{
  "handle": "Equilibrium",
  "mechanism": "A {{state}} of a dynamical system in which the system's time evolution under its own dynamics is stationary — once the system occupies the state it remains there absent external perturbation. Every dynamical system has equilibria (possibly empty), and they are classified by their response to perturbation: *stable* (small deviations decay back to the state), *unstable* (small deviations amplify away), *neutral* (deviations neither decay nor grow). Substrate property: equilibria are implied by a system's dynamics, not designed. Higher patterns test for equilibrium as a signal that a process has settled; some coordination protocols explicitly drive toward or away from a chosen equilibrium.",
  "gloss": "A dynamical system's stationary state — where the dynamics leave it unchanged",
  "invariants": [
    "Stationary: under its own dynamics the system does not leave the {{state}}.",
    "Classifiable as stable, unstable or neutral by its response to perturbation.",
    "Not unique: occupying this equilibrium is a fact about history, not necessity."
  ],
  "_meta": {
    "tier": 1,
    "ring": 0,
    "path": [
      "Physics",
      "Primitives"
    ],
    "supersedes": [
      "sema:Equilibrium#mh:SHA-256:bc8538ba0df944bb075946160a4b75f60a3a74b434090952b23ee718805ce88c"
    ]
  },
  "sema_id": "sema:Equilibrium#mh:SHA-256:4f036318bc81500ad159994d9ab7efbec87883eccecb18e64ede15cde3e099d2",
  "sema_ref": "Equilibrium#4f03",
  "sema_stub": "4f03",
  "failure_modes": [
    "Transient mistaken for equilibrium: a slow-moving state is read as settled.",
    "Stability inferred from occupancy: the system sits here, so it is assumed to return here."
  ],
  "dependencies": {
    "references": {
      "state": "sema:State#mh:SHA-256:4f25e6a16ccd37dc0bc154cccc7055cb504d49daa8b712f372a425eb6c7b8cb2"
    }
  },
  "sema_layer": "Physics",
  "sema_category": "Primitives",
  "used_by": {
    "references": {
      "Attractor": "sema:Attractor#mh:SHA-256:0036dca019fa8b7f87cc5982f7ad0267561a99daf3f1c489963c27854f1475a6",
      "EntropyPump": "sema:EntropyPump#mh:SHA-256:a1369712d823417e257e4306f53aa63a5dcd83b34a8f4093823578a2196eec56",
      "MalthusianTrap": "sema:MalthusianTrap#mh:SHA-256:0f6b99da46aa40c7bc427c5af4545b269837f66722ccfbc34994ab50e2e951da"
    }
  }
}