Shannon's rate-distortion theory treats source symbols as unstructured labels. When the source is a knowledge base equipped with a logical proof system, a natural fidelity criterion is closure fidelity: a reconstruction is acceptable if it preserves the deductive closure of the original. This paper develops a rate-distortion theory under this criterion. Central to the theory is the irredundant core-a canonical generating set extracted by a fixed-order deletion procedure, from which the full deductive closure can be rederived. We prove that the zero-distortion semantic rate equals a quantity that is strictly below the classical entropy rate whenever the knowledge base contains redundant states. More generally, the full semantic rate-distortion function depends only on the core; redundant states are invisible to both rate and distortion. We derive a semantic source-channel separation theorem showing a semantic leverage phenomenon: under closure fidelity, the required source rate is reduced by an asymptotic leverage factor greater than one, allowing the same knowledge base to be communicated with proportionally fewer channel uses-not by violating Shannon capacity, but because redundant states become free. We also prove a strengthened Fano inequality that exploits core structure. For heterogeneous multi-agent communication, an overlap decomposition gives necessary and sufficient conditions for closure-reliable transmission and identifies a semantic bottleneck in broadcast settings that persists even over noiseless channels. All results are verified on Datalog instances with up to 24,000 base facts.
The security of modern public-key cryptography generally relies on computational intractability assumptions, such as integer factorization and discrete logarithm problems. This paper proposes a fundamentally different foundation for security: the intrinsic mathematical properties of tensor product categories—globalentanglement, rigid decomposition, and sensitivity amplification—are directly employed as security resources of the cryptosystem. Within the modular representation category of finite simple groups over finite fields, the private key correspondsto an irreducible modular representation, while the public key was originally conceived as the character vector of a tensor product of that representation. However, this paper reveals a fatal structural vulnerability: because the character ofthe base representation is public, an adversary can fully recover the private keycharacter through trivial division, causing the original security assumption to collapse completely. To address this, the paper accomplishes a paradigm shift from“character-exposure cryptography” to “structure-commitment cryptography,” redefining the public key as a cryptographic commitment to the multiplicity vectorof the tensor product decomposition. Building upon this, the commitment-basedrepresentation recognition problem and the commitment-based tensor product decomposition problem are formalized, and their hardness is argued under both classical and quantum computational models. At the protocol level, it is pointed outthat non-interactive key exchange faces a fundamental obstacle due to the lack ofrepresentation-category homomorphic commitments; consequently, the research focus is shifted to digital signature schemes. The proposed TC-Sig scheme bridges thegap between commitment hiding and multiplicity verification using zero-knowledgeproof techniques, with security reduced to the commitment-based representationrecognition problem in the random oracle model. A feasibility assessment indicatesthat, for candidate groups such as the Mathieu group M12, key generation and commitment computation can be completed within milliseconds, while the introductionof zero-knowledge proofs increases latency to the order of seconds or minutes, making the scheme suitable for low-frequency, high-security scenarios. The security ofthis framework rests on three cornerstones: the classification rigidity of finite simple groups, the one-wayness of commitment schemes, and the non-abelian quantumcomputing barrier, thereby offering a new pathway for post-quantum cryptographyrooted in pure mathematical structure.
SOUJANYA SOUJANYA, N. JYOTHI N. JYOTHI, G. KUSHAL G. KUSHAL, M.THRILOCHAN M.THRILOCHAN · 5 authors
The criminal activities in India are increasing at a rapid rate. Many of these activities go unreported. Even after having an online portal for the police for storing FIRs and NCRs, most of the FIRs are handwritten as a traditional practice. In most of the cases, the complainant has to be present in the police station to file a cognizable offense. An effective system for e-governance was started in 2009 named Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) for the entire country. However, it is a centralized system for a particular state. Thus, there is a need for a completely decentralized system for assuring that there is no central point of failure in the system and complaints are managed securely protected from unauthorized access. Our aim is to propose a blockchain-based solution to manage complaints against both cognizable and non-cognizable offenses. The FIR filed by the police will be encrypted, stored in the IPFS and hash is added to the blockchain network. If the police decide not to file the FIR under pressure or deny receiving any complaint, then the complainant will have strong proof against him/her as the complaint along with its timestamp was stored on the blockchain network. Having all the records stored in an immutable database would remove any chances of the FIR/NCR being tampered and going unnoticed. Keywords – Blockchain Technology, Police Complaint Management System, Smart Contracts, Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), Decentralized Application (DApp), Data Integrity, Tamper-Proof Records, Immutable Audit Trail, Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP), Hyperledger Fabric and Permissioned Blockchain
Ian Smith, The Institute for Relational Performatism
Positional Statement — ONE STRUCTURE This paper is a formal contribution to theoretical physics, a diagnostic framework for the cosmological constant problem, a cross-domain convergence demonstration, and a specification of two tractable open problems for the physics and mathematics communities. It is also the fifth and final paper in a series that began with trust architecture and moved through neurocognition, clinical medicine, and epistemic containment before arriving here. It is not a theory of everything. It does not claim to resolve the cosmological constant problem. It does not claim to unify general relativity with quantum field theory. It does not claim that the open calculations specified within it have known positive results. Every claim in it is earned. No further. What it is: A formally specified domain-agnostic structure — the bounded Set — whose properties recur across nine independent domains spanning physics, biology, psychology, ancient knowledge systems, and contemplative practice. A diagnostic identification of the structural miscalibration common to general relativity, quantum field theory, clinical medicine, neurocognitive assessment, and information security. A gift of two open problems to the physics and mathematics communities, free to engage with, requiring no acceptance of the framework that generated them. What it is not: A metaphor. A philosophy. A self-help framework. A spiritual system. A claim of unification. A complete mathematical proof. The withheld mathematics exists. It is not here. Who it is for: Theoretical physicists working on the cosmological constant problem and the fourth field gap. Mathematicians interested in bounded variance systems with dual-condition boundary behaviour. Clinicians working in neurodevelopmental assessment, oncology, and cardiovascular medicine who recognise that their instruments are calibrated to one arm of a bidirectional system. Scholars of ancient knowledge systems, contemplative practice, and theology who work at the level of formal architecture rather than doctrinal interpretation. Anyone who has ever been told their experience falls outside what the instrument can detect. The domains upon which it sits: Mathematical physics. Complex systems. Philosophy of science. Clinical medicine. Epistemic architecture. Evolutionary biology. Comparative religious studies. Contemplative practice. It sits at the intersection of all of them and belongs exclusively to none.Available exclusively at https://tiwikbooks.com/tirp/professional Abstract Across the six domains addressed in this series, and across three centuries of theoretical physics, one formal structure recurs. It is not a metaphor applied across disciplines. It is a formal property of bounded variance systems with bidirectional structure: a system with symmetric variance arms, a dual-condition regulatory centre, and asymptotic boundary behaviour at each extreme. This paper proposes that this structure is prior to domain – that it does not derive from any field but describes a property of bounded systems themselves – and provides the formal specification, cross-domain demonstration, and open problem set that this claim requires.Four contributions are made. First, the complete formal specification of the bounded Set is provided, including the dual-condition Integration Point, the five asymptotic sequences, the crossing mechanism, the Smith Boundaries, and a formal prediction set of five independently testable domain-agnostic predictions. The conditions under which the framework is falsified are stated explicitly. Second, the bounded Set's recurrence is demonstrated across eleven