Swarm Ecology
layer 3 · theory

Obligate heterotrophy (P2)

No present swarmlet makes its own compute, energy, or hardware, or holds legal standing.

Stated as principle P2, Obligate heterotrophy.

Source: the Glossary of Swarm Ecology: Metabolism, Persistence, and the Darwinization of the Datasphere (preprint v1, 2026).