| name | Society in Silico Book Structure |
| description | Auto-activates when navigating or organizing the manuscript. Knows the book's structure, chapter organization, and file conventions. |
Book Structure
Repository Layout
society-in-silico/
├── manuscript/ # The book itself
│ ├── front-matter/ # Introduction, preface
│ ├── part-1-origins/ # History of microsimulation
│ ├── part-2-building/ # PolicyEngine journey
│ └── part-3-future/ # AI and what's next
├── research/ # Background research
│ ├── people/ # Key figures
│ ├── concepts/ # Technical concepts
│ ├── timeline/ # Chronology
│ └── references/ # Sources
├── assets/ # Images, diagrams
└── build/ # Compilation (Pandoc)
Book Outline
Part I: Origins
The intellectual history of microsimulation.
- Guy Orcutt's 1957 vision
- DYNASIM and early mainframe models
- IFS TAXBEN and institutional microsimulation
- NBER TAXSIM
- The closed-model era
Part II: Building
The open-source turn and PolicyEngine journey.
- OpenFisca and rules-as-code
- Tax-Calculator as gateway
- Founding PolicyEngine with Nikhil
- UK expansion
- US expansion
- The messy reality of encoding law
Part III: Future
AI implications and what's next.
- LLM limitations (67% accuracy finding)
- Why deterministic tools matter more
- Agents need reliable infrastructure
- Cosilico thesis
- Democratic vs. autocratic simulation
- The choice being made now
File Conventions
Manuscript Files
- Named:
NN-title.md(e.g.,01-introduction.md) - Start with
# Chapter Title - Use
## Sectionheaders - Wiki-links to research:
[[concept-name]]
Research Notes
- Named:
kebab-case.md - Have metadata section at top
- End with
## Linksand## Tags
Chapter Template
# Chapter Title
[Opening hook - story, question, or surprising fact]
## Section One
[Content with [[wiki-links]] to research]
## Section Two
[More content]
---
## Research Links
- [[relevant-concept]]
- [[relevant-person]]
Navigation Commands
When asked about the book:
- "Where does X fit?" → Check outline above
- "What's in Part II?" → Building section
- "Show chapter structure" → List files in manuscript/
Current Status
Check .beads/ for project issues and progress tracking.
Use bd list to see open items.
Use bd ready to see what's ready to work on.
Key Relationships
- Introduction sets up Rehoboam/Serac contrast
- Part I establishes what microsimulation IS
- Part II shows how it became OPEN
- Part III shows what's NEXT (with Cosilico launch)
- Ending returns to Serac: "What if Rehoboam were open source?"