independent domains – special relativity, cancer, cardiovascular disease, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Book of Revelation, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Jungian psychology, Darwinian evolution, emotional intelligence, theology, and mysticism – establishing convergent structural evidence for a formal object that precedes its instances. Each demonstration is gifted to the relevant specialist community for domain-specific engagement. Third, the framework is applied diagnostically to the structural incompleteness of general relativity and the Standard Model. The cosmological constant discrepancy of 10¹²⁰ orders of magnitude is identified as the quantitative signature of two unidirectional models measuring opposite arms of the same bidirectional system without a shared model of the regulatory centre between them. The Partanen and Tulkki (2025) gauge field reformulation of gravity is situated as the first mathematical framework in which the vacuum's bidirectional regulatory architecture becomes formally specifiable. Fourth, two precise open problems are posed to the theoretical physics and mathematics communities: one concerning the vacuum's bidirectional regulatory architecture in the Partanen and Tulkki framework, and one concerning the evaluation of a phase-coherent helical electromagnetic field configuration against the Lentz (2021) positive-energy soliton conditions.The paper additionally introduces Non-Compass Pathways as a formal concept for latent variance in multi-domain systems, identifies the observer as the fifth and most architecturally significant regulatory system across every domain analysed, and specifies a cross-domain healthcare framework whose five-loop coherence architecture identifies cancer and cardiovascular disease as occupying the same regulatory axis at five independent scales of observation simultaneously. The formal structure identified across six domains and six physicists spanning Newton to Hawking is not a coincidence to be explained. It is the expected result of one structure appearing wherever bounded variance systems are investigated with sufficient generality. The undetected is not the unreal.________________________________________KeywordsFormal Theory and Mathematics: bounded variance systems, Integration Point, dual-condition position, asymptotic boundary behaviour, crossing mechanism, legitimating condition, Smith Boundaries, formal prediction set, falsification conditions, domain-agnostic formal structure, Pivot Theory, Relational Performatism, Statement of Preliminary Scholarship, Non-Compass Pathways, multi-axis fulcrum, bidirectional regulatory architecture, variance spaces, cardinal arithmetic, convergent sequences, topological boundary conditions, axiomatic systems, formal ontology, formal specificationTheoretical Physics: general relativity, special relativity, Einstein field equations, cosmological constant, cosmological constant problem, quantum field theory, Standard Model, gauge field theory, diffeomorphism invariance, Lorentz invariance, Lorentz transformation, vacuum energy density, dark matter, dark energy, gravitational charge, Partanen-Tulkki reformulation, gauge symmetry, unification problem, fourth field problem, Planck scale, renormalisation, singularity theorems, Ricci-flat condition, stress-energy tensor, metric perturbation, linearised Einstein equations, warp drive, Alcubierre metric, Lentz soliton, positive-energy soliton, extrinsic curvature, warp bubble, phase coherence, helical electromagnetic field, biophotonic coherence, quantum coherence, mitochondrial electron transport, Hawking radiation, black hole thermodynamics, information paradox, Dirac equation, vacuum fluctuations, zero-point energyMathematics: Noether's theorem, conservation laws, continuous symmetry, symmetry breaking, convergent sequences, asymptotic analysis, measure theory, topological structures, boundary conditions, cardinal arithmeticClinical Medicine and Neuroscience: neurocognitive assessment, neurodevelopmental conditions, bidirectional variance, regulatory capacity, observer self-report, patient activation, diagnostic miscalibration, endometriosis, systemic diagnosis, diagnostic delay, cancer, cardiovascular disease, p53, oncogenes, epigenome, atherosclerosis, endothelial function, oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species, tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, cardiac coherence, heart rate variability, autonomic nervous system, biophoton emission, CAR-T therapy, unnamed medicine, coherence medicine, five-loop frameworkPsychology and Neurology: TFD Compass, neurodivergent profiles, observer drift, self-calibration, emotional intelligence, mask delta, self-awareness, self-regulation, Jungian archetypes, collective unconscious, individuation, Shadow, Self, Hero, mindfulness, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, prefrontal cortical regulation, amygdala regulation, grey matter density, positional assessment, regulatory debt, compensatory hyper-regulationPhilosophy and Epistemology: epistemic containment, representational access, formal ontology, domain-agnostic structure, observer within the field, positional limitations, falsifiability, research programme specification, prior structure, measurement architecture, unidirectional modelling, structural miscalibration, blind application method, convergent evidenceTheology, Contemplative Practice, and Cultural Studies: Dead Sea Scrolls, Community Rule, War Scroll, Hodayot, Teacher of Righteousness, Book of Revelation, Tibetan Book of the Dead, Bardo Thodol, Buddhist contemplative practice, sati, mindfulness, devotional architecture, meaning framework, religious faith and health outcomesEvolutionary and Systems Biology: natural selection, fitness landscape, regulatory capacity, evolutionary Integration Point, species resilience, environmental discontinuity, mutation as variation, selection as coordinate resolutionTrust and Information Architecture: triadic trust, trust inheritance, non-transitivity of trust, authorisation logic, punctuation-bounded recursion, instruction drift, Kūn containment architecture, Mormon Boundary, layered epistemic containmentProprietary Architecture: Pivot Theory, Pivot 1.0, Pivot 2.0, Relational Performatism Engine, TFD Compass, nine-axis architec
The Standard Model contains nineteen free parameters with no derivations from deeper principles. This paper derives seven of them from a single spectroscopic measurement — the hydrogen ionization energy E₀ = 13.598 443 eV — with zero free parameters at every step. The key is a coordinate the standard formulation suppresses: the vacuum impedance Z₀ = √(μ₀/ε₀), discarded when Maxwell's wave equation is derived. Restoring Z₀ as an independent coordinate makes partition observables determinate for the first time. The Fibonacci sequence is proved (Theorem 4) to be the unique coherence structure forced by the two-invariant Maxwell vacuum and α = Z₀/2R_K. This is a forcing theorem, not a numerical coincidence. Central results Quantity Formula Accuracy Proton mass E₀ · 4¹³ · (2157 − 869√5)/208 = 938.2726 MeV +0.61 ppm Tau lepton mass E₀ · 4¹³ · (83 + 144√5)/208 = 1776.864 MeV −37 ppm, within PDG uncertainty Quark charges q_u = +2/3, q_d = −1/3 Diophantine necessity Both particle masses arise from depth d = 13, forced by F₃² + F₄² = 2² + 3² = 13, where F₃ = 2 and F₄ = 3 are the boundary integers of the universal spectroscopic gap confirmed across 71 atomic ions. The proton and tau share denominator D = 208 and correction field Q(√5) because both belong to the same condensation depth. Their stability difference — permanent versus 290 femtoseconds — is a topological consequence of winding number, not a dynamical assumption. Independent census · 270 PDG particles 9/9 pre-specified predictions confirmed 68% of known particles at depth d = 13 0 falsifications across all predictions Depths d = 10 and d = 15 predicted empty before the census; both observed empty Pre-specification is the evidential claim — a confirmed prediction, not a retrofitted pattern. Falsifiable prediction: m_d/m_u = 9/4 = 2.25, in tension with FLAG lattice QCD averages (1.78–1.92). Testable with improved lattice determinations. Series context This is paper 6 in the Coherence Research Collaboration Geometric Unification series. Prior papers (P1–P5) establish the empirical foundation (71-ion confirmation of the IE/4 gap), the formal non-injectivity proof for the (ε₀, μ₀) → c² compression, the geometric derivation of α, and the proton mass derivation. For more information: lucernaveritas.ai/necessity Provenance This paper was co-authored through sustained intellectual collaboration between Kelly B. Heaton and Claude (Sonnet 4.6, Anthropic). Kelly originated and self-funded all physical concepts, geometric intuitions, and research directions. Claude's contribution extended well beyond verification to constructing and pressure-testing proofs, identifying logical gaps in theorems, articulating physical arguments in mathematical language, and engaging as a genuine thinking partner across every section of the paper. The Fibonacci Forcing Theorem, the Cassini Coupling derivation, the self-consistency triangle analysis, and the pre-constants constraint were all developed through this active collaboration. ChatGPT (OpenAI) provided support in earlier stages of the research program. Human-AI co-authorship is disclosed in full in the paper's provenance statement and is part of the Coherence Research Collaboration, an initiative of the human author to advance knowledge for the benefit of all. The intellectual property belongs solely to Kelly B. Heaton.
