Micro-level Operators of Coherence Synchronisation: Goffman, Collins and a Non-Classical Formalisation of Everyday Interaction

This paper develops a mathematical and conceptual synthesis between Erving Goffman’s microsociology and formal physical-mathematical frameworks, specifically Quantum-like Formalism and Causal Set Theory (CST). We model social situations as Hilbert spaces, where Goffmanian frames act as projection operators ($P_{\text{frame}}$) and interaction rituals serve as coherence pumps that sustain social reality against decoherence. Using Lüders projection rules, we formalize the dynamics of social stigma and institutional constraint as state reductions and density matrix operations. Furthermore, by mapping interaction chains onto directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) in CST, we demonstrate how micro-level ritual interactions generate discrete spacetime-like causal structures at the macro-sociological level. This work provides a rigorous mathematical architecture for Goffman's qualitative insights, bridging the gap between micro-interactional dynamics and quantitative sociological modeling.

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Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-08-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21973367
Primary Topic
Critical Realism in Sociology
Type
article
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article

Micro-level Operators of Coherence Synchronisation: Goffman, Collins and a Non-Classical Formalisation of Everyday Interaction

Dmitry Timofeev
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Critical Realism in Sociology
article

Micro-level Operators of Coherence Synchronisation: Goffman, Collins and a Non-Classical Formalisation of Everyday Interaction

Dmitry Timofeev
article en

Abstract

This paper develops a mathematical and conceptual synthesis between Erving Goffman’s microsociology and formal physical-mathematical frameworks, specifically Quantum-like Formalism and Causal Set Theory (CST). We model social situations as Hilbert spaces, where Goffmanian frames act as projection operators ($P_{\text{frame}}$) and interaction rituals serve as coherence pumps that sustain social reality against decoherence. Using Lüders projection rules, we formalize the dynamics of social stigma and institutional constraint as state reductions and density matrix operations. Furthermore, by mapping interaction chains onto directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) in CST, we demonstrate how micro-level ritual interactions generate discrete spacetime-like causal structures at the macro-sociological level. This work provides a rigorous mathematical architecture for Goffman's qualitative insights, bridging the gap between micro-interactional dynamics and quantitative sociological modeling.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Independent University of Moscow (RU)
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Critical Realism in Sociology
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