The Taxonomy of Complexity: Phase-Coherent Systems in Resonant Coherence Field Theory (RCFT)

This work presents the Taxonomy of Complexity, a framework for understanding how systems — from particles and cells to ecosystems and societies — conserve and transform information. Built on the Fundamental Conservation of Information (FCI) and Resonant Coherence Field Theory (RCFT), the taxonomy introduces a set of cross-domain meta-axes that act like coordinates for diagnosing resilience, collapse thresholds, and adaptive capacity.

The toolkit is designed for both technical and general use: a “hard method” applies rigorous analysis, while a “soft method” translates results into clear, everyday phrasing. Applications are illustrated across physics, biology, ecology, cognition, technology, and governance.

Rather than a fixed law, this taxonomy is an open cartography of complexity, offering a shared language for research, education, and policy, and a practical instrument for exploring how coherence is sustained or lost across scales.