Start Here
Where Should I Start?
DT/FDS is a layered programme. Different readers should enter through different doors.
The physical-operational spine is now complete: Core → T1 → O1 → O2 → O3 → T3 → P1 → P2 → P5 → N1. All released. The physics flagship FDS-G1: Finite Screen Spacetime is now released with 16 papers and six-model nested evidence.
New to DT/FDS? Start with FDS-0. Browse the claim ledger for an overview of all claims, view the timestamp index for priority records, or see the failure registry for how claims can be tested.
Prefer video first?
1. Watch: Finite Distinction Systems — A First Introduction
2. Watch: Distinction Theory — A General Theory of Finite Systems
3. Watch: Physical Bridge Claim Registry
4. Watch: Life and Cognitive Science Bridge Claim Registry
5. Then read FDS-0, FDS-T1, FDS-O1, or FDS-P1 depending on your background.
Physics-focused?
6. Watch: Finite Screen Spacetime — A New Entropy-Response Route to Gravity → then read FDS-G1.
Five-minute path
~5 minutes- Read the homepage core chain.
- Browse the paper list.
- Read the claim status table.
- Read the failure registry.
- Understand the layered architecture.
Thirty-minute path
~30 minutes- Read FDS-0 abstract and introduction.
- Read the capacity deficit section in FDS-0.
- Browse the released papers list.
- Browse the claim ledger.
Technical path
2–4 hours- Read FDS-0 in full.
- Read FDS-T1 (finite observer budgets).
- Read FDS-O1 (observer as register).
- Read FDS-O2 (register time).
- Read FDS-O3 (operational Second-Law channel).
- Read FDS-T3 (capacity overflow).
- Read FDS-N1 (self-organization bridge).
- Read FDS-M0 (agency-semantics spine).
- Read FDS-P1 (physical distinction carriers).
- Read FDS-P2 (bounded-memory reversible computation).
- Follow the dependency map in the claim ledger.
Complex systems path
60–90 minutes- Read FDS-0 — formal active-boundary system.
- Read FDS-T3 — capacity overflow and Phase-B invariants.
- Read FDS-N1 — boundary-maintaining self-organization under finite capacity.
- Review the pruning, externalization, Phase-C, and invariant selection sections.
- Read FDS-P5 — capacity deficit and entropy production in active finite systems.
Physics / observer path
60–90 minutes- Read FDS-T1 abstract and introduction (finite observer budgets).
- Read FDS-O1 (measurement as finite record formation).
- Read FDS-O2 (register time as irreversible update).
- Read FDS-O3 (operational Second-Law channel).
- Read FDS-T3 (capacity overflow and effective stochasticity).
- Review the budget-crossing prediction.
Life / cognition path
60–90 minutes- Read FDS-LC0 abstract.
- Read FDS-L1 abstract and pruning threshold section.
- Read FDS-C1 abstract and capacity-deficit section.
Economics / behavioral path
60–90 minutes- Read FDS-E1 abstract and introduction (finite-capacity prospect theory).
- Read the loss aversion section.
- Read the probability weighting section.
- Review the nudge bandwidth simulation.
Physical Bridge Ladder path
60–90 minutes- Read FDS-P1 (physical distinction carriers, accounting boundaries).
- Read the residual irreversibility section.
- Read FDS-P2 (bounded-memory reversible computation).
- Review the garbage entropy rate and cleanup scheduling sections.
- Read FDS-P5 (capacity deficit, entropy ledger, correction-flow bounds).
- Review the deficit-crossing, ledger-decomposition, and hysteresis protocols.
What not to read first
- Do not start with the full DT Archive unless you want the complete claim-space.
- Start with FDS-0 if you want the formal core.
- Avoid high-risk bridge notes until you understand the core.
Operational Trident path
60–90 minutes- Read FDS-O1 — finite record formation and measurement capacity.
- Read FDS-O2 — register time as irreversible finite-record update.
- Read FDS-O3 — finite-memory operational Second-Law channel.
- Review how O1/O2/O3 form the complete Operational Trident.
Agency–Semantics path
60–90 minutes- Read FDS-M0 — agency-semantics spine: attention, value, goal, meaning, agency under finite capacity.
- Review the constraint pyramid, policy-preserving semantic quotient theorem, and boundary-sensitive agency classification.
- Read FDS-M1 — attention as distinction admission under finite capacity (released).
- Read FDS-M2 — value and goal as boundary-relevance ranking (released).
- Read FDS-M3 — meaning as actionable semantic quotient (released).