Recurrence Index is the master truth sensor.
It asks one question:
Do the same failures repeat?
Recurrence bypasses narrative and goes straight to outcome.
If the same failure repeats, repair did not happen, or repair did not propagate.
What This Sensor Measures
Recurrence Index measures:
- Repeat frequency
How often the same failure returns - Repeat severity
Whether repeats are getting worse or more costly - Repeat spread
Whether the failure is spreading across domains - Repair persistence
Whether the fix holds after delay - System learning
Whether recurrence declines over cycles
How to Read This Sensor
Healthy signal
Failures become rarer over time
Fixes hold after delay
The system improves after shocks
The same mistakes stop appearing
Repairs propagate beyond one person or one location
Danger signal
The same failures return with the same pattern
Patches work briefly then collapse
Crisis response becomes normal
Failures spread into other systems
Recurrence rises even when effort rises
Thresholds
Level 1: Low recurrence
Rare repeats, strong system learning
Level 2: Mild recurrence
Some repeats, repair works but uneven
Level 3: Rising recurrence
Repeats become visible, repair not holding
Level 4: High recurrence
Cycles dominate, crisis mode becomes normal
Level 5: Runaway recurrence
Repeats are default, repair fails to propagate, brittleness rises fast
Repair Actions
- Identify the top recurring failure
- Repair the root cause, not the symptom
- Retest after delay (delay is the truth test)
- Propagate the fix across the system
- Remove drift and coordination friction that block repair
Links
Planet OS Sensors Directory
https://edukatesg.com/planet-os-sensors/
Civilisation Repair Rate Sensor
https://edukatesg.com/civilisation-sensor-repair/
Vocabulary Repair Sensor
https://edukatesg.com/vocab-sensor-repair/
Canonical Statement
Recurrence Index is the truth sensor of Planet OS. If recurrence does not drop, repair is not real.