This structural pattern operates within bounded interaction systems where multiple actors pursue goals related to shared resources or outcomes. The pattern assumes rational actors capable of strategic choice and clear measurement of resource allocation or value distribution. The boundary includes the actors, their strategic options, the resource pool, and the systemic factors that determine whether the pool is fixed or expandable.
The pattern explicitly excludes external actors who are not part of the strategic interaction, resources outside the defined pool, and temporal dynamics beyond the immediate interaction context. It assumes actors have sufficient information to recognize whether they are in a zero-sum or positive-sum situation and can adjust their strategies accordingly.
The key assumption defining this pattern is that actor interactions occur within systems that have identifiable constraints or mechanisms that determine whether total value is fixed or expandable, and that actors can influence which dynamic emerges through their strategic choices.