the core model
a core is [battery payload] — code paired with data. all higher constructs are cores.
| construct | shape | what |
|---|---|---|
| gate | [code [sample context]] |
function |
| door | [code [sample state context]] |
object with methods |
| trap | [code context] |
thunk |
| library | [code context] |
namespace |
| book | [code [slot-1 slot-2 ... context]] |
record |
calling a gate: replace sample slot, evaluate code against the resulting core. tree substitution — no stack, no calling convention.
gates are particles
a gate is a noun. a noun has a hemera hash. a hemera hash is a particle. every gate is a particle in the cybergraph by construction. self-reference becomes structural rather than syntactic.
molds — types as functions
a mold is a gate noun -> noun that idempotently normalizes a value to its canonical icon. molds are values — composable, storable, passable — and the compiler evaluates them statically for type checking.
@nebu :: Goldilocks scalar mold
@kuro :: F₂ tower element mold
@jali :: ring element mold
@trop :: tropical semiring element mold
@genies :: CSIDH-512 element mold
@ud :: unsigned decimal mold
@p :: phonetic name mold
@da :: absolute date mold
# :: any particle mold
@neuron :: neuron mold
molds extend cleanly across the five strata algebras. arithmetic is mold-polymorphic via wet gates — add works on any algebra, the compiler picks the right lens backend per call site.
data structures as nouns
Nox nouns ARE the data structures. no heap, no garbage collector — allocation is cons, freeing is not referencing.
| classic type | Nox noun | how |
|---|---|---|
Vec<T> |
cons-list | cons(head, cons(head, cons(head, nil))) |
HashMap<K,V> |
Merkle tree | balanced binary tree of key-value pairs, authenticated |
String |
Hemera hash | content-addressed in the cybergraph — a string IS a particle |
Box<T> |
subtree | cons(value, nil) |
| dynamic growth | cons |
every cons creates new structure, immutable |
classic register syntax sugar:
[1, 2, 3]→cons(1, cons(2, cons(3, nil))){ key: value }→ balanced Merkle tree"text"→Hemera(bytes)— a particle hash
pure register: noun literals written directly — [1 2 3], [%key value], ~[bytes]