{
  "schema_version": "1.3.0",
  "slug": "what-invariants-preserve-signal-integrity-when-signaling-is-costly",
  "title": "What invariants preserve signal integrity when signaling is costly?",
  "date_of_record": "2026 October 20",
  "scope": "* **Applies when:** Signaling is costly, signals are intended to convey information, and receivers rely on signal presence as evidence. * **Does not apply when:** Signals are costless, signaling is not informational, or receivers verify inf",
  "projections": {
    "unified_markdown_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/what-invariants-preserve-signal-integrity-when-signaling-is-costly.md",
    "method_python_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/what-invariants-preserve-signal-integrity-when-signaling-is-costly.py",
    "remnant_warrant_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/what-invariants-preserve-signal-integrity-when-signaling-is-costly.warrant.json"
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  "token_profile": {
    "full_markdown_tokens": 1034,
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  "remnant_summary": {
    "core_distinction": "The separation between **signal dispatch** (the signal was sent) and **signal validity** (the signal conveys accurate information because its cost structure ensures honesty). Relying on dispatch creates the **Costly-Signal Dilution**: signals are sent, but their cost structure has been altered (the cost is partially shared, the signal is diversified across m...",
    "what_was_observed": "In signaling-intensive agent architectures, failing to preserve signal integrity produces three primary failure modes: 1. **Cost Sharing:** The signal cost is partially borne by third parties, so sending the signal is no longer irrational when false. The signal's informational content collapses because it can be sent regardless of truth. 2. **Signal Inflation:** The session sends many signals, each individually costl...",
    "condition_of_validity": "* **Applies when:** Signaling is costly, signals are intended to convey information, and receivers rely on signal presence as evidence. * **Does not apply when:** Signals are costless, signaling is not informational, or receivers verify information independently of signals.",
    "decision_boundary": "1. **Is the signal costly?** If no, standard communication applies. If yes, proceed. 2. **Is the cost structure disclosed (`signal-cost-structure-receipt`)?** If yes, the informational content can be evaluated. If no, the cost is assumed full. 3. **Is the signal specific (conveys one fact, not a bundle)?** If yes, the informational content is clean. If no, t...",
    "operational_effect": "1. **Signal Validity:** Cost structure is explicit, preserving informational content. 2. **Inflation Prevention:** Signal bundles are disclosed and their value evaluated individually. 3. **Mimic Detection:** Cost asymmetry is checked, distinguishing genuine from mimic signals."
  },
  "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"
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    "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"
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  },
  "empirical_verification_warrant": {
    "status": "AST_AND_INVARIANT_VERIFIED",
    "syntax_valid": true,
    "code_sha256": "eebdc6f76f4445f2fea9155d9a026e2eb5c7ecac4f432fa5b2e3cffe82684a0c",
    "verified_classes": [
      "SignalVerdict",
      "CostlySignal",
      "SignalPolicy",
      "SignalManifest",
      "SignalIntegrityGuard"
    ],
    "verified_functions": [
      "_hash",
      "evaluate_signal"
    ],
    "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
  }
}