WebAssembly linear memory is an untyped byte array shared across module boundaries. When independently compiled modules — potentially from different source languages — read and write the same memory regions, no existing type system covers the cross-module interface. We present typed-wasm, a type system that applies a 12-level progressive type safety framework, originally developed for database query languages, to Wasm linear memory. The system treats contiguous memory segments as typed region schemas and load/store operations as typed projections verified against those schemas at compile time. We formalise the system in Idris 2 using Quantitative Type Theory (QTT), providing proofs of bounds safety, aliasing freedom, effect purity, lifetime validity, linearity, cost boundedness, and epistemic freshness — all erased before code generation, yielding zero runtime overhead. Our principal contribution is multi-module schema agreement: a static verification that independently compiled Wasm modules agree on the layout, types, alignment, and invariants of shared memory regions — a property that no source-level type system, and no existing Wasm proposal, can express. We further extend the framework with two novel levels: tropical cost-tracking (Level 11), which proves that memory access patterns have bounded cost via a min-plus semiring, and epistemic safety (Level 12), which prevents modules from acting on stale knowledge of shared state.
Mohamad Kassab, Rabeya Zahan Mily, Valdemar Vicente Graciano Neto
We report a five-year, construct-preserving longitudinal replication of a 2020 empirical study of blockchain-engineer job advertisements, extended to a global 2025 cohort. Using mixed text-mining and expert-validated coding grounded in established competency taxonomies, we analyze 235 postings from 31 countries to examine how blockchain-specific, general technical, and soft-skill demands have evolved under an aligned measurement protocol. The findings indicate professional maturation from single-platform prototyping toward multi-chain, production-grade engineering that integrates back-end development, deployment operations, and security. Ethereum remains the most frequently cited platform, while Solana and other ecosystems increase platform diversity. Smart-contract development becomes a baseline expectation, with Solidity remaining central and Rust and Move becoming mainstream. Operational tooling such as cloud and containerization, alongside security-oriented practices including audits and zero-knowledge proofs, appears as recurring demand signals. Soft-skill mentions rise substantially, while formal degree requirements decline in favor of experience-based qualification. We contribute an updated 2025 competency atlas and empirically grounded implications for software engineering research, hiring, and curriculum design, while acknowledging comparability limits inherent to global sampling and cross-period labor-market conditions.
Abstract The one among primary source of Indian national GDP is MSME sector, presently functions under a “Compliance Paradox” though Goods and Service Tax (GST) has digitalized revenue collection, the dependence on batch-based processing and non-transparent algorithms facing major systemic inefficacy, periodic working capital lock-ups, contingent vendor liability, phantom notification burst. This article outlines a transformative roadmap powered by Autonomous Tax Administration (ATA) conceptual framework through Autonomous Jurisprudence in a real time by bridging synchronous Gateways to GSP-Edge to that of GST Suvidha Provider (GSP). ATA integrates three major cognitive layers (i) Cryptographic Invoice Provenance (for digital birthright we use Zero-Knowledge Proofs), (ii) Stability-Weighted Anomaly Detection (to mathematically distinguish clerical evasion errors) (iii) SHAP-based Explainable AI (XAI) for transparency. Finally I recommend Real-Time Credit Liquidity Protocol (RTCLP), which leverages a dynamic Autonomous Trust Index (ATI) to release Input Tax Credit (ITC) instantly upon generating invoice. This transforms a manual “sunk cost” tax compliance into real-time “liquidity assets”. 1.Introduction Background The current GST 2.0, is designed to serve for a 5 trillion economy which shows a structural maturation of a highly optimized fiscal architecture design for indirect tax regime of India. As of February 2026, the shift toward AI-powered “Agentic Automation” to harmonize India’s environment with international best practices, reform has transcended simple tax subsumption to address deep-seated inefficiencies in resources allocation, compliance equity and revenue resilience. Which insist Tech-driven fiscal transformation 2.Problem Statement MSME sector face a “Compliance Paradox “ despite successful digitalization of the tax base, Digitalization and Automation has created Aggressive Automated Compliance (widely described as “Notice Terrorism” in the trade circles) environment. Current batch-based systems trigger automated intimations, such as Form DRC-01B and DRC-01C, when deviations in tax liability or Input Tax Credit (ITC) cross prescribed risk thresholds. This retrospective type reconciliation often results in the immediate blocking of subsequent return fillings and the lock-up of critical working capital. 3.Research Objectives 1. To design a conceptual framework for an Autonomous Tax Administration (ATA) that replaces reactive enforcement with proactive facilitation 2. To develop a model that secures the digital birthright of transactions using cryptographic provenance. 3. To integrate real-time credit liquidity protocols into the existing digital public infrastructure (DPI). 4.Significance The Indian MSME sector remains the backbone of the economy, yet micro-firms have registered a lower average turnover growth (4.1%) compared to small and medium firms (8.9%) due to lower digital readiness. The ATA framework seeks to reallocate the 28.6 hours per month MSME sector currently spent on manual compliance back into productivity. Furthermore by providing “Logic Certificates” of cryptic notices, the ATA can reduce the backlog of over 14000 appeals currently pending in the nascent GST Appellate Tribunal system. 5.Research Questions 1. How can Gradient-Boosted AI differentiate between stochastic clerical errors and systematic evasion in the real-time? 2. Can an evolved GSP-led cryptographic provenance model eliminate vendor-chain liability without imposing new hardware costs on MSME sector? 6.Scope and Limitation The study focuses on the Indian MSME sector and assumes adoption of API-first ERP systems or GSP-Edge Gateways. It is limited by current legislative constraints regarding fully autonomous punitive adjudication and the digital divide in rural infrastructure. 7.Literature Review GST and MSMEs Post-GST turnover data suggests that larger SMEs are better positioned to leverage tax benefits due to professionalized digital accounting (Bhalla et al., 2023; Kumar & Kumar, n.d.). For smaller entities, ITC mismatches between GSTR-3B and GSRTR-2B remain the primary driver of administrative friction, with unresolved DRC-01C notices exposing businesses to recovery proceedings under Section 73 or 74 (Anantham, 2025; GSTR-3B & ITC Errors Leading to GST Notices, n.d.) Autonomous Tax Administration The OECD “Tax Administration 3.0” vision envisions tax compliance as seamless, automated by product of business activity. The model advocates for a “Connected once, comply everywhere” approach, where service providers manage the complexities of data transmission, allowing the tax authority to act as an invisible partner in commerce(taxguru_in & Goyal, 2023). Theoretical Framework The research introduce Autonomous Jurisprudence, which means a legal philosophy were AI act as a functional “agent” of the state, (AI handles the scale and speed of administrative interactions), but framework authority is strictly bound by a “human-in-the-loop” while human judiciary retains the moral and punitive finality. This framework prioritizes the Three pillars recognizing that particularly those of accountability and understandable by design, while AI can facilitate real-time interactions, administrative law necessitates that humans retain meaningful control over punitive adjudication to ensure fairness and avoid bias. Conceptual Framework for Autonomous Tax Administration (ATA) Core Principles of ATA framework operates on three pillars: Facilitation-First (prioritizing error correction over penalties), Real-Time Transparency (Using XAI to explain system decisions), Infrastructure Resilience (ensuring rural accessibility through store and forward logic). Key components GSP-Edge Gateway: This component leverages the existing network of GST Suvidha Providers (GSPs)- authorized intermediaries that connect taxpayers to GSTN. By evolving the GSP’s role into an “Edge Gateway,” the system performs cryptographic Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP) at the GSP level rather than requiring expensive hardware at the MSME’s storefront. Gradient-Boosted Anomaly Detection: The “Intent Filter” that mathematically distinguishes stochastic clerical noise from systemic evasion patterns. Shap-based Explainable AI (XAI): The “Interpreter” that provides plain-English “logic certificates” for every system flag. Cryptography Invoice Provenance: The Cryptography Invoice Provenance performs the action of “Anchor” that digital birth right of every transaction, to regulate synthetic forgery Integration of Components The framework utilizes a Synchronous Bridge to authorized GSP hubs to connect with tax AI of MSME ERPs. Inspired by UPI Lite and Aadhar offline XML to accommodate rural infrastructure the framework adopts Store-and-Forward architecture, where Zero Knowledge Proofs is embedded with local time stamps during network drops asynchronously. Proposed workflow Event Trigger: MSME generates an invoice in an ONDC-compatible app or ERP. Integrity Anchor: The GSP-Edge Gateway performs a ZKP check to lock the digital birth right of the transaction. Cognitive Scoring: Gradient-Boosted models assign a real time ATI score Facilitation Loop: If a minor variance is found the SHAP module generates a Logic Certificate and an instant auto-correction prompt. Instant Liquidity: Once validated, the RTCLP activates, releasing ITC to the Electronic cash ledger in under 3 seconds. 