MNKY Math did not appear in an empty field.

It sits near existing theories, disciplines, methods, and practices that also study systems, behavior, incentives, measurement, decision-making, organizations, and human response.

The Neighborhood is where our neighbors live. It gathers the thinkers, frameworks, disciplines, and adjacent bodies of work that help locate or contextualize MNKY Math in relation to existing ideas.

These pages are not exhaustive summaries. They are orientation notes: what the idea is, why it matters to MNKY Math, where it overlaps, where it differs, and where to go deeper.

For more detail on how these pages are organized, see Using the Neighborhood.

Neighbor relationships

Neighbor pages associate each neighbor with a relationship description:

• Close neighbor — Directly overlaps with MNKY Math’s core territory.
• Bridge neighbor — Helps readers enter MNKY Math through a familiar idea or framework.
• Adjacent neighbor — Shares useful territory, but is not central to MNKY Math.
• Contrast neighbor — Clarifies MNKY Math by showing what it is not, questions, or extends beyond.
• Deep neighbor — Connects at a structural or philosophical level, even if less familiar.

Relationship map

Each neighbor page also includes a relationship map to show how the neighbor connects to other ideas:

• Closest twin — The most similar nearby idea.
• Clarifying contrast — An idea that helps sharpen the distinction.
• Mostly shaped by — A major influence, source, or underlying discipline.
• Helps explain — A concept, behavior, or system the neighbor makes easier to understand.