# Super Simple FAQ

## 1) What is this project?

A research repository containing two formal frameworks (SA and PA) developed within the Technology of Expressions / Ordinative Sciences programme.

## 2) Are SA and PA the same thing?

No. They are distinct frameworks that share a structural relationship.

- **SA** (Semantic Algebra) was developed first, to extract universal structural patterns from natural language for AI training and cross-domain translation.
- **PA** (Proportional Algebra) was announced in the foundational TE text and formalises the space, metric, and operations that govern collapse across all domains — not only language.

PA Theorem 9.1 shows that SA is mathematically a restriction of PA to the decoherent space `D`. This does not make them the same project — SA has independent development, applications, and an established invariant library.

## 3) Should I read SA or PA first?

Most readers should start with **SA** — it has lower formal entry barrier and concrete operational examples. Then PA gives the deeper theoretical structure.

If your background is mathematical or physical, you can also read PA first.

## 4) Is this a code project I can run?

Partially. `PA/pa_engine/` contains a small Python reference engine (~700 lines) implementing PA's operators and metrics for experimentation. It is not production software. The rest of the repository is documentation-first.

## 5) Is this proof of cross-domain unity / a "theory of everything"?

No. Both SA and PA explicitly state their limits and falsification criteria. They are research frameworks with operational tests and falsifiable claims, not metaphysical pronouncements.

## 6) Where should I start as a first-time reader?

1. `START_HERE_FIRST_TIME.md`
2. `README.md`
3. `INDEX.md`

For SA-specific entry: `SA/START_HERE_SA.md`.
For PA-specific entry: `PA/START_HERE_PA.md`.

## 7) Where is the formal definition of the operators?

- SA operators (S, π): `SA/SA_BOOK/06_the_strip_operator.md` and `SA/SA_BOOK/07_the_recontextualization_operator.md`
- PA operators (Φ, S, ⊗, τ): `PA/PA_BOOK/08_collapse_operator.md` through `PA/PA_BOOK/12_pulsation_temporal_generator.md`

## 8) Where is the validation evidence?

- SA: `SA/SA_BOOK/08_the_seven_text_experiment.md` (positive) and `SA/SA_BOOK/09_the_discrimination_test.md` (negative)
- PA: `PA/PA_BOOK/13_chemistry.md` through `PA/PA_BOOK/17_artificial_intelligence.md` (cross-domain) and `PA/PA_BOOK/18_limits_and_open_questions.md` (falsification criteria)

## 9) Can I cite this work?

Yes. Please cite with author *Fabio Ghioni*, the relevant framework name (Semantic Algebra or Proportional Algebra), the version tag from this repository, and the URL.

## 10) What if I do not understand a term?

Open `SIMPLE_GLOSSARY.md` first, then the formal vocabularies:
- `SA/SA_BOOK/appendix_a_vocabulary.md`
- `PA/PA_BOOK/appendix_a_symbol_register.md`