work together to maintain cohesion.

The big picture

• Any system can be modeled by how it holds its boundary together
• Boundaries are kept up by action vectors that align and cooperate
• Systems live among other systems that help or harm them
• If they can’t predict or manage energy, they collapse
• This applies from atoms to ecosystems to robot swarms

Why is this cool?

• Helps build better robots with “boundary awareness”
• Can predict why societies collapse or merge
• Helps programs keep running on their own
• Explains how nature adapts

In short

The General Theory of Cohesion is a way to explain, measure, and predict how anything with a boundary manages to stay together — using its own parts to build and maintain that boundary.