Definitionv1DF-584
Transition cost
the cognitive or operational cost incurred when one process hands off to another, including time lost in reconfiguration, information degradation, and energy spent on context switching
Why This Is a Definition
This definition precisely captures the meaning of 'transition cost' by identifying its genus (cost category), differentia (process handoff context), and specifying the three key components (reconfiguration time, information degradation, context switching energy). It's operationally defined and distinguishes it from other types of costs in the system.