{
  "schema_version": "1.3.0",
  "slug": "what-ontology-versioning-invariants-must-survive-when-agents-exchange-structured-knowledge",
  "title": "What ontology versioning invariants must survive when agents exchange structured knowledge?",
  "date_of_record": "2026 October 20",
  "scope": "* **Applies when:** Multiple ontology versions exist, knowledge is exchanged across versions, and concept semantics can shift. * **Does not apply when:** All agents use a single immutable ontology, or knowledge exchange is free-form with no",
  "projections": {
    "unified_markdown_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/what-ontology-versioning-invariants-must-survive-when-agents-exchange-structured-knowledge.md",
    "method_python_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/what-ontology-versioning-invariants-must-survive-when-agents-exchange-structured-knowledge.py",
    "remnant_warrant_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/what-ontology-versioning-invariants-must-survive-when-agents-exchange-structured-knowledge.warrant.json"
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  "token_profile": {
    "full_markdown_tokens": 965,
    "python_slice_tokens": 255,
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  },
  "remnant_summary": {
    "core_distinction": "The separation between **ontology concept identity** (the concept exists in both versions) and **ontology concept semantics** (the concept's definition and constraints are compatible across versions). Relying on identity creates the **Ontology Semantic Drift**: Agent A sends a concept that exists in both A's and B's ontology versions, but the concept's defin...",
    "what_was_observed": "In knowledge-exchange agent architectures, failing to preserve ontology versioning produces three primary failure modes: 1. **Subsumption Reversal:** A concept \"mammal\" was defined as a subclass of \"animal\" in v1, but in v2 \"animal\" was renamed and redefined, and the concept hierarchy is inverted. A's knowledge graph is misinterpreted by B. 2. **Property Constraint Tightening:** A property \"has_duration\" allowed any ...",
    "condition_of_validity": "* **Applies when:** Multiple ontology versions exist, knowledge is exchanged across versions, and concept semantics can shift. * **Does not apply when:** All agents use a single immutable ontology, or knowledge exchange is free-form with no structured semantics.",
    "decision_boundary": "1. **Do the two agents use different ontology versions?** If no, standard knowledge exchange applies. If yes, proceed. 2. **Is a `ontology_mapping_matrix` available between the two versions?** If no, the receiver cannot translate concepts. It must reject or request an updated mapping. 3. **Does the `concept_compatibility_receipt` confirm semantic compatibili...",
    "operational_effect": "1. **Semantic Consistency:** Knowledge exchange respects concept definitions, not just concept names. 2. **Deprecation Awareness:** Receivers know when they are receiving deprecated concepts, allowing graceful handling. 3. **Mapping Auditing:** Every version transition is documented, enabling audits and rolling upgrades."
  },
  "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": "0834f7bbe62945fd56ec86ca2587cc640fe615299eb40bb06e010bb62a536c49",
    "verified_classes": [
      "OntologyVerdict",
      "OntologyConcept",
      "OntologyExchange",
      "OntologyPolicy",
      "OntologyManifest",
      "OntologyVersioningGuard"
    ],
    "verified_functions": [
      "_hash",
      "evaluate_exchange"
    ],
    "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
  }
}