Volumes of the Report K* Series
A Publishing Series of Systemic Analyses
Report K* is a publishing series of the Sir Roger Penrose Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences devoted to the analysis of complex systems, critical thresholds, systemic tension, stabilising potential and transitions between different regimes of coherence.
Each volume is a self-contained analytical publication focused on one selected political, social, technological, institutional, strategic or civilisational problem.
The series does not treat visible events as isolated facts.
It examines the deeper structures that make those events possible: the accumulation of tension, the weakening or strengthening of corrective mechanisms, the distribution of resources, the role of narratives, institutional delays, feedback loops and weak signals that may precede a change in the system’s mode of operation.
What Makes Report K* Different?
Most analytical reports begin with events.
They describe actors, decisions, interests, data, risks and possible scenarios. They ask what is happening, who is gaining influence and what may happen next.
Report K* begins one step earlier.
It asks whether the system is still capable of responding to events in the same way as before.
It examines whether tensions are still being absorbed by institutions, regulation, competition, pluralism and other stabilising mechanisms, or whether the system is approaching a threshold beyond which not only its parameters change, but its mode of operation changes as well.
The K* model is not a model of panic, but a model of equilibrium.
It does not classify technologies, institutions, companies, political actors or social processes as inherently “good” or “bad”. It examines the relation between destabilising tension and the stabilising potential of the system.
A system is not destabilised merely by the existence of strong actors, technological acceleration, conflict, concentration or high volatility.
It is destabilised when it loses the capacity to correct, disperse, regulate or balance those forces.
The K* threshold appears when the mechanisms that should counterbalance tension cease to function effectively — or begin to reinforce what they were intended to limit.
For this reason, Report K* is not a conventional policy paper, a journalistic commentary or a collection of future scenarios.
It is an analytical framework for identifying the structure of systemic transition.
From Events to Threshold Dynamics
The social sciences provide essential knowledge about actors, institutions, historical contexts, political interests and social behaviour.
Report K* does not replace these methods.
It adds another analytical layer: the study of threshold dynamics.
This layer becomes especially important when a system does not simply experience pressure, but begins to change the way in which it processes pressure.
The central question is therefore not only:
What will happen next?
It is also:
Will the system still be able to respond to what happens next without losing coherence?
What Each Volume Contains
Depending on its subject and function, a volume may include:
- a main systemic analysis;
- an operational model of tension and stabilisation;
- quantitative forecasts;
- scenario analysis;
- conditions of falsification;
- feedback-loop analysis;
- diagnostic matrices;
- weak signals;
- threshold indicators;
- recommendations for monitoring;
- an analytical article developing one selected theoretical problem;
- an extended bibliography and data sources.
Regular volumes develop the permanent analytical programme of the series and retain a recognisable modular structure.
Special volumes are monographic publications focused on one problem that requires continuous and in-depth analysis.
Both types of volumes are full expert analytical publications. They differ in structure and function, not in analytical standard.
Methodology
All volumes are prepared within the K* model developed by the Sir Roger Penrose Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences.
The model examines the relation between systemic tension and stabilising potential, with particular attention to critical thresholds, coherence loss, fragmentation, demobilisation, apparent agency, institutional overload and transitions into new regimes of operation.
A detailed description of the methodology is available on the Institute’s methodology page:
[Read about the methodology of the Institute]
Access, Subscriptions, Licences and Support Programmes
Volumes of the Report K* series may be purchased individually or accessed through selected subscription packages and licensing models.
The appropriate access model depends not only on who purchases the publication, but also on how the report will be used: for individual reading, professional expert work, institutional analysis, teaching, library access, team use or strategic decision-making.
Subscriptions define the period of access and the number of volumes included in a package. Licences define who may use the publication and within what scope.
Readers, experts, institutions, libraries, research teams and organisations are therefore encouraged to review the available access models before purchasing a volume.
View prices, licences and subscription packages for Report K*
Check which licence terms apply to you
The Institute also operates purpose funds and support programmes that may provide partial co-financing of access to selected publications, licences and subscription packages.
These programmes are not commercial discounts or promotional campaigns. They are statutory mechanisms intended to support access to knowledge and systemic analysis where such access may serve scientific, educational, research, analytical, institutional or public-interest purposes.
Learn more about purpose funds and support programmes
Volumes of the Report K* Series
The Report K* series is divided into regular volumes and special volumes.
Regular volumes develop the permanent analytical programme of the series and retain a recognisable modular structure. Special volumes are monographic publications devoted to selected problems requiring continuous and in-depth analysis.
Full descriptions, tables of contents, available formats, language versions, licence conditions and access options are provided directly on the product pages in the Institute’s store.
The titles listed below link to the electronic PDF editions, which serve as the main product pages for each volume. Where available, printed editions are presented as related products on the corresponding product pages.
Regular Volumes
Special Volumes
English Editions
- Can Technological Concentration Cross the Threshold of Democratic Destabilisation? Case Study: Elon Musk (free demonstration volume)
- The Coherence Threshold of the Quantum Computer (forthcoming)
- Europe Without a Guardian (forthcoming)
- Threshold of Apparent Agency Parliamentary Fragmentation, Erosion of Governance, and Escalation Risk in Poland Before the 2027 Parliamentary Election
- Demobilisation Threshold. The Russian Narrative of a NATO Threat as a Mechanism for Limiting European Support for Ukraine
- The Threshold of Lost Trust (forthcoming)
Polish Editions
- Czy koncentracja technologiczna może przekroczyć próg destabilizacji demokracji? Studium przypadku: Elon Musk (free demonstration volume)
- Próg koherencji komputera kwantowego(forthcoming)
- Europa bez strażnika (forthcoming)
A Series for Readers Who Need More Than Commentary
Report K* is intended for public institutions, analytical and strategic units, universities, libraries, think tanks, research teams, technology companies, experts, journalists, independent researchers and readers interested in the long-term dynamics of complex systems.
The series is designed for readers who need more than a description of events.
It is intended for those who need to understand the conditions under which events begin to change the system itself.