blackroad-os-research/docs/research-overview.md

Research Overview

Welcome to the BlackRoad OS Research Lab 🧪🧠

This repository serves as the R&D hub for BlackRoad OS, containing theory, experiments, and conceptual foundations that inform production implementations.

📁 Repository Structure

Core Directories

• /papers - Research papers and theoretical foundations

  • Text-based research (Markdown, LaTeX)
  • Organized by domain (SIG, QLM, agents, PS-SHA∞, etc.)
  • Each paper should include: abstract, motivation, definitions, and links to experiments

• /notebooks - Jupyter notebooks and exploratory scripts

  • sig/ - Spiral Information Geometry explorations
  • qlm/ - Quantum Language Model experiments
  • orchestration/ - Orchestration strategy prototypes
  • Each notebook should start with a header cell explaining purpose and dependencies

• /experiments - Structured experiment folders

  • Use format: domain/experiment-YYYY-MM-DD-name/
  • Each experiment must include:
    • README.md (what, why, how, results, next steps)
    • config.json or config.yaml (parameters)
    • results/ (summaries, small plots, findings)

• /src - Reusable research utilities (NOT production code)

  • Geometry helpers
  • Metrics and evaluation tools
  • Model wrappers
  • Must be typed and documented

• /data - Metadata and references only

  • NO large datasets in the repo
  • Document external data sources in data/README.md
  • Only small samples or synthetic data

• /schemas - JSON Schemas for core concepts

• /glossary - Canonical definitions and symbol tables

• /meta - Repository-level documentation and conventions

🎯 What Belongs Here

✅ YES:

• Theoretical papers and conceptual models
• Experimental prototypes and simulations
• Research notebooks with analysis
• Schemas and formal specifications
• Glossaries and reference materials
• Small synthetic datasets

❌ NO:

• Production API implementations
• Live services or web UIs
• Large datasets or binaries
• Secrets or API keys
• Messy, unstructured dumps

📝 Adding New Research

Adding a Paper

1. Create a new file in /papers/{domain}/
2. Use frontmatter with: title, date, status, tags, version
3. Include: abstract, motivation, definitions, related work
4. Link to supporting experiments and notebooks
5. Add entry to /index.md

Adding an Experiment

1. Create folder: /experiments/{domain}/experiment-{date}-{name}/
2. Add README.md answering:
   • What question are we exploring?
   • What setup/data/models were used?
   • What metrics did we track?
   • What did we learn?
   • What should we try next?
3. Include config.json with parameters
4. Store results in results/ subdirectory
5. Reference from related papers

Adding a Notebook

1. Create in /notebooks/{domain}/
2. Start with header cell explaining:
   • Purpose
   • Dependencies
   • Data sources
3. Use small datasets or samples
4. Avoid committing large outputs
5. Reference from experiments or papers

🔗 Cross-Repository Relationships

This repository informs but does not directly implement:

• blackroad-os-core - Types and core contracts inspired by research
• blackroad-os-operator - Orchestration strategies tested here
• blackroad-os-docs - User-facing documentation of concepts

Use text references, not code dependencies.

✅ Pre-Commit Checklist

Before committing:

• Files are text-based (no huge binaries)
• New experiments have clear README and config
• Notebooks have explanatory headers
• No secrets, API keys, or private data
• Research code is typed and documented
• Papers and experiments are cross-linked

🧭 Need Help?

• See /docs/experiment-template.md for experiment structure
• See /docs/notebook-style-guide.md for notebook conventions
• Check /index.md for a curated research map
• Review /glossary/concepts.md for standard definitions