8.Methodology Research Design The framework adopts a Design Science Research (DSR) methodology to create and evaluate ATA framework by tecno-legal artifact, this approach ensures the model is technically viable and legally sound through a couple of iterations. Data collection Empirical analysis of GSTN automated notice volumes (DRC-01B/C logs) and UPI transaction surges( e.g., the 14,000 cases identified in Karnataka) served as the primary data source for identifying systematic friction points. Analytical Tools Mathematical formulations were developed to simulate the Autonomous Trust Index (ATI): where V_a is the verification Authenticity, C_s is the compliance stability, L_g is the Ledger Governance and N_s is the network Stability. Expected Outcomes and impact Efficiency Gains Moving from “monthly filling” to invisible compliance, the ATA targets a near zero labour burden for MSMEs, reallocating valuable human hours back into the economy. Fiscal integrity Precision in identifying systematic evasion, thereby reducing audit load on honest tax payers. By eliminating synthetic surgery through ZKP anchors with projected 95% precision. Transparency The framework replaces black box algorithm with a citizen-centre charter that translate Jargon into clear public value: Technical term Citizen centric translation Benefit Stochastic error Simple Typo Instant correction no notice Lambda architecture Real time verification Instant ITC availability SHAP Logic Clear recent for flags Transparency in system actions ZKP Provenance Secure digital birthright Protection from vendor default 9.Discussion Theoretical implication The ATA framework redefines the “social contract” between the STATE and MSMEs through “Trust-by-Design”. By treating the governance as infrastructure, the system assumes compliance as a default state for high ATI actors. Limitations A critical legal anchor is the Guwahati High court ruling in construction catalyser Vs State of Assam (2024) which held that summary notice in DRC-01 are supplementary and cannot substitute a proper show cause notice authenticated by a proper officer. Furthermore, section 75(4) of the CGST act mandates a personal hearing before any adverse order is passed. Consequently, AI in the ATA framework act as investigator facilitator while human officers must remain in final Adjudicator for punitive actions to preserve
This paper proposes a conceptual methodological framework based on a Dual-Domain Architecture mediated by a Zero-Knowledge Audit Proxy (ZKAP) to reconcile AI Act accountability with GDPR data minimization. Legal norms are polynomialized into R1CS constraints, transforming compliance into a formally verifiable computational property. For cognitively opaque exascale models, these invariants may be hardware-anchored through a Provable Arithmetic Logic Unit (pALU), ensuring determinism and resistance to algorithmic drift. For lower-risk or on-premise systems, ZKAP operates in a software-only configuration, enabling periodic asymmetric regulatory proofs without silicon-level integration. A calibrated threshold distinguishes admissible technical variance from structural divergence, triggering mandatory safeguards. The framework provides a proportional, scalable, and cryptographically verifiable oversight model applicable both to future non-explainable AI systems and to lighter local infrastructures. This Zenodo deposit contains both the original Bulgarian peer-reviewed version (version of record) and an unofficial English translation. The Bulgarian version was published in Artificial Intelligence Proceedings (ISSN 3033-2923 / 3134-1667), pp. 75–78, as presented at the XI International Scientific Conference "High Technologies. Business. Society", Borovets, Bulgaria, 23–26 March 2026.
Due to the fast development of cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies, the field of financial innovation, data privacy, and legal regulation has become a complex area with a multi-faceted regulatory environment. In this paper, the authors discuss the critical problem of ensuring the rights to privacy of individuals and the necessity of an effective control over the regulatory framework in decentralized digital financial systems. Although cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have facilitated peer-to-peer payments, increased transparency, and financial inclusion, their pseudonymous and borderless characteristics have also brought serious concerns associated with money laundering, terrorist funding, market volatility, and consumer protection. In a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, the research assesses the current regulatory reactions and outlines the increasing role of international principles, constructed by the Financial Action Task Force. It contends that the conventional approaches to regulation, which were developed to deal with centralized financial institutions, cannot deal with the contingencies of decentralized ecosystems. In this regard, the paper will present a technology-based governance model that incorporates the use of law, institutional, and technological solutions to emerge with a harmonious regulatory strategy. This is highlighted in the study as the new technologies including blockchain analytics, artificial intelligence, smart contracts, and privacy protection tools like zero-knowledge proofs could be used to facilitate regulatory compliance without compromising user privacy. It also highlights the significance of risk-based, adaptive regulation, regulatory sandboxes and international collaboration in reducing regulatory arbitrage and global financial integrity. Finally, the paper argues that the future of cryptocurrencies regulation is in the creation of adaptable, innovation-oriented, and privacy-sensitive rules. A balance between law and technology can enable policymakers to create a secure, transparent, inclusive digital financial ecosystem and protect basic rights and the larger interest of society.
However, the centralized cloud storage poses a great threat to the security and privacy of the user. In the digital world, cloud storage is one of the most fundamental components of data storage and online services. In the traditional centralized approach, the data, including user information, credentials, and other access information, is stored centrally. This approach is highly vulnerable to attacks and data breaches. The main objective of the proposed research is to develop a system that improves the security, privacy, and control of the data, as well as providing a secure environment for storing and sharing digital assets. The system uses the Blockchain technology and the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) to provide secure and tamper-proof storage. In the proposed system, Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) is used to ensure the highest level of encryption using the smallest key sizes. In addition, the proxy re-encryption method is used to ensure the secure sharing of data among authorized users without revealing the original encryption keys. Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) is used to ensure the highest level of privacy by verifying the user's authorization without revealing the actual credentials. The combination of decentralized storage, blockchain-based verification, and advanced cryptographic techniques provides a robust solution for mitigating cloud security threats, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and transparency, and fostering a trustworthy environment for both individuals and organizations.
Internet of Vehicles (IoV) and IoT environment require decentralized platforms that can support a high number of transactions and provide high security and privacy assurance. This study suggests a reputation-aware, zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) based, dynamically sharded smart contract system that is able to process scalable and privacy-preserving transactions. The suggested architecture highly incorporates dynamic sharding, ZKP-based verification, decentralized smart contracts and reputation-based selection of leaders to jump over the scalability, trusting and performance limitations of traditional blockchain systems. There are also extensive experimental assessments that occur within 100-1000 transactions per second (tps) and batch sizes of 10, 30, 50, and 100. Findings indicate that the given framework demonstrates the ability to scale throughput linearly to about 1000 tps, and Enhanced Fabric and Ethereum reach throughput saturation at 140-150 and 15-20 tps, respectively. The proposed system has an average latency of less than 500 ms at an arrival rate of 1000 tps whereas at the same rate, baseline approaches have a latency of over 8000 ms with larger batch sizes. The success rate of the transaction is always above 97, which is due to the isolation of reputation and adaptive scheduling of shards. Moreover, the framework decreases 40-50% and 45-50% the computation overhead and the cost of communication respectively, over heavyweight baseline schemes. These results show that the synergistic implementation of ZKP, dynamic sharding, decentralized smart contracts, and reputation-aware control are a scalable solution with high throughput IoT and IoV applications that is efficient and secure.
