Paton Structural Mapping Tool: A Pre-Action Constraint Framework for System Viability

This note introduces the Paton Structural Mapping Tool as a minimal pre-action framework for evaluating system viability before execution. It formalises the requirement that all actions must be structurally mapped against constraints prior to continuation. By identifying admissible and inadmissible paths in advance, the tool prevents invalid transitions, reduces cognitive overload, and stabilises decision-making in complex systems. The framework is domain-independent and applies across physical, computational, organisational, and cognitive systems. It does not predict outcomes or replace domain-specific models; it defines whether a proposed action is permitted to proceed.