Sources & Grounding
The trusted foundation for everything written on this site. Each entry is distilled from the original source by research agents instructed to separate fact from speculation, so the concept notes can cite real, grounded claims rather than half-remembered ideas.
How to read these notes
Claims pulled from sources are tagged, so we never mistake an aspiration for a result:
- [setup] — a definition or modelling choice.
- [derived-in-model] — something Wolfram or collaborators claim to have derived within the model (not necessarily accepted by mainstream physics).
- [conjecture] — an aspiration, analogy, or speculative proposal.
Every source also carries a distillation status: full (deeply read and distilled), summary (key points captured), or catalogued (verified and indexed; deeper distillation pending).
The sources
- Paper full ★★★★★
A Class of Models with the Potential to Represent Fundamental Physics
The canonical formal write-up of the model (also the site's 'Technical Introduction'). Defines states as hypergraphs of ordered relations, rules as subhypergraph rewrites, causal graphs, causal invariance, and multiway systems.
- Announcement full ★★★★★
Finally We May Have a Path to the Fundamental Theory of Physics… and It's Beautiful
Wolfram's book-length public announcement of the Physics Project — the hypergraph-rewriting model, and how space, dimension, relativity, and (aspirationally) quantum mechanics are claimed to emerge from a single simple rule.
- Update full ★★★★★
The Wolfram Physics Project: A One-Year Update
One year on: multiway systems become central, branchial space (quantum states) and rulial space (all rules) are developed, plus claimed links to GR, QM, the Second Law, gauge theory, and black holes.
- Portal summary ★★★★★
wolframphysics.org — The Wolfram Physics Project portal
The official project hub: the Technical Introduction, a registry of ~1000 candidate 'universe' rules, bulletins, tools, a glossary, Q&A, and an archive of open working sessions.
- Book catalogued ★★★★
A Project to Find the Fundamental Theory of Physics
Wolfram's book-length, illustrated exposition of the Physics Project; also reprints the fundamental-physics chapter from A New Kind of Science.
- Paper catalogued ★★★★
Some Quantum Mechanical Properties of the Wolfram Model
Gorard's technical derivation of quantum-mechanical behaviour (multiway systems, the path integral, Bell/CHSH) within the Wolfram model.
- Paper catalogued ★★★★
Some Relativistic and Gravitational Properties of the Wolfram Model
Gorard's technical derivation of discrete special and general relativity (and causal-graph / continuum-limit properties) within the Wolfram model.
- Essay catalogued ★★★★
The Concept of the Ruliad
Introduces the 'ruliad' — the entangled limit of all possible computations (all rules applied all ways) — a central construct that grew out of the Physics Project.
- Bulletins catalogued ★★★
Bulletins from the Wolfram Physics Project
An ongoing series of short technical results and discoveries arising from the project's open working sessions.
- Critique catalogued ★★★
Physicists Criticize Stephen Wolfram's 'Theory of Everything'
The most prominent skeptical assessment — physicists question the framework's flexibility and its bypassing of normal peer review. Essential for balance.
- Registry catalogued ★★★
Registry of Notable Universes (Wolfram Models Registry)
A searchable catalogue of ~1000 candidate 'universe' rules, each with rule code, metadata, status, and evolution visualisations.
- Reference catalogued ★★
Wolfram Physics Project — Wikipedia (redirect to Stephen Wolfram)
Encyclopedic context and reception. Note: the 'Wolfram Physics Project' title redirects to a section of the Stephen Wolfram article, not a standalone page.