The Datum as Non-Control: A Structural Clarification of Agency and Reference in Recursive Systems

This paper formalises the datum as a non-controlling structural reference within the Paton System. Rather than acting as an agent of control, the datum defines the local frame within which interaction is admissible. This removes implicit assumptions of centralised agency and aligns datum behaviour with the Datum Cascade and Boundary Closure of Recursive Systems frameworks. Across physical, biological, and cognitive systems, datums operate as bounded reference points embedded within constraint-governed recursion. Agency is redefined as constraint-aligned interaction, and continuation remains governed by admissibility rather than control. This establishes a scale-invariant interpretation consistent with Tier-3 admissibility, Tier-4 observation, and Tier-5 recursive continuation.