order
the second verb: place a validated signal in its neuron's causal chain, and reject equivocation. this is what the proof σ does not cover — a position-in-chain fact, not a computation — so it is checked here.
criteria — what must hold
| criterion | what must hold |
|---|---|
| height | the signal's height $t$ equals the current block height; past-height signals are stale |
| chain link | prev = $H(\text{ν's previous signal})$ — the signal extends ν's chain head |
| no equivocation | no other signal from the same ν at the same step/height |
| temporal | a valid VDF proof: vdf_proof = sequential squaring over Goldilocks for $T$ iterations, $T$ proportional to time elapsed since the previous signal |
equivocation is not just rejected — both conflicting signals are rejected, the neuron's focus is slashed, and the evidence is committed to the signals dimension. the VDF is what prevents timestamp manipulation: a signal claiming $t \gg$ actual time cannot produce a valid proof without actually waiting.
cybergraph routes all of this to sync (the SignalChain — hash chain, VDF, equivocation detection); the mechanics live there, cybergraph calls them and reads the verdict.
mechanism, not decision: order is a fixed rule over chain position. it does not choose what to order — soma does, by producing signals.
see validate for the prior verb · apply for the next · sync for the chain · signal / intent for the temporal fields.