The architectural configuration of interdependencies that determines systemic interpretive demand.
Full Definition
Complexity Structure refers to the patterned arrangement of interdependencies, constraints, decision layers, and authority relationships within an execution environment.
Complexity is not defined by size.
It is defined by relational density.
As interdependencies increase, so does interpretive demand across decision nodes.
Complexity Structure determines:
• How decisions propagate
• How constraints interact
• How escalation pathways overlap
• How variance spreads
Poorly engineered complexity does not increase performance.
It increases interpretive friction.
Complexity itself is not instability.
Unmanaged complexity becomes instability.
Systems rarely collapse because they are large.
They destabilize because relational density exceeds architectural clarity.
Structural Role in NAP
Within NAP, Complexity Structure functions as a foundational variable in the Pressure & Complexity Model.
It shapes:
• Cognitive Complexity
• Political Complexity
• Structural Complexity
It directly influences:
• Decision Boundary strain
• Activation Line sensitivity
• Execution Stability
When complexity expands without architectural recalibration:
• Authority Diffusion accelerates
• Behavioral Escalation intensifies
• Stability declines
Complexity must be matched by structural precision.
