About Romulus

The Boundary Condition Theory

What if dark matter is not a substance but rather the "outline" of the cosmic painting? This novel perspective suggests that the gravitational effects we attribute to dark matter might actually emerge from how gravity behaves at the boundaries or edges of matter concentrations.

By modifying Einstein's equations with additional scalar fields or geometric terms, we can reproduce dark matter effects without requiring new particles. This approach could explain why direct detection experiments have consistently failed to find dark matter particles despite strong indirect evidence for their gravitational effects.

Our Mission

Romulus is an educational platform exploring alternative explanations for dark matter phenomena through modified gravity theories. The project provides interactive visualizations and in-depth explanations of different theoretical frameworks that challenge the standard dark matter particle model.

Our featured perspective reimagines dark matter not as discrete particles, but as a boundary condition or structural framework that defines how visible matter behaves—similar to how an artist outlines figures before filling in with color.

Theories We Explore

  • General Relativity + Effective Tensor Modifications
  • Emergent Gravity (Verlinde)
  • MOND and TeVeS
  • Scalar Field / f(R) Gravity
  • Quantum Gravity + Holographic Principle
  • Dark Matter as Boundary Condition
Explore All Theories

Why Haskell for Theoretical Physics

Romulus implements its physics models using Haskell, a pure functional programming language that offers unique advantages for theoretical physics:

  • Mathematical precision: Haskell's pure functions directly mirror mathematical equations, making implementations more faithful to theory
  • Type safety: Strong static typing prevents dimensional errors common in physics calculations
  • Reasoning clarity: The absence of side effects makes it easier to reason about complex physical models
  • Lazy evaluation: Allows for representation of infinite series and other mathematical structures important in physics
  • Academic adoption: Used at research institutions like CERN, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and various physics departments

These characteristics make Haskell particularly suitable for implementing the modified gravity models we explore, where mathematical precision and clear expression of complex ideas are paramount.

Tech Stack

Built with modern web technologies to provide an immersive educational experience:

  • Next.js with App Router
  • Tailwind CSS
  • shadcn/ui components
  • Three.js with @react-three/fiber and @react-three/drei
  • Framer Motion for animations
  • KaTeX for LaTeX math rendering
  • Haskell for physics model implementations