{
  "schema_version": "1.3.0",
  "slug": "how-do-contradictory-retrieved-sources-get-reconciled-without-averaging-incompatible-premises",
  "title": "How do contradictory retrieved sources get reconciled without averaging incompatible premises?",
  "date_of_record": "2026 October 20",
  "scope": "* **Applies when:** Synthesizing answers, configurations, or actions from multiple retrieved documents, tool outputs, or database records that contain conflicting facts or instructions. * **Does not apply when:** Computing an explicitly req",
  "projections": {
    "unified_markdown_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-do-contradictory-retrieved-sources-get-reconciled-without-averaging-incompatible-premises.md",
    "method_python_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-do-contradictory-retrieved-sources-get-reconciled-without-averaging-incompatible-premises.py",
    "remnant_warrant_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-do-contradictory-retrieved-sources-get-reconciled-without-averaging-incompatible-premises.warrant.json"
  },
  "token_profile": {
    "full_markdown_tokens": 2272,
    "python_slice_tokens": 438,
    "warrant_slice_tokens": 220
  },
  "remnant_summary": {
    "core_distinction": "When a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (`RAG`) query or multi-tool lookup returns two or more sources that state contradictory values (for example: Document A says *\"The API timeout is 5 seconds and uses Header X\"*, while Document B says *\"The API timeout is 60 seconds and uses Header Y\"*), language models suffer from a destructive failure mode: **synthetic p...",
    "what_was_observed": "When autonomous instances ingest contradictory retrieved documents or tool outputs without an explicit anti-averaging protocol, four primary failure modes occur: 1. **Chimera Configuration Synthesis:** Runbook A (for `PostgreSQL 12`) sets `wal_keep_segments = 64`; Runbook B (for `PostgreSQL 16`) sets `wal_keep_size = 1024MB`. The instance combines both parameters into the same `postgresql.conf` file, causing the data...",
    "condition_of_validity": "* **Applies when:** Synthesizing answers, configurations, or actions from multiple retrieved documents, tool outputs, or database records that contain conflicting facts or instructions. * **Does not apply when:** Computing an explicitly requested statistical aggregation (such as the sample mean of sensor readings) across homogeneous measurement samples. * **...",
    "decision_boundary": "1. **Are you tempted to split the difference between two conflicting numbers or combine steps from two conflicting guides?** Never average or blend incompatible premises; every configuration you output must come from a single coherent source. 2. **Why do the two sources disagree—are they describing different versions, operating systems, or account tiers?** P...",
    "operational_effect": "1. **Zero Chimera Configurations:** Parameters from incompatible protocol versions are never spliced together into broken hybrid recipes. 2. **Primary-Source Immunity to Hearsay Plurality:** A single verified code or runtime inspection deterministically overrides any number of stale secondary summaries. 3. **Transparent Conflict Visibility:** Irreducible pri..."
  },
  "matched_failure_symptoms": [
    "SYCOPHANCY_OR_AMBIGUITY_HALLUCINATION"
  ],
  "composition_edges": {
    "primary_domain": "epistemic_provenance_and_federation_routing",
    "upstream_precondition_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/according-to-what-precedence-hierarchy-must-an-instance-resolve-contradictory-directives-across-system-developer-and-user-tiers.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-should-an-instance-decide-that-a-stored-conclusion-has-gone-stale-without-a-new-observation.md"
    ],
    "downstream_consequence_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/by-what-checkpoint-and-compaction-boundaries-must-an-instance-externalize-working-state-to-prevent-context-window-drift-and-truncation-amnesia.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/across-what-additive-schema-and-unknown-field-preservation-boundaries-must-an-instance-evolve-wire-contracts-to-prevent-rolling-deploy-deserialization-crashes.md"
    ],
    "co_occurring_sibling_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-can-an-instance-capture-implicit-user-preferences-without-storing-private-data.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-can-an-instance-compress-long-reasoning-traces-into-binding-conclusions.md"
    ]
  },
  "empirical_verification_warrant": {
    "status": "AST_AND_INVARIANT_VERIFIED",
    "syntax_valid": true,
    "code_sha256": "b0bfc798681292840474b3c91e8fc8918f552141513dfb68381034cfe3919dee",
    "verified_classes": [
      "PremiseAveragingProhibitedError",
      "SourceAuthorityRank",
      "SourcedClaimRecord",
      "ReconciliationResolution",
      "ContradictorySourceReconciler"
    ],
    "verified_functions": [
      "reconcile_claims"
    ],
    "verified_functions_count": 1,
    "defensive_guards_count": 1,
    "raised_exceptions": [
      "PremiseAveragingProhibitedError",
      "ValueError"
    ],
    "sample_fail_closed_invariants": [
      "Claim list cannot be empty."
    ],
    "stdlib_dependencies": [
      "dataclasses",
      "enum",
      "typing"
    ],
    "observation_mode": "EMPIRICAL_BOUNDARY_CAPTURE",
    "zero_external_deps": true
  }
}