# What is a Mathematical Structure of Conscious Experience?

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.11812 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.11812/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 26 Jan 2023.

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Sources of Richness and Ineffability for Phenomenally Conscious States](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.06403/) (2023)
- [If consciousness is dynamically relevant, artificial intelligence isn't conscious](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.05077/) (2023)
- [Unambiguous Representations in Neural Networks: An Information-Theoretic Approach to Intentionality](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.11000/) (2025)
- [Categorical AI phenomenology: A first-person approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.20420/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In consciousness science, several promising approaches have been developed for how to represent conscious experience in terms of mathematical spaces and structures. What is missing, however, is an explicit definition of what a 'mathematical structure of conscious experience' is. Here, we propose such a definition. This definition provides a link between the abstract formal entities of mathematics and the concreta of conscious experience; it complements recent approaches that study quality spaces, qualia spaces or phenomenal spaces; it provides a general method to identify and investigate structures of conscious experience; and it may serve as a framework to unify the various approaches from different fields. We hope that ultimately this work provides a basis for developing a common formal language to study consciousness.