Linear / Binary to Ternary: An imperative in the GenAI era

Leon Como
Aug 8
4 min read

Prompted from ChatGPT 5

Short version: Binary/linear got us far. But our hardest problems are triadic by nature. When we model them as a triangle inside a bounding circle using Circles & Triangles Framework (CTF)—we unlock positive-sum loops that binary frames can’t see.

Primer: Ternary Thinking 101 (CTF-style)

Triangle: three co-equal, co-adaptive forces held in productive tension.
Circle: the boundary of context—scope, constraints, ethics, and non-negotiables.
Motion: not a line or pendulum; it’s an oscillation around a convergence node where benefits compound.
Why now: The GenAI era turns “complicated” into code and exposes what’s truly complex—and complex systems prefer ternary equilibria.

Positive-Sum Dynamics (what you look for):

Mutual reinforcement (progress on one vertex accelerates the other two),
Option creation (more viable paths over time),
Externality inversion (historic tradeoffs shrink or flip to benefits),
Resilience under shock (failures bend the system, don’t break it).

The Ten Stuck Frontiers → Ternary Transitions

Below, each item lists the Core Triangle, the Bounding Circle, and the Gain Signal—what to measure to prove you’re in positive-sum territory.

1) Fusion Energy’s Catch-22

Triangle: Feasibility ↔ Economic Transition ↔ Geopolitical Cooperation
Circle: Just Energy Transition & Non-proliferation
Gain Signal: Joint pilots + transition funds + supplier coalitions rise together (no single curve lags by >1 phase).

2) AI Alignment Stalemate

Triangle: Control Mechanisms ↔ Autonomy for Innovation ↔ Contextual Reconciliation Loops
Circle: Democratic legitimacy & safety thresholds
Gain Signal: Trust/adoption curves rise while incident severity declines; review cycles get shorter and richer.

3) Climate Deployment Gap

Triangle: Mitigation ↔ Adaptation ↔ Geoengineering guardrailed R&D
Circle: Planetary boundaries & justice
Gain Signal: Loss-adjusted risk premiums drop as deployment speed and coverage increase in the same regions.

4) Post-AI Employment Transition

Triangle: New Value Sectors ↔ Core Livelihood Preservation ↔ Transition Ecosystems
Circle: Dignity, income floor, portability
Gain Signal: Re-employment latency ↓, labor force participation ↑, consumer demand in new sectors ↑.

5) Geopolitical Deadlocks

Triangle: Ally Commitments ↔ Rivalry Management ↔ Mutual-Interest Zones
Circle: Security assurances & verifiable transparency
Gain Signal: Trade + joint infra + shared R&D all trend up while military incidents trend down.

6) Data Privacy vs. Utility

Triangle: Privacy Protection ↔ Open Data Utility ↔ Privacy-Preserving Computation
Circle: Rights, compliance, auditability
Gain Signal: More datasets join networks without breach rates rising; model utility scores hold or improve.

7) Medical Breakthrough Bottlenecks

Triangle: Safety Protocols ↔ Development Speed ↔ Parallel Micro-Trials
Circle: Bioethics & equitable access
Gain Signal: Time-to-evidence ↓ with neutral/negative safety deltas; responder identification ↑ earlier.

8) Quantum–Classical Integration

Triangle: Quantum ↔ Classical ↔ Context-Dependent Bridges
Circle: Interop standards & cost caps
Gain Signal: Workload routing adapts in real time; $/solve decreases while reliability ↑.

9) Urban Infrastructure Gridlock

Triangle: Centralized Backbone ↔ Localized Autonomy ↔ Modular Redundancy
Circle: Resilience, equity, fiscal sanity
Gain Signal: MTTR ↓ after shocks; service continuity holds >99.xx% as O&M costs flatten or fall.

10) Food Security vs. Biodiversity

Triangle: Poly-culture Microgrids ↔ Controlled Monoculture ↔ Wild Buffers
Circle: Soil, water, pollinator health
Gain Signal: Yield stability across climate variance ↑; input intensity per calorie ↓; biodiversity indices ↑.

Mechanics of Positive-Sum (Why Ternary Compounds)

Three-way feedback > two-way tug: Each edge of the triangle is a reinforcing channel.
Emergent determinism: Outcomes become predictably improvable as oscillations stabilize within the circle.
Fractal resonance: Triangles nest; success at one scale synchronizes the next (city → region → globe).

How to Run This (GenAI-in-the-Loop)

Step 1 — Name the Triangle: State the three co-equal forces without moralizing any single vertex.

Step 2 — Draw the Circle: Define non-negotiables (ethics, safety, budget, time, legitimacy).

Step 3 — Instrument the Edges: For each pair, pick a bridge metric that captures reinforcement, not just progress.

Step 4 — Simulate & Oscillate: Use GenAI to generate scenarios, stress, and reconcile—weekly micro-retros.

Step 5 — Prove Positive-Sum: Track the Gain Signals above; require at least 2 of 3 edges to show lift per cycle.

Step 6 — Scale by Fractals: Clone the pattern to adjacent teams/regions; keep circles tight at first, then widen.

Suggested universal KPIs:

Reinforcement Index (RI): average correlation of progress across the three edges (aim >0.4).
Option Value Count (OVC): viable, costed alternatives that improve as you proceed.
Externality Delta (XD): negative spillovers per unit of output (aim ↓ each quarter).
Shock Absorption (SA): performance retained under stress tests (aim ↑).

Failure Modes (and Fixes)

Fake ternary: It’s still binary with a decoy third. Fix: equalize resourcing and governance across vertices.
Circle creep: Boundaries expand until ethics become “flexible.” Fix: red-line tests and independent audits.
Edge anemia: One bridge weak → system reverts to tug-of-war. Fix: invest in interfaces (standards, diplomacy, middleware).
Metric monoculture: One KPI to rule them all. Fix: maintain the four universal KPIs above.

Why Leaders Should Care

Binary choices are cheap to communicate but expensive to live with. Ternary systems, once modeled and instrumented, turn tradeoffs into timing problems. That’s a promotion—from “what must we sacrifice?” to “when do we pulse each edge for the next compounding gain?”

Quick Start (Pick One, Prove It in 90 Days)

Choose a domain from the ten.
Write the triangle + circle in one slide.
Select three bridge metrics (one per edge).
Run four decision cycles (biweekly).
Publish RI/OVC/XD/SA trend. If ≥3 trend the right way, widen the circle.

Closing

When we stop forcing linear or binary answers onto ternary realities, the system stops fighting itself. The triangle gives us the levers; the circle keeps us sane. Add GenAI-in-the-loop, and your oscillations become readable, steerable, and compounding.

Kindly contact us for your guilt-free use of CTF and PRAGMAGILITY system. Book Online | PRAGMAGILITY +639943623025 pragmagility@myhumangpt.com