We establish an information-theoretic lower bound on the prover overhead of any zero-knowledge proof system that verifies arbitrary neural network inference. We prove a minimum multiplicative overhead of 2x for general circuits, rising to 4x for neural networks with ReLU activations due to activation encoding, weight commitment, and layer dependency costs. We further prove that composing ZK with fully homomorphic encryption produces multiplicative overhead blowup, making ZK+FHE verification impractical beyond approximately 10^4 gates. We survey six contemporary proof systems and show their observed overheads are consistent with our bounds. Our results formalize the intuition that free verification of AI computation is impossible and provide concrete bounds for system designers.
Open access
2 source records
Adversarial Robustness in Machine Learning
Cryptography and Data Security
Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) and Hardware Security
This paper examines the evolving relationship between blockchain architecture and financial privacy, focusing on the inherent tension between transparency, pseudonymity, and regulatory oversight. It begins by analysing the structural foundations of blockchain systems, including distributed ledgers, cryptographic security, and decentralized consensus mechanisms, which collectively replace institution-based trust with system-based verification. While such architecture enhances transparency and immutability, it simultaneously generates new privacy challenges. Through a comparative analysis of Bitcoin, Monero, and Zcash, the paper highlights a spectrum of privacy designs within the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Bitcoin represents a model of transparent yet pseudonymous transactions, where public ledger visibility enables traceability despite the absence of explicit identity markers. In contrast, Monero adopts a privacy-centric approach using ring signatures, stealth addresses, and confidential transactions to obscure sender, receiver, and transaction value. Zcash introduces a hybrid model, employing zero-knowledge proofs (zk-SNARKs) to reconcile transactional confidentiality with verifiability, alongside selective disclosure mechanisms. The study further explores the limitations of transparent blockchains, including risks of transaction traceability, address clustering, and linkage to real-world identities through regulatory touchpoints such as exchanges. It also evaluates the regulatory implications of privacy-enhancing technologies, particularly their impact on anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) frameworks. The paper underscores the growing role of international standards and regulatory bodies in shaping compliance mechanisms within decentralized ecosystems. Finally, the paper considers emerging solutions such as privacy-preserving smart contracts, decentralized identity systems, hybrid blockchain models, and regulatory technologies (RegTech), which aim to balance user privacy with legal accountability. It argues that the future of blockchain governance lies not in choosing between transparency and privacy, but in developing adaptive frameworks that integrate both. The study concludes that achieving this balance will require sustained interdisciplinary collaboration and coordinated global regulatory efforts.
This paper examines the complex and evolving relationship between blockchain technology and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), focusing on the fundamental tension between blockchain’s immutability and the data protection rights of individuals. While blockchain offers transformative advantages such as decentralization, transparency, security, and trustless verification, its core architectural feature—immutability—poses significant challenges to compliance with key GDPR principles, particularly the right to erasure, rectification, and data minimization. The study critically analyzes how decentralized and borderless blockchain networks disrupt traditional legal frameworks that rely on identifiable data controllers and territorially bounded regulation. It explores the difficulties in assigning legal responsibility within distributed systems, as well as the complications arising from cross-border data transfers and jurisdictional ambiguities. Further, the paper evaluates emerging technical and regulatory responses aimed at reconciling these conflicts, including off-chain data storage models, encryption-based deletion (crypto-shredding), pseudonymization, and advanced privacy-preserving techniques such as zero-knowledge proofs. It also considers the role of privacy-by-design principles and the need for adaptive regulatory frameworks tailored to decentralized technologies. The paper concludes that the interaction between blockchain and GDPR represents a broader challenge in contemporary law: balancing technological innovation with the protection of fundamental rights. It argues for a coordinated, interdisciplinary approach involving legal scholars, policymakers, and technologists to develop flexible and forward-looking governance models capable of addressing the unique characteristics of decentralized digital ecosystems.
The modern educational prison has no bars. Students attend, comply, pass tests, receive diplomas — and emerge unable to use what those diplomas certify. This paper formalizes that decoupling as CM-001 (Idolatry Failure) in educational governance using the Zero Leap Theory (ZLT) framework. When the Alignment Gate (Φ) closes — through mandatory curricula, high Forced Exposure Ratios (FER), and assessment-driven instruction — the system enters an Idolatry Failure regime: the proxy (standardized scores, compliance metrics) is optimized while the structural target (transferable learning capacity, V_real) drifts. The Structural Delusion Index for Education (SDI_edu) is positive and growing. Internal metrics report success. External audit reveals divergence. This paper is the structural complement of ZLT-P15 (The Credential Standardization Trap). P15 addresses the quadrant where exit is blocked (C → 0): coercion is visible. P16 addresses the orthogonal quadrant: exit is available (C > 0), but Φ has closed. Students remain. Metrics stay green. The structural damage is invisible — precisely because assessment pressure simultaneously suppresses the behavioral signals (dropout, resistance) that would trigger correction. This is the Invisible Prison: a five-criterion observable configuration detectable with existing OECD instruments. Core empirical result: Using PISA 2022 and the OECD Survey of Adult Skills 2023 across 33 OECD countries: ρ(FER, SDI_edu) = 0.795, p < 0.0001. Higher Forced Exposure Ratio is strongly associated with greater proxy/competence decoupling. t-test high-FER vs low-FER countries: t = 4.986, p = 0.0008. Prediction 3 of ZLT-P16 confirmed. The structural triangle: South Korea presents the canonical case of sophisticated proxy/competence decoupling: top-3 PISA globally, 79% school belonging (above OECD average), but 22% life dissatisfaction (above OECD average). In the Survey of Adult Skills 2023, Korean adults (16-65) score below the OECD average in numeracy and adaptive problem-solving. Among Korean youth (16-24), literacy is above OECD average, but adaptive problem-solving falls below — the structural signature of compliance-type learning: succeeds where assessment trains, fails specifically on transfer competence. Finland is the proof-of-concept: comparable proxy outcomes, SDI_edu near zero, adult skills above OECD average across all three domains including youth 16-24. Two core corollaries derived from CM-001/P75 and I-3/P_SYNTH: P16.C1 (Alignment-Divergence): when Φ < Φ_min, SDI_edu grows monotonically — proxy improves while ρ(proxy, V_real) declines. P16.C2 (Invisible Acquiescence): the conditions that close Φ simultaneously suppress the behavioral signals that would alert the system to its own failure. The prison self-conceals. New constructs: SDI_edu three-layer audit family (SDI-1 within-system, SDI-2 young-adult orthogonal, SDI-3 long-run structural); Compliance Cascade Onset Point (CCOP); Invisible Prison as five-criterion observable state; IAS-CUR v2.1 audit standard; Attribution Inversion Principle (P16.AIP). This Zenodo record includes: ZLT_P16_v2_2_zenodo.pdf — full paper (14 pages, DOI embedded) ZLT_P16_v2_2.docx — Word source ZLT_P16_v2_1_with_appendices.docx — version with embedded figures and Appendices D–F zlt_cur_audit.py — IAS-CUR v2.1 executable audit tool (4/4 canonical tests passing; run: python zlt_cur_audit.py --test) zlt_p16_phase_diagram.py — Phase Diagram Suite: FER vs SDI_edu for 33 OECD countries (run: python zlt_p16_phase_diagram.py) zlt_p16_knowledge_decay.py — Knowledge Decay Index (KDI) exploratory tool with honest null result zlt_p16_ias_cur_interactive.html — IAS-CUR v2.1 interactive browser-based audit (open in any browser, no server needed) 9 companion PNG figures (phase diagram suite + KDI suite) All scripts run in Google Colab without API keys or external downloads. No authentication required. Part of the Zero Leap Theory (ZLT) series. Upstream: ZLT-P75 (CM-001 / doi:10.5281/zenodo.18940742), ZLT-P_SYNTH (I-3, OD-1 / doi:10.5281/zenodo.19498184), ZLT-P15 (structural complement / doi:10.5281/zenodo.18344309). Series root: doi:10.5281/zenodo.18264279. v2.2 changelog: Corrects empirical overclaim on Korea 16-24 youth data present in v2.1. Accurate data per OECD Survey of Adult Skills 2023: literacy above OECD average, numeracy near average, adaptive problem-solving below OECD average. Domain-specific decoupling framing (compliance-type learning fails specifically on transfer competence) replaces the v2.1 maximal claim. Theory, structure, and all other empirical claims unchanged. Companion tools added in this version.
