Coordination Grammar: Nine Levels of Organizational Structure

We propose a grammar of coordination consisting of nine hierarchical levels, analogous to linguistic grammar. Each level maps to specific operators (O1-O7) and exhibits characteristic failure modes.

The Nine Levels:

1. **Phonology** (O4: Coupling) - Basic signal transmission 2. **Morphology** (O2: Memory) - Pattern formation and retention 3. **Lexicon** (O1: Attractor) - Stable coordination primitives 4. **Syntax** (Conservation Laws) - Structural constraints 5. **Semantics** (O5: Compression) - Meaning and interpretation 6. **Prosody** (Cheeger/λ₂) - Rhythm and coherence flow 7. **Pragmatics** (O6: Agency) - Context and intention 8. **Discourse** (O3: Boundary) - Extended coordination sequences 9. **Genre** (O7: Interface) - Coordination patterns and conventions

Key insights: - Failures at lower levels cascade upward - Higher levels require lower levels to function - Development proceeds bottom-up - Intervention should target the lowest failing level

This framework unifies organizational theory, distributed systems, and biological coordination under a single structural grammar.