HCSN (Hierarchial Closure Structure Network) explores the hypothesis that the universe is fundamentally computational — discrete events and causal relations .
✨ Highlights
- Minimal, local rewrite rules drive evolution.
- Diagnostics test emergence of time, dimensionality, and metric structure.
- Designed as a research playground: toy universes, experiments, and visualization.
Table of Contents
- Overview
- Repository Structure
- Quick Start
- How to Run
- Diagnostics Explained
- Current Research Focus
- Contributing
- Acknowledgements & License
HCSN proposes a discrete, causal, and computational substrate:
- Events are vertices in a hypergraph; relations are (hyper)edges.
- Dynamics are local rewrite rules (edge creation, vertex fusion).
- Geometry, dimension, and time are emergent, not fundamental.
The long-term goal is to identify the minimal rule set that produces universes consistent with:
- Lorentz invariance (emergent)
- 4D spacetime structures
- Holographic scaling of information
- Quantum probabilistic behavior (Born rule)
HCSN-Theory/
├── engine/ # Core simulation engine
│ ├── hypergraph.py # Vertices, hyperedges, causality
│ ├── rules.py # Rewrite rules
│ ├── rewrite_engine.py # Acceptance dynamics
│ └── observables.py # Physical diagnostics
├── sim-exp/ # Reproducible experiments
├── figures/ # Generated plots & assets
├── analysis/
├── multiverse/
├── simulation.log
└── README.md
Requirements
- Python 3.10 or later
- No external dependencies by default (pure Python). If notebooks or plotting are used, consider: matplotlib, numpy, jupyter.
Clone and run:
git clone https://github.com/hcsn-theory/hcsn-sim.git
cd hcsn-sim
python3 -m analysis.interaction_experimentThis runs a universe and prints diagnostics every N steps (see config/flags in the engine if present).
- Configure parameters (if available) in
engineor via command-line flags. - Start the simulation:
python3 -m analysis.interaction_experiment
- Key printed diagnostics (periodic):
- average coordination ⟨k⟩
- causal depth (L)
- interaction concentration (Φ)
- closure density (Ψ)
- hierarchical stability (Ω)
| Symbol | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ⟨k⟩ | Avg coordination | Controls effective dimensionality; geometric attractor near 8. |
| L | Causal depth | Maximum causal chain length — emergent time scale. |
| Φ | Interaction concentration | Measures hub dominance (want small Φ for uniformity). |
| Ψ | Closure density | Redundancy in causal closure (error correction). |
| Ω | Hierarchical closure | RG-like stability across scales (non-zero indicates persistence). |
Interpretation guide:
- ⟨k⟩ ≈ 7.5–8.5 → spacetime-like, stable geometry.
- Small Φ → suppressed hubs, more uniform interactions.
- Non-zero Ω across scales → hierarchical persistence and robustness.
Active directions:
- Prevent metric collapse under coarse-graining
- Implement logarithmic information metrics (holographic tests)
- Enforce holographic bounds dynamically in evolution
- Search for Lorentz-invariant fixed points of the rule dynamics
- Explore mechanisms that produce quantum probabilistic outcomes (Born rule)
We welcome contributions from:
- physicists (GR, QFT, quantum gravity)
- mathematicians (graph theory, category theory)
- programmers (simulation performance, visualization)
- curious minds who can test assumptions
Getting started:
- Fork the repo, create a feature branch.
- Add reproducible experiments under
experiments/. - Document new rules, diagnostics, and observed behaviors.
- Open PRs with clear descriptions, expected behavior, and reproducibility notes.
Guidelines:
- Write reproducible code and seed RNGs where appropriate.
- Add tests or small example scripts demonstrating changes.
- Keep changes modular — new rules or observables should live in
engine/.
If you use HCSN-Theory in research, please cite the repo and include a reference to the simulation version/commit used. Consider adding a DOI via Zenodo for formal citation.
Please cite it as follows:
The HCSN Research Group, @hcsn. (2025). The Holographic Computational Spin-Network (HCSN): Theory & Simulation (Version 1.0.0) [Computer software]. https://github.com/hcsn-theory/HCSN-Theory
For LaTeX/Overleaf users:
@software{HCSN2025,
author = {The HCSN Research Group, @hcsn.},
title = {The Holographic Computational Spin-Network (HCSN): Theory & Simulation},
version = {1.0.0},
year = {2025},
url = {[https://github.com/hcsn-theory/HCSN-Theory](https://github.com/hcsn-theory/HCSN-Theory)}
}This project is active research and published under Apache 2.0 licence. For collaboration or questions, open an issue or contact the maintainers via GitHub: hcsn-theory
The HCSN Research Group is maintained by @hcsn.
Philosophy
“The universe may not be described by computation — it may be computation.”
HCSN treats this as a testable hypothesis: build minimal computational rules and examine what emerges.
Enjoy exploring! 🧩