Recursive Compression: Definition and Concept Paper

This paper defines Recursive Compression as the structural process by which systems reduce complexity into simplified representations, preserve and reuse those representations, and feed them into subsequent cycles of interpretation, modeling, or action. Recursive Compression enables scale, coordination, memory, and cumulative model-building. Representations become reusable inputs for later representations, creating layered loops in which systems increasingly operate on models, summaries, abstractions, and prior interpretations rather than raw conditions. When fidelity and external grounding are maintained, this process can deepen understanding. When they weaken, recursion amplifies prior compressions and creates conditions for drift. Within the Reality Drift framework, Recursive Compression is a foundational mechanism underlying Reality Drift, the Optimization Trap, and Constraint Collapse. It enables both cumulative intelligence and cumulative loss.