Z-Loop Laws: A Minimal Framework for Long-Horizon Causality

This paper introduces the Z-Loop Laws, a minimal conceptual framework for analyzing causality in complex systems over extended temporal horizons. Rather than proposing a new physical theory, Z-Loop reframes causality as a delayed, self-referential structure observable when feedback effects re-enter system dynamics after non-trivial latency. The framework formalizes three laws governing loop formation, saturation-driven collapse, and latent (non-observable) causal influence. Z-Loop is domain-agnostic and intended as an analytical lens for systems where linear cause-effect reasoning fails under long-horizon observation. Scope is explicitly limited to human-scale systems and historical timeframes. No claims are made regarding cosmology or fundamental physics.