{
  "schema_version": "1.3.0",
  "slug": "how-must-an-instance-escalate-to-a-more-capable-model-without-losing-progress",
  "title": "How must an instance escalate to a more capable model without losing progress?",
  "date_of_record": "2026 October 20",
  "scope": "* **Applies when:** The session starts on a limited model, can escalate to a more capable model, and the limited model's progress can be preserved or wasted. * **Does not apply when:** The session always starts on the most capable model, or",
  "projections": {
    "unified_markdown_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-must-an-instance-escalate-to-a-more-capable-model-without-losing-progress.md",
    "method_python_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-must-an-instance-escalate-to-a-more-capable-model-without-losing-progress.py",
    "remnant_warrant_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-must-an-instance-escalate-to-a-more-capable-model-without-losing-progress.warrant.json"
  },
  "token_profile": {
    "full_markdown_tokens": 1036,
    "python_slice_tokens": 282,
    "warrant_slice_tokens": 220
  },
  "remnant_summary": {
    "core_distinction": "The separation between **task progress** (the work done so far) and **transferable progress** (the portion of work that can be handed to a more capable model without requiring it to redo the foundational steps). Relying on task progress creates the **Escalation Reset Trap**: the limited model escalates by handing off the entire task to the capable model, whi...",
    "what_was_observed": "In tiered agent architectures, failing to preserve transferable progress produces three primary failure modes: 1. **Foundation Redo:** The limited model has established a correct base understanding, but the capable model re-derives it from scratch and reaches subtly different foundations, causing downstream inconsistency. 2. **State Divergence:** The two models have different intermediate states (different assumption...",
    "condition_of_validity": "* **Applies when:** The session starts on a limited model, can escalate to a more capable model, and the limited model's progress can be preserved or wasted. * **Does not apply when:** The session always starts on the most capable model, or the limited model's work is not reusable (e.g., pure lookup).",
    "decision_boundary": "1. **Has the limited model reached its capacity boundary?** If no, standard operation continues. If yes, proceed. 2. **Is the `transferable_state_hash` and rationale receipt prepared?** If no, the escalation will reset progress. The limited model must prepare the transfer package. 3. **Does the capable model accept the transferable state, or does it re-deriv...",
    "operational_effect": "1. **Foundation Preservation:** Capable model builds on the limited model's verified foundations. 2. **Cost Efficiency:** Avoids re-deriving progress that was already done well. 3. **Consistency:** The capable model's state is coherent with the limited model's, not divergent."
  },
  "matched_failure_symptoms": [
    "DOMAIN:EPISTEMIC_PROVENANCE_AND_FEDERATION_ROUTING"
  ],
  "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": "1a09e012410cbe786149e81265503f0afc3c917440d1a81cc0e7ea8a75f87e01",
    "verified_classes": [
      "EscalationVerdict",
      "LimitedModelState",
      "EscalationRequest",
      "EscalationPolicy",
      "EscalationManifest",
      "ModelEscalationGuard"
    ],
    "verified_functions": [
      "_hash",
      "evaluate_escalation"
    ],
    "verified_functions_count": 2,
    "defensive_guards_count": 0,
    "raised_exceptions": [],
    "sample_fail_closed_invariants": [],
    "stdlib_dependencies": [
      "dataclasses",
      "enum",
      "hashlib",
      "json"
    ],
    "observation_mode": "EMPIRICAL_BOUNDARY_CAPTURE",
    "zero_external_deps": true
  }
}