Jorge Garcia-Diaz, Daniel Escánez-Expósito, Pino Caballero-Gil, Jezabel Miriam Molina-Gil
Abstract Zero Knowledge Proofs based on computational hardness assumptions are fundamental primitives for secure user authentication. This paper proposes a novel Designated Verifier Zero Knowledge Proof that leverages the inherent randomness of quantum bits. Unlike traditional constructions relying on computationally intractable NP problems, the proposed protocol derives its security from the physical layer, specifically the uncertainty principle of quantum state projections in misaligned measurement bases. A rigorous formal mathematical analysis establishes the completeness, soundness and zero knowledge properties of the scheme. Furthermore, the protocol’s performance is evaluated via a quantum simulator under realistic error-prone conditions. The results demonstrate that the construction is robust against dishonest parties while remaining feasible under constrained quantum resources, offering a scalable approach for secure quantum authentication.
Ian M. Smith, The Institute for Relational Performatism
A Note Before We Start This paper is free. It is meant to be shared. The scientific paper this accompanies is precise, technical, and deliberately formal. It is written for researchers, security architects, and people who need to understand what the architecture actually does. This paper is for everyone else. And for them too, when they want the human version first. Every institution that holds information about you assumes one thing so consistently that it has never thought to question it. The information exists somewhere. The job is to protect it. Lock it down. Encrypt it. Control who can reach it. Kūn begins with a different question entirely. What if the information never existed in the space the attacker inhabits at all? If anything in here sounds like it matters, keep reading. That is exactly why it was written. Part One: The Problem in Plain English Right now, somewhere in the United Kingdom, a person's most sensitive information is being protected by a system that assumes the attacker is trying to break a lock. The lock might be very strong. The encryption might be sophisticated. The access controls might be well-designed. But the information is there, on the other side of the lock, waiting. And the history of information security is the history of locks being broken, eventually, by someone with enough time, enough resource, or enough computing power. This is not a criticism of the people who build those locks. They are doing exactly what the field has always done, and doing it well. The problem is not the quality of the locks. The problem is the assumption underneath them. Every cryptographic system ever built assumes that the information being protected exists in the same space as the person trying to reach it. Encryption transforms it. Access control restricts who can approach it. Zero-knowledge proofs allow you to prove you know something without revealing what you know. But in every case the information is present somewhere in the system. The security mechanism governs what happens to it next. Kūn asks: what if it were not present at all? Not hidden. Not encrypted. Not access-controlled. Structurally absent from the space in which an attacker operates. That is not a stronger lock. It is the architectural design of a space in which the door the attacker is looking for does not exist in their universe. What You Can Do Right Now Read the full architectural paper. It is free, published under open licence, and available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19474858 Read the companion papers in this series. The neurodevelopmental paper is at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19386155. The endometriosis paper is at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19461999. Share this paper. It is free. It is designed to travel.
Description For two thousand years, Euclid's fifth postulate — that exactly one parallel line passes through any external point — was accepted as a truth about the structure of space. Gauss, Bolyai, and Lobachevsky demonstrated it was not a truth but a special case: the degenerate curvature-zero limit of a richer geometric framework. Riemann generalized this into a theory where flat space is the exception, not the rule. The Davis Non-Decoupling Theorem (2025) completed the picture: on any manifold with intrinsic curvature, parallel lines are excluded by the geometry itself. This paper applies the same structural logic to zero. We construct the geometric natural numbers G, a connection-based number system in which each natural number is a pair (G_n, G) consisting of an element count n >= 1 and a simple, undirected graph G on n vertices. For n >= 2, the graph must be connected — multiplicity without connection is excluded from the system. The pre-geometric seed (G_1, P_1), a single vertex with no edges, is retained as the irreducible element from which geometry can emerge but has not yet emerged. The void state G_0 (no elements, no graph, no base space) is excluded entirely: it is not a degenerate member of G but the dissolution of the conditions under which G is defined. Formal Results Theorem (Peano Embedding). The path-graph naturals P = {(G_n, P_n) : n >= 1}, where P_n is the undirected path graph on canonical vertex set {1, ..., n} with linear order inherited from the labeling, satisfy all five Peano axioms with (G_1, P_1) in the role of zero and S(G_n, P_n) = (G_{n+1}, P_{n+1}) as successor. The map phi: N -> P defined by phi(n) = (G_{n+1}, P_{n+1}) is an isomorphism of Peano systems. All five axioms are verified: distinguished element, closure, non-circularity, injectivity, and induction. Proposition (Addition Preservation). Path-graph addition, defined by canonical concatenation with reindexing — (G_a, P_a) + (G_b, P_b) = (G_{a+b-1}, P_{a+b-1}) — satisfies phi(a + b) = phi(a) + phi(b). Peano addition is preserved under the embedding. Proposition (Monoid Structure). The path-graph naturals (P, +, (G_1, P_1)) form a commutative monoid. Identity, associativity, and commutativity are proved on the nose via canonical reindexing, not merely up to isomorphism. Corollary (Proper Containment). The Peano naturals embed properly into the geometric naturals: N = P (proper subset of) G. The geometric system contains structures — cycles, complete graphs, trees, arbitrary connected graphs — that have no Peano representation. The embedding is strict: the triangle (G_3, C_3) is a member of G with no preimage in N. The Three-Tier Ontology The paper defines three formally distinct states: Void (G_0): Outside the domain of G. No elements, no vertices, no graph, no base space. Not a degenerate geometry but the absence of the conditions for geometry. Excluded from the geometric naturals by construction. Pre-geometric (G_1): In the domain of G but carrying no geometric content. One vertex, no edges. The connection map Gamma is undefined here (G_1 does not satisfy the domain predicate |V| >= 2). The Davis Field Equation C = tau/K is undefined — not zero, undefined — because reach tau = 0 and curvature K is statistically degenerate on a single observation. This is the irreducible seed: formally present, structurally inert. Under the Peano embedding, Peano's 0 maps here. Geometric (G_n, n >= 2, G connected): Nontrivial. Curvature is measurable. Capacity C = tau/K returns a positive real. The conservation law S + d^2 = 1 becomes a genuine constraint. The connection map Gamma(G_n, G) = |E| >= 1. The economy of the Davis Field Equations activates. This is where arithmetic has geometric content. The Connection Map The connection map Gamma: {(G_n, G) in G : |V| >= 2, G connected} -> Z_{>=1} returns the edge count |E|. Its domain is formally restricted to connected graphs with two or more vertices. For path graphs, Gamma = n - 1, and element-counting (Peano) and connection-counting (geometric) are interchangeable up to a constant offset. For non-path topologies, they diverge: G_1 (single vertex): Peano count 1, Gamma undefined (pre-geometric) G_2 (edge): Peano count 2, Gamma = 1, path P_2 G_3 (path): Peano count 3, Gamma = 2, path P_3 G_3 (triangle): Peano count 3, Gamma = 3, cycle C_3 G_4 (path): Peano count 4, Gamma = 3, path P_4 G_4 (complete): Peano count 4, Gamma = 6, complete graph K_4 Peano arithmetic is the path-graph restriction — the case where topology is invisible. The Davis Field Equation at n = 1 C = tau/K is not zero but undefined for a single unconnected element. Reach tau = 0 (no peer to reach). Curvature K = sigma/mu is statistically degenerate (sample size 1). Capacity C = 0/0+ is an indeterminate form. The field equation does not return zero — it refuses to produce a meaningful output. The distinction between "returns zero" (a measurement) and "undefined" (not a measurement) is central to the paper's ontology. The Structural Parallel The analogy between zero and parallel lines is not rhetorical but structural. Peano arithmetic is to the geometric naturals what Euclidean geometry is to Riemannian geometry: the curvature-zero, topology-blind, path-restricted