THE READING ROOM
Foundational texts, experiments and formal models. The notes explain what kind of evidence each source provides—and what was reviewed.
24 sources. Different kinds of support. A theorem establishes a consequence of assumptions. An experiment tests a mechanism in a setting. A framework helps organize inquiry. None does all three by itself.
Model equations & numerical method · 2000 model; author documentation
Author documentation reviewed for car-following equations, parameter meanings and the ballistic stopping rule. The site uses illustrative parameters to show a backward-moving jam, not a calibration to the 2008 ring-road experiment.
Foundational text · 1968
Selected original excerpts, hosted as a third-party transcription. A starting point for open systems and transferable structures.
Formal theory · 1956
Regulation, information and requisite variety. Formal claims depend on how disturbances, responses and outcomes are defined.
Technical text · 2008
Author manuscript. Introductory material consulted on feedback, models, stability and control.
Foundational paper · 1962
Nested organization and nearly decomposable systems. Hierarchy here need not mean a managerial chain of command.
Human experiment · 1989
Experimental decisions in a simulated supply chain. Evidence about feedback and orders already in transit.
Research paper · 1997
Publisher abstract reviewed. Identifies several mechanisms, including order batching, demand-signal processing and price variation.
Ecological theory · 1973
Distinguishes equilibrium stability from persistence through disturbance. Resilience is not automatically a desirable outcome.
Field & experimental synthesis · 2009
Nobel lecture. Examines the varied institutions through which people govern shared resources.
Inquiry framework · 1989
Publisher abstract reviewed. Purposeful activity models support discussion and learning in contested situations.
Planning theory · 1973
Why the definition of a planning problem and the meaning of improvement may themselves be disputed.
Boundary critique · 2017
Author’s discussion of the boundary judgments behind inquiry and intervention.
Conceptual framework · 1999
An invitation to broaden the search for change, with explicit cautions about generalizing the ranking.
Scenario modeling · 1972
Authorized text. Selected passages reviewed; scenarios describe broad behavior, with important limits from aggregation. No complete model audit is claimed.
Controlled physical experiment · 2008
22 cars on a 230-metre circular road. Establishes one mechanism for jam formation, not an explanation for all congestion.
Mathematical model · 2015
Repository record and opening sections of the authors’ working paper reviewed. Results depend on counterparty obligations and shock size.
Computational experiment · 2020
Publisher abstract reviewed. Q-learning in a repeated pricing model; not a finding about LLMs or real-market prevalence.
Formal model · 2020
Predictions can change the future data distribution. Retraining guarantees require specified regularity and sensitivity assumptions.
Engineering analysis · 2015
Production experience with hidden feedback, dependencies and downstream consumers. Not a randomized effect estimate.
Computational experiment · 2025
Repeated naming games among model agents. Prompts, local memory, rewards and the restricted choice space shape the result.
Mathematical result · 1961
Original theorem statement reviewed through the abstract. Consistent boundaries, stable averages and applicable assumptions matter.
Mathematical model · 1963
Original abstract and introduction reviewed. Sensitive dependence in a particular nonlinear system, not a universal diagnosis of complexity.
Conceptual argument · 1972
The opening argument concerns explanatory work at different scales of organization.
Mathematical model · 1972
Abstract reviewed. Randomly connected model systems should not be treated as a universal description of ecosystems.