Hebbian compounding
The mechanism by which memories accumulate reinforcement priority across repeated retrieval and positive reinforcement. Implemented as a logarithmic count bonus: finalRp += countBonus x log2(1 + count) x reinforcement. A quality gate multiplies the bonus by reinforcement signal strength so contradictory memories cannot accumulate by volume alone.
Hebbian compounding takes its name from Hebb's rule - neurons that fire together wire together - applied to memory retrieval priority. Every time a memory is retrieved and the subsequent outcome is positively reinforced, that memory receives a logarithmic bonus on top of its base retrieval priority update. The logarithm is critical: it prevents unbounded growth while still rewarding consistency. A memory retrieved and reinforced 10 times has notably higher priority than one retrieved twice, but the gap between 100 and 200 retrievals is much smaller than between 2 and 10. The quality gate is the mechanism that prevents the system from being gamed by volume: the bonus is multiplied by the reinforcement signal strength, so a memory that is retrieved frequently but leads to weak or neutral outcomes does not compound. Only memories that are both frequently retrieved and consistently produce positive reinforcement accumulate significant compound priority. This creates a natural quality gradient over time: high-quality, frequently-useful memories become progressively more accessible while mediocre memories - even ones that are retrieved often - plateau.