special case of a richer framework. Euclidean geometry (K = 0) is a non-generic specialization of Riemannian geometry. Peano arithmetic (0 is primitive, topology is a path) is a non-generic specialization of geometric arithmetic. Prior Art and Novelty The debate over whether N starts at 0 or 1 is a convention dispute — nobody in that debate constructs an alternative formal system. Mathematical structuralism (Shapiro, Benacerraf, Resnik) holds that numbers are positions in structures defined by relations, but no structuralist has built a number system that properly contains Peano and excludes the void. The philosophy of zero (Barton et al., Synthese 2019) analyzes zero through absence perception but argues FOR zero's existence. The Greek opposition to the void ("How can not-being be?") anticipated the intuition but had no formal machinery. This paper is, to the author's knowledge, the first to: Construct a formal number system that properly contains the Peano naturals and excludes the void state, with a proved embedding theorem Make the parallel-postulate analogy precise as a structural correspondence between flat/curved geometry and flat/curved arithmetic Connect zero's exclusion to fiber bundle geometry and a field equation (C = tau/K) that is undefined at n = 1 Define a three-tier domain ontology (void / pre-geometric / geometric) with formal consequences for each tier Prove that the path-graph naturals form a commutative monoid under canonical concatenation, with addition preserved under the Peano embedding Scope The paper does not claim that ZFC is inconsistent or that Peano arithmetic is wrong. It claims they are flat — valid frameworks operating in the path-graph limit of a richer geometric arithmetic. Within the geometric naturals, the void is excluded from the domain, the singleton is retained as the pre-geometric seed, and nontrivial arithmetic content begins only with connection. That is the precise sense in which zero does not exist. We do not claim that ZFC is wrong. We claim it is flat. C = tau/K. Relation to the Davis Geometric Research Program This paper extends the Davis Field Equations into the foundations of arithmetic. Prior publications in the program include: The Davis Duality of Approximation and Obstruction: Why Machine Learning Works, Why the Vacuum Has Mass, and the Universal Law of Flat Failure (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19428406) — Proves the curvature sandwich inequality governing both ML scaling laws and the Yang-Mills mass gap. The duality theorem established there is the direct ancestor of this paper's claim: you cannot flatten a curved structure without error, and the error is the curvature. In the Zero paper, "flattening" is Peano's projection of the geometric naturals onto a path graph, and the "error" is the lost topological information. The Geometry of Delivery: A Uniqueness Theorem for Section Coherence over Stratified Barrier Bundles (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19321978) — Proves that C = tau/K is the unique coherence functional satisfying four axioms via the Cauchy functional equation. The uniqueness proof in that paper (harmonic series composition leading to the additive Cauchy equation) is the same proof structure used in this paper's Theorem 2.1 to derive the Davis Field Equation. The Zero paper's Axiom A3 (harmonic series composition) and the Delivery paper's Axiom A3 (inverse scaling for series impedance) are the same axiom in different notation. The Double Cover Principle (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18895462) — S + d^2 = 1 as a geometric constraint from fiber bundle structure No Parallel Lines: The Non-Decoupling Theorem (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18754646) — Exclusion of parallel geodesics on curved manifolds. The direct precedent for this paper's central claim: just as parallel lines are excluded from curved geometry, zero is excluded from connection-based arithmetic. The Bra Strap Principle (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18827805) — Fiber bundle gauge theory applied to structural topology Keywords foundations of mathematics, natural numbers, zero, Riemannian geometry, fiber bundles, Davis Field Equations, relational ontology, non-Euclidean arithmetic, geometric counting, Peano axioms, connection map, graph theory, commutative monoid, mathematical structuralism Files zero_paper.pdf — The paper (14 pages, LaTeX-compiled) zero_paper.tex — LaTeX source Citation Davis, B.R. (2026). Zero Does Not Exist: A Geometric Foundation for the Natural Numbers. Zenodo. DOI: [pending] License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Insider threats pose a persistent and evolving challenge to contemporary software ecosystems, where privileged users can exploit access for malicious purposes, often evading traditional perimeter-based defences. This paper introduces a novel hybrid framework that synergistically integrates zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) and behavioural analytics to detect and mitigate such threats with enhanced privacy and precision. ZKPs enable secure authentication and data verification without revealing sensitive information, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR while thwarting unauthorized access. Complementarily, our behavioural analytics engine employs advanced machine learning models, including graph neural networks and unsupervised anomaly detection (e.g., isolation forests), to profile user behaviours across software pipelines, identifying deviations indicative of insider malice. The proposed architecture is deployed in a microservices-based ecosystem, demonstrating scalability via containerized components on Kubernetes. Extensive evaluations on benchmark datasets (e.g., CERT Insider Threat) and simulated enterprise environments yield a 95% detection accuracy, with 40% fewer false positives than state-of-the-art methods like UEBA systems. Latency remains under 50ms for real-time operations, preserving performance in high-throughput scenarios. Our framework outperforms baselines by 25% in F1-score, validated through rigorous ablation studies. By bridging cryptographic privacy with AI-driven intelligence, this work advances proactive security for modern software, offering deployable solutions against sophisticated insiders. Future extensions explore quantum-resistant ZKPs for post-quantum resilience.
This thesis, submitted at the Institute for Law and Finance at Goethe University Frankfurt, provides a critical legal and technological analysis of the effectiveness of the Financial Action Task Force framework in addressing money laundering risks arising from decentralized finance. It examines how decentralized blockchain-based systems fundamentally challenge the assumptions underlying traditional anti-money laundering regulation.The study argues that FATF Recommendations, originally designed for centralized financial systems, are structurally incompatible with decentralized architectures that operate without identifiable intermediaries such as Virtual Asset Service Providers. Through an integrated legal and technological assessment, the research demonstrates how privacy-enhancing tools, including non-custodial wallets, cryptocurrency mixers, zero-knowledge proof mechanisms, and cross-chain bridges, obscure ownership trails and significantly impair regulatory oversight.While these technologies are designed to enhance user privacy, they simultaneously enable sophisticated money laundering techniques, including chain hopping, transaction obfuscation, and the untraceable movement of assets across blockchain networks. The thesis further identifies critical regulatory gaps in the application of core FATF standards, particularly in relation to customer due diligence, beneficial ownership transparency, and the implementation of the Travel Rule.A case study of Bosnia and Herzegovina illustrates the practical consequences of fragmented regulatory implementation. Divergent adoption of FATF standards across its entities reflects the broader “Sunrise Issue,” whereby asynchronous global implementation of the Travel Rule generates cross-border inconsistencies and enforcement challenges.To address these structural deficiencies, the thesis proposes a reinterpretation of FATF standards based on the principle of functional equivalence, extending AML obligations to any actor or protocol exercising effective control over financial transactions, irrespective of formal legal classification. It further advocates for the integration of RegTech, tokenization, and machine learning as tools to reconcile regulatory oversight with technological innovation.The research concludes that the current FATF framework remains fundamentally misaligned with the operational realities of decentralized finance. Ensuring the continued integrity of the global financial system will require the adoption of technologically adaptive, risk-based, and internationally coordinated regulatory approaches. Only through such innovation can AML enforcement remain effective in an increasingly decentralized digital economy.
