The Paton Structural Architecture: A Pre-Dynamics Framework for System Viability

Most scientific models analyse systems only after system states, boundaries, and dynamics have already been assumed. The Paton System proposes that a deeper structural sequence must exist before such modelling becomes meaningful. This paper presents the Tier-0 → Tier-5 architecture of the Paton System as a minimal pre-dynamics framework describing the structural conditions required for systems capable of persistence to exist. The architecture begins with a reference condition enabling distinction, proceeds through boundary formation and constrained interaction, and culminates in admissibility evaluation and recursive continuation. The resulting sequence forms a structural pipeline underlying viability across disciplines including physics, engineering, optimisation, control theory, biology, and artificial intelligence. The framework does not replace domain-specific dynamics but clarifies the structural conditions required before systems can be meaningfully evaluated.