The Meaning Equation: Toward a General Theory of Context and Drift

<p dir="ltr">This paper introduces the Meaning Equation (<i>Meaning = Context × Coherence</i>) and the Drift Equation (<i>Drift = Optimization – Context</i>) as a minimal framework for understanding how meaning emerges and erodes across language, culture, organizations, and AI. It formalizes the role of context dimensions (temporal, relational, spatial, symbolic) in sustaining meaning, and describes drift as the hollowing of meaning when optimization strips away context. The framework extends traditions in semiotics, information theory, and organizational sensemaking while engaging recent debates in AI about semantic drift, fidelity, and alignment. Applications include language models, cultural trends, and organizational fragility, offering a portable shorthand for diagnosing the dynamics of meaning and drift.</p><p dir="ltr">This work also forms part of the broader Reality Drift framework, an ongoing project that examines how optimization, simulation, and cognitive drift shape modern culture and AI. The Meaning Equation provides the theoretical shorthand within this larger body of work, linking cultural critique, organizational analysis, and AI alignment into a unified lens on why modern life so often feels less real.</p>