MirageMap is a simulator created to make the hidden behavior of virtual memory systems visible and interpretable. Instead of reading paging and caching as static concepts, it lets them unfold dynamically, allowing the user to watch how access patterns stabilize over time. Each memory access leaves traces of both computation and perception—some appear as Mirages, illusionary activations of frames never used, while others manifest as Echoes, reflections from previously occupied frames. These symbolic traces give the system a perceptual layer, bridging logic and cognition. Built using Python with PyQt5, Matplotlib, and ReportLab, MirageMap evolved from a simple paging viewer into a self-analyzing cognitive simulator that demonstrates how computation can begin to acquire interpretive meaning. The outcomes of this simulation indicate that symbolic reasoning can be embedded within operating system concepts to produce interpretable memory behavior. MirageMap’s hybrid nature makes it suitable not only for system analysis but also as a cognitive computing framework where algorithmic precision coexists with adaptive interpretation.

Virtual Memory Simulation, Symbolic AI, Cognitive Analytics, Predictive Modeling, PyQt5 Visualization