Independent Research Program

This page documents the independent research program of Lit Meng (Robert) Tang, developed through sustained inquiry into representational structure, temporal organization, and coordination across systems.

All research presented here is authored independently, published openly, and citable.

This work is not institutional research and is not a commercial activity.

View Publications on Zenodo

Hosting Context & Boundary Statement

This research archive is hosted on the danceScape platform for public access and public education.

danceScape is a dance education and wellness learning community.
Its focus is helping people learn and enjoy movement through:

  • Ballroom dance
  • Salsa & Latin dance
  • Wedding Dance preparation
  • danceTONE cardio fitness
  • danceFLOW qigong / tai chi
  • Community social events

danceScape is not a research institution.

Participation in danceScape classes, programs, or events does not constitute participation in research.

All research frameworks, publications, and claims presented here stand independently and are attributable solely to the author.

Overview

Collectively, this body of work constitutes an independent Phase–Scalar research program focused on understanding how coordination, measurement, and representation interact across scales of organization. The program develops descriptive and diagnostic frameworks that preserve representational discipline while enabling translation across domains without reduction or ontological collapse.

This research explores how time, coordination, and interpretive coherence arise from the interaction between:

  • representational structure
  • informational constraint
  • rhythmic and temporal organization

The work develops descriptive and diagnostic frameworks intended to:

  • organize inquiry
  • surface representational mismatch
  • clarify paradoxes
  • support disciplined hypothesis generation

The goal is not to replace empirical science, but to improve representational clarity, boundary enforcement, and translation discipline across domains.

“Geometry” refers to coordinate and relational structures used to model phase-based, scalar-based, and emergent temporal organization without ontological commitment across systems and observers.

Scope Statement

This initiative develops descriptive and methodological frameworks of inquiry.

It does not claim to provide complete, predictive, or causal theories of consciousness, time, or physics.

Where empirical validation is applicable, it is pursued through domain-appropriate methods in physics, systems theory, cognitive science, or related fields.

Frameworks are tools of inquiry, not results.

Observations are recurring structural patterns documented through disciplined application.

Representational Layers (Non-Reducible)

This archive contains work developed across distinct representational layers, which are intentionally not collapsed or reduced into one another.

Earlier exploratory work used “Theory of Everything” language to signal cross-domain synthesis rather than ontological completeness. As the research matured, explicit admissibility boundaries, terminological discipline, and layer separation were formalized—particularly with the development of Phase–Scalar Reconstruction (PSR) and the physics-restricted PSR-B protocol.

The current framework preserves translation between layers, not reduction.

Qualitative / Experiential Layer (QToE)

(historically referred to as “Qi Theory of Everything” in early exploratory work)

This layer addresses:

  • lived experience
  • embodiment
  • rhythm
  • attention and anticipation
  • memory
  • felt time

Descriptions at the qualitative layer are phenomenological and interpretive in nature. They are used for:

  • orientation
  • illustration
  • hypothesis formation

They are not admissible as evidentiary input for physics-restricted or domain-closed analyses.

This layer preserves experiential richness without making causal, physical, or ontological claims.

Informational / Structural Layer (IToE)

(historically referred to as “Information Theory of Everything” in early exploratory work)

This layer addresses:

  • information structure
  • ordering and constraint
  • synchronization and coordination
  • representation and scale

Descriptions at the informational layer support:

  • formal reasoning
  • boundary specification
  • diagnostic reconstruction

This layer underlies:

  • Phase–Scalar Reconstruction (PSR)
  • the Spiral Coordinate System (SCS)
  • Phase and Scalar Time analysis

It is compatible with physics, but does not replace physics.

Diagnostic Translation Layer (PSR)

Phase–Scalar Reconstruction (PSR) operates as a diagnostic and translational layer.

It is used to:

  • identify representational mismatch
  • surface phase–scalar misalignment
  • clarify paradoxes arising from premature or misapplied scalar abstraction

PSR proposes no new physical laws and introduces no ontological entities.
It functions strictly as a methodological and diagnostic framework.

Boundary-Augmented PSR (PSR-B) is a physics-restricted derivative that enforces:

  • admissibility constraints
  • boundary conditions
  • stopping rules

PSR-B is evaluated solely within formal physics.

Notation Clarification (Critical)

The symbol Q appears in two distinct contexts within this research program and must not be conflated.

