{
  "schema_version": "1.3.0",
  "slug": "what-invariants-prevent-semantic-versioning-from-masking-behavioral-incompatibility",
  "title": "What invariants prevent semantic versioning from masking behavioral incompatibility?",
  "date_of_record": "2026 October 20",
  "scope": "* **Applies when:** The session depends on versioned artifacts, upgrades follow version semantics, and behavioral compatibility matters. * **Does not apply when:** Artifacts are content-addressed (immutable), versions are pinned exactly, or",
  "projections": {
    "unified_markdown_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/what-invariants-prevent-semantic-versioning-from-masking-behavioral-incompatibility.md",
    "method_python_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/what-invariants-prevent-semantic-versioning-from-masking-behavioral-incompatibility.py",
    "remnant_warrant_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/what-invariants-prevent-semantic-versioning-from-masking-behavioral-incompatibility.warrant.json"
  },
  "token_profile": {
    "full_markdown_tokens": 1026,
    "python_slice_tokens": 302,
    "warrant_slice_tokens": 220
  },
  "remnant_summary": {
    "core_distinction": "The separation between **declared version semantics** (the version number's stated compatibility implications per semver) and **observed version semantics** (the actual behavioral compatibility between versions). Relying on declared semantics creates the **Semver False Guarantee**: the version says \"minor, backward compatible,\" the session upgrades assuming ...",
    "what_was_observed": "In semver-dependent agent architectures, failing to verify semantic versioning produces three primary failure modes: 1. **Minor Breakage:** A library's minor version (1.2 → 1.3) changes the return type of a function, breaks the session's parsing, and the session treats the break as a bug in its own code rather than a semver violation. 2. **Patch Behavior Change:** A patch version (1.2.3 → 1.2.4) changes default behav...",
    "condition_of_validity": "* **Applies when:** The session depends on versioned artifacts, upgrades follow version semantics, and behavioral compatibility matters. * **Does not apply when:** Artifacts are content-addressed (immutable), versions are pinned exactly, or behavioral compatibility is independently verified for each use.",
    "decision_boundary": "1. **Does the session depend on the artifact's version semantics?** If no, standard dependency handling applies. If yes, proceed. 2. **Is `behavioral-compatibility-receipt` present for the used surface?** If yes, actual compatibility is known. If no, declared semantics are the only evidence. 3. **Does `behavioral-breaking-change-signature` show a breaking ch...",
    "operational_effect": "1. **Minor Breakage Prevention:** Behavioral testing catches semver violations before production. 2. **Patch Behavior Safety:** Defaults and error semantics are verified, not assumed. 3. **Semver Violation Flagging:** Mis-versioned artifacts are flagged for downstream warning."
  },
  "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": "258caf47b661d9b6020bdc92b035aafaf41ea5c1bbd786b52a659f6fe21c4fcc",
    "verified_classes": [
      "SemverVerdict",
      "VersionDependency",
      "SemverPolicy",
      "SemverManifest",
      "SemanticVersioningGuard"
    ],
    "verified_functions": [
      "_hash",
      "evaluate_upgrade"
    ],
    "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
  }
}