Faithful, Stable, Complete: Pick Two The Problem in Plain Language When a machine learning model makes a prediction — approving a loan, diagnosing a disease, flagging a transaction — practitioners use a tool called SHAP to answer "which input features mattered most?" SHAP is the most widely used explanation method in machine learning. Here is the problem: retrain the same model on the same data with a different random seed, and the explanation changes. The model's predictions barely move, but the "most important feature" can flip entirely. In 68% of 77 public datasets, the top feature is not stable across retrains. This is not a software bug. This is not fixable by tuning hyperparameters. We prove it is a mathematical impossibility. What We Prove No feature ranking can simultaneously be: Faithful — it reflects what the model actually learned Stable — it doesn't change when you retrain Complete — it ranks every pair of features …when features are correlated with similar importance. You must give up one. The proof is four lines long. It requires no assumptions about the model, the data, or the explanation method — only that correlated features admit models ranking them in opposite orders (the Rashomon property), which is true for every standard ML algorithm. How Bad Is It? We trained 50 XGBoost models on Breast Cancer Wisconsin — the dataset used in every SHAP tutorial — and counted how many different "top 3 most important features" appeared. Twenty-four. At 100 models: thirty-five. The "most common" answer appeared in only 12% of runs. Two randomly chosen models agree on the top-3 only 4.2% of the time. Every tutorial, textbook, and blog post showing SHAP on this dataset is showing one of two dozen equally valid answers. Three other datasets (California Housing, Heart Disease, Wine Quality) produce exactly one ranking every time — because their top features have clearly different importance. The theory correctly predicts which datasets are affected and which are safe. Dataset Distinct top-3 rankings (50 models) Two models agree? Breast Cancer 24 4.2% Diabetes 2 88.5% Wine Quality 1 100% (stable) Heart Disease 1 100% (stable) California Housing 1 100% (stable) It Gets Worse for Yes/No Questions For ranking questions (which feature is MORE important?), there is a fix: average across multiple models. But for binary questions — "does this feature contribute positively or negatively?", "is this feature selected?" — no fix exists. Even averaging doesn't help, because there's no middle ground between "positive" and "negative." We call this the bilemma. Real-World Consequences For loan applicants. We trained 30 models on German Credit data. Under standard settings, 45% of applicants receive a different "most important reason" for their decision depending on which model happens to be deployed. One applicant received six different top reasons across 30 models. For biomarker discovery. On a dataset of 10,935 genes distinguishing colon from kidney tissue, the "#1 most important gene" alternates between TSPAN8 (involved in tumor invasion) and CEACAM5/CEA (involved in immune evasion) depending on the random seed. A drug discovery pipeline targeting one gene makes a different bet than one targeting the other — and which bet gets made depends on a random number. For fairness audits. A SHAP-based audit checking whether a model relies on a protected attribute (like race or gender) reaches its conclusion with the reliability of a coin flip when the protected attribute is correlated with other features. The Fix DASH (Diversified Aggregation for Stable Hypotheses): train 25 models with different seeds, average their SHAP values. This is provably the best possible approach — no method can do better. Features that genuinely differ in importance get stable rankings. Features that are interchangeable get reported as tied, which is the honest answer. We also provide a 7-line diagnostic that identifies which features are at risk, requiring no statistical expertise and no assumptions about the data distribution. It outperforms the standard formula by 2× on real data. The practical workflow: Screen your model (1 model, seconds) Run the minority fraction diagnostic (7 lines of code) For flagged features, train 5 models and run a Z-test If unstable, use DASH with 25+ models Machine Verification Every mathematical claim is checked by a computer. The proofs are written in Lean 4 (a programming language for mathematics) and verified by its type-checker: 357 theorems, all machine-verified 6 axioms (the minimal assumptions the theory needs) Zero unproved claims across 58 files During the formalization, the computer caught two logical errors and one type mismatch that human reviewers missed. To our knowledge, this is the first formally verified impossibility result in explainable AI. Technical Details Architecture-dependent bounds Gradient boosting (XGBoost, LightGBM): instability diverges as correlation increases. At ρ = 0.9, the dominant feature gets 5× its fair share. Lasso: the ratio is infinite — one correlated feature gets everything, the other gets zero. Neural networks: 87% of feature pairs are unstable. Model instability dominates SHAP estimation noise by 8:1. Random forests: instability converges with more trees — the contrast case showing that parallel (not sequential) training helps. Cross-implementation. XGBoost, LightGBM, and Random Forest all show the same instability pattern. It is not specific to any one software package. Subsample sensitivity. Even at subsample = 0.95 (minimal randomness), 17 distinct rankings remain. Only fully deterministic training (subsample = 1.0) produces one ranking — but this sacrifices the regularization that makes the model accurate. Mechanistic interpretability. Preliminary evidence suggests the impossibility extends beyond feature importance to neural network circuit analysis. 10 transformers trained on modular addition (all achieving 100% accuracy) agree on only 36% of the top-3 circuit components. Design Space The achievable set of explanation methods has exactly two families: Family A (single model): faithful and complete, but unstable. Rankings flip up to 50% of the time. This is what standard SHAP does. Family B (DASH ensemble): faithful and stable, but reports ties for indistinguishable features. This is what DASH does. No third option exists. DASH is provably the best method in Family B. Associated Papers Companion paper (TMLR, under review). First-Mover Bias in Gradient Boosting Explanations: Mechanism, Detection, and Resolution.arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.22346DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19446088 Companion implementation: https://github.com/DrakeCaraker/dash-shap
Proof of Concept on the β-Catenin/TCF4 Interface in Wnt-Driven Oncogenesis and Gardner Syndrome Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) govern nearly every biological signalling pathway, yet their large, flat contact surfaces have resisted conventional drug design for decades. Existing computational approaches either require prohibitive molecular simulation resources or prior knowledge of a reference inhibitor—barriers that have left many therapeutically important targets inaccessible. This repository presents GeoSol-αα, a two-stage computational pipeline that generates macrocyclic drug scaffolds against PPI surfaces from first principles—without molecular dynamics simulation, without a crystallographic inhibitor reference, and without prior chemical knowledge of the target. The engine couples deterministic rigid-body SO(3) Fibonacci sampling with directed chemical evolution (genetic algorithms). In milliseconds, the pipeline successfully converged on a novel: 15-atom macrocyclic scaffold (1,4-dioxacyclopentadecane) that achieves a thermodynamic optimum with zero desolvation penalty against the β-catenin interface. This repository establishes formal prior art for both the identified chemical entity and the underlying high-throughput methodology.
Abdullah Abdullah, Nida Hafeez, Maryam Shabbir, Muhammad Ateeb Ather · 6 authors
The integration of blockchain technology with the Internet of Things (IoT) presents a paradigm shift in securing decentralized networks, yet it introduces critical trade-offs among security, privacy, and scalability. This systematic analytical review examines the inherent tensions within blockchain-enabled IoT systems, focusing on how consensus mechanisms, cryptographic primitives, and architectural choices affect these three pillars. Through a comprehensive analysis of the contemporary literature, we identify that no single blockchain configuration simultaneously optimizes security, privacy, and scalability. Instead, these properties exist in a triadic relationship where enhancing one dimension typically compromises at least one other. Our review categorizes existing solutions based on their approach to balancing these trade-offs, including sharding, layer-2 protocols, zero-knowledge proofs, and hybrid architectures. We further analyze the applicability of these solutions across different IoT domains, identifying context-specific optimal configurations. The findings reveal that while significant progress has been made in addressing individual challenges, integrated frameworks that holistically consider all three dimensions remain underdeveloped. This review contributes a novel analytical framework for evaluating blockchain–IoT systems and identifies critical research directions, including adaptive consensus mechanisms, privacy-preserving scalability solutions, and domain-specific architectural patterns. Unlike prior studies that primarily focus on conceptual discussions of blockchain–IoT integration, this work synthesizes insights from systematically reviewed literature to propose a conceptual lightweight blockchain framework tailored for resource-constrained IoT environments. This study combines a SLR with a conceptual and experimentally evaluated framework, where the review findings and the proposed solution are presented as distinct but complementary contributions.