Reference-Relative Functional Coordination-Misalignment Theory (RRF-CMT): A Medium-General Framework for Reciprocal Availability-Window Inversion, Local Rationality, and Systemic Coordination Failure

Reference-Relative Functional Coordination-Misalignment Theory (RRF-CMT) is proposed as an analytical framework for examining cases in which two or more interacting systems can act consistently with their own locally observed goals, commitments, functional states, and constraints, while their combined activity fails because the conditions required for coordination do not adequately align. Its primary illustrative case is a reciprocal availability-window inversion: one system attempts or desires interaction when another system is unavailable, and the pattern subsequently reverses. Each system may possess a locally coherent explanation for its conduct even though the joint interaction repeatedly fails.The framework separates four analytical levels: local functional states, medium-specific compatibility, reference-relative observation and interpretation, and system-level outcomes. Temporal overlap is treated as a specific and measurable coordination condition rather than as the universal mechanism. Other applications may involve communication channels, information-processing states, event ordering, resource capacity, spatial access, protocol compatibility, or authority constraints.The manuscript defines the proposed constructs, primary case, formal notation, conditional axioms, state-compatibility model, network generalization, outcome taxonomy, propositions, falsifiable hypotheses, boundary cases, alternative explanations, measurement strategy, and empirical research roadmap. It provides a worked numerical illustration solely to demonstrate the mathematical definitions. The example is not empirical evidence.The proposed contribution is an integrated analytical architecture that combines reference-relative local interpretation, reciprocal availability-window inversion, medium-specific coordination compatibility, and a distinction between local feasibility and global coordination. The framework is positioned in relation to existing coordination theory, time geography, and distributed-event ordering rather than as a replacement for these traditions. Its originality, explanatory advantage, and empirical generality remain to be established.Keywords: coordination misalignment; functional states; availability windows; local rationality; reference-relative observation; systemic coordination failure; temporal coordination; asynchronous interaction; network dependencies; compatibility relations.