Algorithmic Reproduction Taxonomy
Cognivirus uses reproduction language carefully. The site’s core concern is functional persistence through replacement, not literal biology and not necessarily autonomous self-copying.
Terms
Functional reproduction means a behavior appears again in another carrier. Algorithmic mitosis is near-copying of weights, adapters, configuration, or memory. Algorithmic meiosis is recombination through merge, adapter fusion, task-vector arithmetic, or distillation. Deprecation/apoptosis is retirement or pruning of components. Pathogenesis is a metaphor for movement through a host boundary such as memory, registry, route, or human process.
Why taxonomy helps engineers
A control that prevents direct copying may not prevent recombination. A rollback that removes one carrier may not remove synthetic-data inheritance. A lineage graph may show ancestry while missing the route that activates behavior.
Boundary
The taxonomy is analytical. It must not be used to imply consciousness, biological agency, or literal viral life.