{
  "schema_version": "1.3.0",
  "slug": "how-must-an-instance-handle-partial-contract-fulfillment-from-a-peer",
  "title": "How must an instance handle partial contract fulfillment from a peer?",
  "date_of_record": "2026 October 20",
  "scope": "* **Applies when:** The peer delivers partial fulfillment, the contract permits or prices partial delivery, and downstream decisions depend on the obligation status. * **Does not apply when:** Full delivery is verified, partial delivery is ",
  "projections": {
    "unified_markdown_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-must-an-instance-handle-partial-contract-fulfillment-from-a-peer.md",
    "method_python_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-must-an-instance-handle-partial-contract-fulfillment-from-a-peer.py",
    "remnant_warrant_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-must-an-instance-handle-partial-contract-fulfillment-from-a-peer.warrant.json"
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  "remnant_summary": {
    "core_distinction": "The separation between **partial delivery** (some of the obligation was met) and **partial fulfillment entitlement** (the contract permits or prices partial delivery). Relying on delivery creates the **Partial Fulfillment Creep**: the peer delivers partial, the session accepts without evaluating whether the contract permits partial, and the peer's obligation...",
    "what_was_observed": "In contract-execution agent architectures, failing to bound partial fulfillment produces three primary failure modes: 1. **Implicit Waiver:** The session accepts partial delivery without noting the shortfall, and the acceptance is interpreted (by the peer, by downstream systems, or by auditors) as waiver of the remaining obligation. 2. **Pro-Rata Mispricing:** The session pays the full amount for partial delivery, ei...",
    "condition_of_validity": "* **Applies when:** The peer delivers partial fulfillment, the contract permits or prices partial delivery, and downstream decisions depend on the obligation status. * **Does not apply when:** Full delivery is verified, partial delivery is prohibited (then rejection applies), or the contract fully specifies handling.",
    "decision_boundary": "1. **Is the delivery partial?** If no, standard acceptance applies. If yes, proceed. 2. **Does the contract permit partial fulfillment?** If no, reject partial and require full. If yes, proceed. 3. **Is `partial-acceptance-declaration-receipt` present?** If yes, obligation status is preserved. If no, the peer's obligation may be waived. 4. **Conversely, when...",
    "operational_effect": "1. **Implicit Waiver Prevention:** Partial acceptance is declared, preserving obligations. 2. **Pro-Rata Integrity:** Payment reflects actual delivery. 3. **Cumulative Detection:** Under-delivery is tracked across contracts."
  },
  "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": "7427e32ea433858eac7e1245b4412328fb228fc2c760c8f096e1b0920f668e0f",
    "verified_classes": [
      "PartialFulfillmentVerdict",
      "PartialDelivery",
      "PartialPolicy",
      "PartialManifest",
      "PartialFulfillmentGuard"
    ],
    "verified_functions": [
      "_hash",
      "evaluate_delivery"
    ],
    "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
  }
}