TDR Trigger Catalogue
Defines the set of conditions under which TDR signals activate operational or institutional responses. Ensuring responses are predictable, traceable, and rule-based, rather than discretionary.
Purpose
The Trigger Catalogue defines the set of conditions under which signals produced by the Threshold Dynamics Research (TDR) framework activate operational or institutional responses within the Threshold Function Protocol (TFP).
While the analytical layers of the system detect resilience loss and quantify system dynamics, the trigger catalogue specifies when these signals become operationally relevant. Its function is to translate diagnostic outputs into clearly defined activation points.
Triggers ensure that responses are predictable, traceable, and rule-based, rather than discretionary.
Position in the Architecture
Within the overall TDR framework, the Trigger Catalogue operates between the Operational Score Layer and the State Machine.
The catalogue does not itself determine the final institutional response. It defines the conditions under which transitions become possible.
Trigger Logic
Triggers operate on the basis of prudential bands derived from the TFP scoring system.
Each band represents a different level of system stress and resilience loss.
Typical band structure:
Triggers activate when one or more variables cross the thresholds associated with these bands.
Types of Triggers
The catalogue includes several categories of trigger conditions.
These triggers activate when a score or variable moves across a defined boundary.
Examples:
These triggers represent the most direct form of activation.
Short-term disturbances do not necessarily indicate systemic instability. Persistence triggers activate when stress conditions remain present for a defined duration.
Examples:
Persistence triggers prevent overreaction to transient anomalies.
Some signals indicate that a system is approaching a threshold faster than expected.
Examples:
Acceleration triggers detect trajectory instability even before thresholds are crossed.
Complex systems often exhibit multiple simultaneous stress signals.
Compound triggers activate when combinations of indicators occur together.
Examples:
Compound triggers capture the nonlinear character of systemic risk.
Trigger Severity
Not all triggers have the same consequences.
Triggers may be classified according to the level of response they activate.
These triggers initiate enhanced observation or technical review.
Examples:
These triggers activate operational restrictions designed to slow system degradation.
Examples:
These triggers initiate the Red Band response, where the system shifts to preservation mode.
Examples:
These triggers activate Black Band conditions, where restoration takes precedence over normal operation.
Examples:
Non-Discretionary Activation
One of the central design principles of the Trigger Catalogue is limited discretion.
Triggers are defined in advance and are activated through measurable conditions rather than ad hoc interpretation.
This ensures that responses remain:
It also reduces the risk of delayed action when systems approach critical thresholds.
Relationship to the State Machine
The Trigger Catalogue does not itself define the final system state.
Instead, triggers provide the conditions that allow transitions between states in the State Machine.
Example:
The state machine then determines the specific operational configuration associated with each state.
Sector Adaptation
Although the general structure of triggers remains constant, the specific thresholds and trigger conditions are calibrated differently across sectors.
For example:
The Trigger Catalogue therefore provides a universal structure with sector-specific calibration.
Objective
The objective of the Trigger Catalogue is to ensure that threshold detection leads to timely and predictable responses.
By defining activation conditions in advance, the system reduces uncertainty about when intervention should occur and strengthens the credibility of the overall governance architecture.