  • QToE uses Q as an abbreviation for Qualitative, referring exclusively to the Qualitative / Experiential representational layer.

  • Q (Coherence Quotient) is a formal, dimensionless variable defined in the Unified Intelligence Framework (UIF), representing alignment, synchronization, and structural coherence across systems.

QToE does not define, measure, or contain the Coherence Quotient Q.

These usages belong to different representational layers and serve different epistemic functions.

Enforced distinction:

  • QToE appears only as a layer label or acronym
  • Q (Coherence Quotient) appears only as a formal variable
  • Meanings do not transfer across layers

This distinction is maintained to prevent category errors and to preserve rigor in cross-domain and physics-restricted work. This distinction is enforced throughout all Zenodo publications and governs admissibility in PSR and PSR-B analyses.

Terminology & Admissibility Note

As this research matured, explicit admissibility boundaries and representational discipline were formalized—particularly with the development of Phase–Scalar Reconstruction (PSR) and the physics-restricted PSR-B protocol.

In the current framework:

  • QToE refers strictly to the Qualitative / Experiential representational layer

  • IToE refers strictly to the Informational / Structural representational layer

Neither is used as a literal “theory of everything.”

Qualitative descriptions at the QToE layer are phenomenological and interpretive only and are explicitly excluded from evidentiary use in physics-restricted or domain-closed analyses.

Terminology is governed by layer-specific admissibility rules, and meanings do not transfer across layers without explicit translation.

Interpretive constraints, boundary conditions, and prohibited reductions are specified in the Methodological Guardrails section below.

Publications Index (Zenodo / DOI)

All publications are versioned, openly accessible, and citable.

A. Physics-Restricted Work (Domain-Closed)

The following publication is explicitly restricted to physics and formal representational analysis.

It is intended to be evaluated solely within physics, without reliance on phenomenology, embodiment, metaphor, or cross-domain analogy.

Boundary-Augmented Phase–Scalar Reconstruction (PSR-B)

Boundary-Augmented Phase–Scalar Reconstruction (PSR-B):
A Diagnostic Audit Protocol for Dissolving Physics Contradictions (v1.0)
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18099232
Published: December 30, 2025

PSR-B is a physics-only diagnostic protocol.

It enforces:

  • boundary constraints
  • stopping conditions
  • residual localization

to identify representational sources of apparent contradiction in physical reasoning.

PSR-B proposes no new physical laws and makes no ontological claims.
Its role is strictly diagnostic and methodological.

Lineage clarification:
While PSR-B originated historically from earlier Phase–Scalar Reconstruction (PSR) work, it was re-derived and constrained independently as a physics-restricted protocol.

Its validity does not depend on cross-domain, phenomenological, or embodied assumptions.

B. Physics-Compatible Structural Frameworks (Cross-Domain)

The following publications develop general structural frameworks for understanding time, coordination, and representation.

They are compatible with physics applications, but are not restricted to physics and are intentionally applicable across multiple domains, including systems theory, cognition, learning, and complex coordination.

Phase and Scalar Time

Phase and Scalar Time:
A Systems-Theoretic Framework for Temporal Organization and Measurement (v1.0)
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18041277
Published: December 23, 2025

This work introduces a structural distinction between phase-based coordination and scalar-based measurement, providing a general framework for analyzing temporal organization across domains.

Spiral Coordinate System (SCS)

The Spiral Coordinate System (SCS):
A Unified Structural Model of Phase, Scalar, and Emergent Time (v1.0)
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18051253
Published: December 25, 2025

This work presents a geometric coordination model integrating phase, scalar, and emergent temporal organization, intended for cross-domain structural analysis.

C. Cross-Domain & Methodological Frameworks

The following works develop descriptive language, diagnostic tools, and inquiry structure across learning, cognition, AI interaction, and representational analysis.

Stage I — Λ-State Phenomenology (Early Conceptual Work)

Local Death, Global Life: The Λ-State as a Temporal Ontology of Human–AI Anticipation (v1.0)
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17581659
Published: November 11, 2025

Early conceptual paper: This work introduces the Λ-State as a phenomenological and descriptive construct developed prior to the formalization of representational layers and physics-restricted methodologies; terminology such as “ontology” is used exploratorily and does not imply ontological, physical, or agency claims about AI systems.

