# Polaris

> Choose a first run, then learn the pieces of a Polaris agent.

Polaris is an open-source Rust framework for building agents from async functions connected by an explicit graph. You choose the reasoning loop, tools, memory and recovery behaviour.

These guides follow the **public Polaris repository** at [revision `5ff84646`](https://github.com/RadiantAILabs/polaris/tree/5ff84646db63589d58bf87956976d749b8c754de), whose workspace version is **0.6.0** and minimum Rust version is **1.97.0**. The examples below pin that revision so the API matches what you read. A crates.io release may differ from Git main.

## Start here

1. [Install the prerequisites](/docs/polaris/getting-started/installation.md).
2. [Run your first graph](/docs/polaris/getting-started/your-first-agent.md). It prints a greeting without an API key, then shows how to add one model call.
3. [Run the interactive file assistant](/docs/polaris/examples/react-cli.md) when you want tools and conversation history.
4. [Explore the ReAct implementation](/docs/polaris/guides/building-a-react-agent.md) and change its behaviour.

## Four concepts to learn

* **System:** an async function that does one piece of work. Its typed parameters declare the resources or earlier outputs it reads.
* **Graph:** the control flow connecting systems, including branches and bounded loops.
* **Resource:** configuration, a capability or state available to systems through an execution context.
* **Plugin:** startup wiring for resources, APIs and lifecycle behaviour.

A `Server` assembles plugins. A `GraphExecutor` runs a graph against a context. A server does not imply an HTTP service; HTTP is an optional plugin.

Once you have a working example, use [Systems](/docs/polaris/core-concepts/systems.md), [Graphs](/docs/polaris/core-concepts/graphs.md) and [Plugins](/docs/polaris/core-concepts/plugins.md) as references. You do not need to read every reference page before your first run.

## Polaris and Radiant Platform

Polaris builds and runs the agent. [Radiant Platform](/docs/platform.md) helps inspect its execution evidence and investigate failures. You can use Polaris locally without a Platform account.