This work introduces Structural Differentiation Meaning (SDM) v1. 0, a minimal and structurally consistent framework in which meaning is defined not as an intrinsic property of a state, but as a response generated after structural fixation. In SDM, meaning arises from the interaction between a fixed state and a response structure, formally expressed as: M = ℛ (Sfixed, Σ) where Sfixed denotes a fixed state, Σ represents the response structure, and ℛ is a structural response mapping. This framework establishes that meaning is not contained within the state itself, but depends on the responding structure. As a result, the same fixed state can generatemultiple meanings depending on structural variation: Mᵢ = ℛ (Sfixed, Σᵢ) Furthermore, meaning may evolve over structural time as the response structure changes: M (t) = ℛ (Sfixed, Σ (t) ) To ensure consistency, Sfixed is interpreted as a locally fixed state at each structural time. SDM is positioned within the broader Structural Differentiation Framework, connecting SDI (difference/information), SDO (fixation/observation), and SDM (meaning/response), forming the structural chain: Difference → Fixation → Meaning This provides a unified and minimal description of meaning as a relational outcomegenerated through structural processes. This work offers a clear and directly testable conceptual framework for understanding meaningas a structural response rather than an intrinsic property.
Koji Okino (2026) studied this question.