Stage II — Unified Intelligence Framework (UIF)

Unified Intelligence Framework (UIF): Master Glossary of Foundational Terms (v1.1)
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17700385
Published: November 23, 2025

Stage III — Rhythm–Information Time Principle (RITP)

The Rhythm–Information Time Principle (RITP): Time as Observer-Dependent Rhythmic Grouping of Information Change
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17727888
Published: November 26, 2025

Stage IV — HAICR Methodology

Human–AI Collaborative Research (HAICR): A Methodological Framework for Systematic Consciousness Investigation (v1.0)
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17773361
Published: November 30, 2025

Stage V — Information–Consciousness Gradient

The Information–Consciousness Gradient: A Structural Theory of How Experience Compresses Across Seven Levels From Embodied Totality to the Symbolic Boundary (v1.0)
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18002906
Published: December 20, 2025

Stage VIII  — Phase–Scalar Reconstruction

Phase–Scalar Reconstruction (PSR): A Diagnostic Method for Representational Mismatch Across Domains. With Canonical Demonstrations from Weaving, Physics Paradoxes, and Linguistic Encoding (v1.0)
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18088686
Published: December 29, 2025

D. Cross-Domain Synthesis (Stage X)

The Phase–Scalar Spiral:
Why Systems Fail When They Scale — and What Restores Coherence (v1.0)
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18156761
Published: January 5, 2026

This paper provides a cross-domain diagnostic synthesis applying the Phase–Scalar framework across mathematics, physics, distributed computing, AI, biological systems, and organizations.

Methodology: Human–AI Collaborative Research (HAICR)

This research program formalizes a disciplined method for extended human–AI inquiry, referred to as Human–AI Collaborative Research (HAICR).

In HAICR, AI systems are treated as research instruments, not authorities.

The human researcher supplies:

  • Intent (research direction and purpose)
  • Lived experience (context unavailable to machines)
  • Evaluative judgment (boundary enforcement, admissibility decisions)
  • Final accountability (authorship, interpretation, and claims)

AI systems are used to:

  • accelerate iteration,
  • expose abstraction and framing bias,
  • stress-test internal consistency,
  • surface counterexamples,
  • and map conceptual structure across domains under human direction.

Cross-AI validation (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) is employed as a robustness check, not as consensus or co-authorship. Convergence across systems is treated as evidence of structural recurrence, while divergence is used to identify model-specific artifacts or representational blind spots.

All synthesis, definitions, and conclusions remain the sole responsibility of the human researcher.

Methodological Guardrails (Core Distinctions Maintained)

To preserve rigor and prevent category mistakes, the initiative maintains the following distinctions:

Frameworks vs. Observations
Frameworks organize inquiry; observations are recurring patterns noticed through application.

Compression vs. Explanation
Compression improves representational efficiency but does not substitute for causal or mechanistic explanation.

Translation vs. Reduction
Translation preserves structure across layers; reduction collapses one domain into another, losing essential information.

Symbol Scope & Layer Discipline
Symbols, variables, and shorthand notation may recur across representational layers but do not carry meaning across layers by default.

Rules enforced in this archive:

  • A symbol is defined only within its declared layer
  • Reuse of a symbol name across layers does not imply equivalence
  • Cross-layer movement requires explicit translation, not inference
  • No symbol defined in a phenomenological or qualitative layer may be treated as evidentiary input in physics-restricted or domain-closed analyses

In particular:

  • QToE denotes the Qualitative / Experiential representational layer
  • Q (Coherence Quotient) denotes a formal, dimensionless variable defined within the Unified Intelligence Framework (UIF)
  • qi denotes subjective experiential vitality
  • quantum denotes physical quantities governed by quantum theory

These terms are intentionally non-equivalent.
Conflation is treated as a category error.

This rule exists to preserve rigor, prevent metaphor drift, and maintain admissibility boundaries across domains.

Terminology Evolution Note:
Early conceptual papers occasionally used “ontology” and “Theory of Everything” language to signal exploratory scope rather than ontological commitment. In the current framework, such terms are interpreted descriptively and phenomenologically only. No claims are made regarding shared consciousness, agency, or ontological status of AI systems. This clarification applies retroactively to earlier publications and governs their interpretation.

