indient

Indient is a fictional metric used in speculative worldbuilding and science fiction to quantify the degree of interdependence within a system. The term blends notions of induction and dependence and is used to describe how strongly components influence one another in a network, ecosystem, or economy.

Definition: Indient is a dimensionless index ranging from 0 to 1. An indient of 0 implies complete independence among components, while an indient of 1 denotes maximal interdependence and feedback. In a simple, undirected network model, indient can be defined as I = (1 / M) sum_{i<j} |w_ij|, where w_ij are the symmetric interaction weights between nodes i and j and M is the total number of allowed pairwise interactions (for a network of N nodes, M = N(N-1)/2). In directed models, a corresponding formula uses both incoming and outgoing weights, with normalization to keep I in [0,1].

Interpretation and use: In fiction, indient serves as a diagnostic for systemic properties such as stability, resilience, synchrony, and the likelihood of emergent behavior. Writers may treat high indient as a sign of tight coordination and risk of cascading failures, while low indient suggests modularity and fault isolation. It is also used as a plotting device to describe shifts in governance, trade, or ecological balance.

Origins and notes: Indient is a fictional construct and not a real scientific measure. It appears in various speculative works and world-building exercises as a convenient shorthand for interconnectedness. See also connectivity index, interdependence theory, emergence.