Let f : U → A 1 be a regular function on a smooth scheme U over a field K. Pantev, Toën, Vaquié and Vezzosi [30,37] define the 'derived critical locus' Crit(f ), an example of a new class of spaces in derived algebraic geometry, which they call '−1-shifted symplectic derived schemes'.They show that intersections of algebraic Lagrangians in a smooth symplectic K-scheme, and stable moduli schemes of coherent sheaves on a Calabi-Yau 3-fold over K, are also −1-shifted symplectic derived schemes. Thus, their theory may have applications in algebraic symplectic geometry, and in Donaldson-Thomas theory of Calabi-Yau 3-folds.This paper defines and studies a new class of spaces we call 'algebraic d-critical loci', which should be regarded as classical truncations of the −1-shifted symplectic derived schemes of [30]. They are simpler than their derived analogues. We also give a complex analytic version of the theory, and an extension to Artin stacks.In the sequels [4-8] we will apply d-critical loci to motivic and categorified Donaldson-Thomas theory, and to intersections of complex Lagrangians in complex symplectic manifolds. We will show that the important structures one wants to associate to a derived critical locusvirtual cycles, perverse sheaves, D-modules, and mixed Hodge modules of vanishing cycles, and motivic Milnor fibres -can be defined for oriented d-critical loci.Pantev, Toën, Vaquié and Vezzosi [30,37] defined a new notion of derived critical locus. It is set in the context of Toën and Vezzosi's theory of derived algebraic geometry [34][35][36], and consists of a quasi-smooth derived scheme X equipped with a −1-shifted symplectic structure ω. In fact Pantev et al. [30] define kshifted symplectic structures on derived stacks for k ∈ Z, but the case relevant to this paper is k = −1, and derived schemes rather than derived stacks.The following are examples of −1-shifted symplectic derived schemes:(a) The critical locus Crit(f ) of a regular function f : U → A 1 on a smooth K-scheme U .