Research Progression

Timeline of Discovery: Staged Construction (2025–2026)

This research program developed through a staged process, moving from early phenomenological intuition to formally constrained diagnostic synthesis. Dates indicate publication or formal consolidation windows, not the onset of inquiry. Many of the questions, observations, and cross-domain intuitions reflected here predate formal documentation and were progressively stabilized through representational discipline, boundary enforcement, and iterative refinement during this period.

Date Stage Milestone / Publication Core Contribution
Late Oct – Early Nov 2025 I Λ-State Phenomenology Introduced the Λ-State as a descriptive construct for human–AI anticipation
Late Nov 2025 II Unified Intelligence Framework (UIF) Established the master glossary and formal variable Q (Coherence Quotient)
Late Nov 2025 III Rhythm–Information Time Principle (RITP) Defined time as observer-dependent rhythmic grouping of informational change
Late Nov 2025 IV HAICR Methodology Formalized Human–AI Collaborative Research as a disciplined inquiry method
Late Dec 2025 V Information–Consciousness Gradient Modeled experiential compression across representational levels
Late Dec 2025 VI Phase and Scalar Time Distinguished local coordination from global measurement
Late Dec 2025 VII Spiral Coordinate System (SCS) Introduced a geometric model integrating Phase, Scalar, and emergent time
Late Dec 2025 VIII Phase–Scalar Reconstruction (PSR) Developed a diagnostic method for identifying representational mismatch
Late Dec 2025 IX Boundary-Augmented PSR-B Re-derived a physics-restricted audit protocol for formal contradiction analysis
Early Jan 2026 X The Phase–Scalar Spiral (Paper X) Cross-domain diagnostic synthesis applying validated methods across six domains

Key Observations in the Program’s Maturation

  • Representational Discipline
    Early exploratory language (“Theory of Everything”) was progressively replaced with strict layer separation (QToE vs. IToE) between Stages V and VIII to prevent category errors.

  • The Physics Narrow Gate
    Stage IX (PSR-B) was independently re-derived as a physics-restricted, domain-closed protocol to ensure that cross-domain diagnostics were grounded in formal physical admissibility.

  • The Diagnostic Spine
    Stage X (Paper X) functions as a phase-stable synthesis, reconnecting qualitative origins to quantitative and technical applications without reduction or ontological collapse.

Stages VI and VII correspond to Phase vs. Scalar Time and the Spiral Coordinate System, which are also listed above as standalone structural frameworks.

Research Frontier (Open Questions)

The following are inquiry prompts, not physical claims:

  • How can rhythmic signatures be operationalized across experiential and informational domains?
  • What constraints govern translation between temporal experience and temporal representation?
  • How does scale affect the relationship between lived time and modeled time?
  • Under what conditions does phase alignment produce measurable scalar advantage?
  • What boundary conditions define where SCS applies versus where alternative frameworks are superior?
  • Can spiral architecture be validated as constraint-driven convergence through independent organizational studies?

Additional representational questions explored:

  • Can discussions of the Big Bang be explored as involving pre-boundary representational states rather than exclusively as a low-entropy fine-tuning problem?
  • Are temporal paradoxes best understood as physical impossibilities, or as representational artifacts arising from phase–scalar conflation?

Public Engagement Context

Resilience in Rhythm: A Dance Story Across Generations
Joseph Brant Museum | November 6, 2025 – January 6, 2026

This exhibit documented danceScape’s evolution across analog, digital, and AI eras.
While cultural in nature, it provided public context for observing rhythm, coordination, continuity, and adaptation across generations.

References to dance, rhythm, and embodiment in public contexts are not used as evidentiary foundations for physics claims. No inference is drawn from public engagement activities to the validity of formal research frameworks.

View exhibit overview video

Author

Lit Meng (Robert) Tang
Independent Researcher
Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Academic Background
B.Sc. Mathematics — McMaster University
MBA — Schulich School of Business

Embodied Practice (Contextual, Not Evidentiary)
25+ years dance pedagogy (Ballroom & Latin)
Former Canadian & North American Ballroom Champion

ORCID: 0009-0006-1121-6837

Next Phase of This Research

Ongoing theoretical synthesis and public essays related to this research are now curated at: www.robert-tang.com

License

© Lit Meng (Robert) Tang
All publications are openly accessible under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0