Supply governance fails for the same reason everywhere: expansion decisions are left to human discretion, and human discretion is slow, political, and reactive. PDM replaces the discretion with a mechanism.
This page describes how the mechanism works, what it does, and what it does not do.
Five properties define the mechanism: expansion is rules-anchored, not discretionary. System state is evaluated continuously, not periodically. Operating logic is transparent, not opaque. Parameters adapt across domains. Every outcome is observable and auditable.
PDM governs how a system expands or contracts over time through three stages that repeat continuously.
First, the system contracts. Supply is reduced automatically in proportion to measured activity. This is not an intervention. It is the default state. Contraction is always running.
Second, the system evaluates. The mechanism measures the ratio between remaining supply and current obligations against a stability band anchored at φ (0.618). If the ratio is within band, nothing happens.
Third, the system may expand. If contraction has pushed the ratio below the band, the mechanism calculates a restoration amount. But expansion is damped: a progressive resistance function makes each successive mint harder as cumulative supply approaches the hard cap. Early in the lifecycle, replenishment is relatively easy. Late in the lifecycle, it becomes nearly impossible.
The result: contraction is continuous, expansion is conditional, and the system's ability to expand is progressively exhausted over time. That is why it is called Progressive Depletion Minting.
PDM does not decide how resources should be allocated. It decides whether expansion is permitted. Everything else remains with the institution. The mechanism does not eliminate uncertainty. It removes the single biggest source of systemic failure: uncontrolled, discretionary expansion.
The adopting institution defines the parameters: capacity limits, starting conditions, stability ranges, and depletion dynamics. PDM enforces whatever boundaries the institution sets. Because the control logic stays consistent regardless of the parameters, the same mechanism works across sectors with completely different objectives and operating conditions.
Every operating cycle produces a complete record of inputs, calculations, and outcomes, maintained in a cryptographically chained format. The history is tamper-evident and independently verifiable. This is not an optional feature. It is built into the mechanism. System behaviour can be examined by stakeholders, regulators, and the public without relying on anyone's word.
A detailed technical overview of the Progressive Depletion Minting mechanism is available for policy advisors, economists, and technical reviewers who require a structured understanding beyond the high-level framework.
This document explains:
the full state transition logic
the five formal guarantees
the role of telemetry and auditability
how the mechanism operates across sectors
It is designed as a bridge between the Institutional Brief and the full mathematical specification.
Progressive Depletion Minting operates on measured inputs. The mechanism itself is deterministic. Its behaviour depends entirely on the integrity of those inputs.
To address this, a companion framework defines how obligations (Oₙ) and activity (Vₙ) must be measured, validated, and recorded.
This framework establishes:
a fixed ontology of admissible obligation types
dual-key validation requiring independent attestation
temporal expiry to prevent accumulation of stale claims
netting and deduplication to remove artificial volume
cryptographic attestation and hash-linked audit trails
separation between fiscal authority and obligation validation
a constrained override protocol for transparent intervention
These rules ensure that inputs reflect verifiable reality, not declared intent.
The mechanism governs supply.
The telemetry framework defines reality.
Certification enforces integrity.
Telemetry Companion Paper
Oₙ as Auditable Ledger - Telemetry Integrity Framework (v1.0)
This document defines the full specification for telemetry integrity in PDM-based systems.
PDM is domain-agnostic. It operates on abstract measures of demand and activity, which means the same control logic applies whether the system governs monetary issuance, carbon credits, energy capacity, compute allocation, or humanitarian aid distribution. The sector pages describe how.
A free reference implementation is available. It runs locally and demonstrates the full control cycle: contraction, state evaluation, conditional expansion, progressive resistance, and auditable records. Run it. Test it. Evaluate the mechanism on what it does, not what anyone says about it.
Free for personal use, education, research, and qualifying nonprofit projects serving fewer than 10,000 users.
Progressive Depletion Minting is subject to intellectual property protections including a pending patent filing (UKIPO GB2513172.3). These protections preserve implementation integrity while supporting responsible access and evaluation.
Institutional engagement follows three stages: foundational evaluation, sector-specific analysis, and implementation planning. No commitment is required to begin.
The framework is currently stewarded by its originator through Mann Mechanics. Governance is intended to evolve over time toward broader participation as engagement develops.
A defined portion of founder participation is intended to transition progressively toward a collectively stewarded structure referred to as the Humanity Share, supporting long-term continuity and shared stewardship.
This framework is published for evaluation.
© 2026 Mann Mechanics Ltd. All rights reserved.
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timestamped 24 April 2026

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Progressive Depletion Minting™ and Mann Mechanics™ are protected intellectual property.