schematom

A schematom is a hypothetical discrete unit used in a speculative framework for schematic reasoning. It represents a minimal information-bearing element that can be combined with other schematoms to build larger schematic structures. A schematom is described by a finite set of ports—connection points that link to other schematoms—and an internal state encoding a symbol, function, or data type. The basic idea is that complex diagrams can be assembled from many schematoms, with the behavior of the whole determined by the arrangement and the states of its parts.

In formal treatments within this fictional setting, schematoms participate in a composition algebra. Connections are established by matching ports, producing a larger schematom whose external behavior is the composition of its parts. Common operations include sequential composition (linking output ports to input ports), parallel composition (placing schematoms side by side), and merging or gating of ports. An equivalence relation, such as isomorphism, identifies schematoms that implement the same input–output behavior despite different internal layouts.

The term schematom combines schema and atom and is used mainly in thought experiments, diagrammatic languages, and model-based design discussions. It provides a convenient abstraction for teaching modular reasoning about diagrams, graphs, and information flow, without committing to a specific formal foundation.

Applications and examples include conceptual models of data-processing pipelines, modular circuit sketches, and cognitive models of schematic reasoning, where each block corresponds to a schematom and connections enact data flow.