Conformance

What “AQ Conformance” Means

Adaptive Query (AQ) provides a semantic architecture for cognition-native agents, identity, and distributed execution. Conformance defines what it means for an implementation to truthfully claim compatibility with AQ components. Conformance is self‑attested in v0.1 and is designed to give early adopters a clear, bounded, low‑risk starting point.

Implementers may claim conformance to specific profiles and levels. No certification program exists yet.

Conformance Levels

• Experimental

Prototype‑grade implementations that follow the conceptual design but do not meet full structural requirements.

• Level 1 (Foundational Schema)

Minimal structural adherence: required fields, basic memory continuity, basic identity evolution, and policy checks.

• Level 2 (Strong Compatibility)

Full structural alignment, multi‑zone behavior, trust‑slope validation, and policy‑driven mutation governance. (Reserved for future versions.)

Core Conformance Profiles (v0.1)

Implementers may claim conformance to any subset of these profiles.

1. AQ Adaptive Index & Governance (AIG)

Level 1 MUSTs

  • MUST support structured aliasing or scoped naming mapped to deterministic identifiers.
  • MUST preserve lineage continuity for alias or container mutations.
  • MUST evaluate mutation proposals under at least one governance policy or quorum rule.

Experimental SHOULDs

  • SHOULD support container segmentation, merging, or relocation with lineage retention.
  • SHOULD attach mutation justification or telemetry metadata.

2. AQ Content Anchoring & Provenance (CAP)

Level 1 MUSTs

  • MUST derive stable or entropy-informed identifiers for content objects.
  • MUST maintain at least one lineage or provenance record per anchored object.
  • MUST preserve collision-handling or continuity rules when re-anchoring or mutating content.

Experimental SHOULDs

  • SHOULD support slope or entropy band grouping for content identifiers.
  • SHOULD support cross-band routing or resolution when entropy drift is detected.
  • SHOULD record mutation or alias history within a content provenance structure.

3. AQ Core Semantic Agent Schema

Level 1 MUSTs

  • MUST implement canonical fields: intent, context, memory, policy, mutation, lineage.
  • MUST persist memory across at least one execution or hop.
  • MUST record each mutation or delegation as an entry in the memory field.
  • MUST enforce deterministic validation or fallback when fields are missing.
  • MUST validate embedded policy at runtime prior to any mutation, delegation, or propagation.

Experimental SHOULDs

  • SHOULD support partial agents via scaffolding or fallback logic.
  • SHOULD serialize the schema in transport‑friendly form.

4. AQ Identity & Trust‑Slope

Level 1 MUSTs

  • MUST generate an evolving identity token (DAH or equivalent rotating hash).
  • MUST apply at least one continuity check before allowing mutation or privileged execution.
  • MUST bind identity evolution to execution history or context changes.

Experimental SHOULDs

  • SHOULD track lineage‑bound continuity between identity states.
  • SHOULD degrade or challenge identity continuity when slopes are broken.

5. AQ Memory‑Native Protocol (Experimental)

Experimental SHOULDs

  • SHOULD carry memory, policy, and lineage inside protocol messages.
  • SHOULD allow nodes to act based on message‑resident policy, not global state.
  • SHOULD append trace records on receipt or mutation attempts.

6. AQ Embodied & Synthetic Intelligence (ESI)

Level 1 MUSTs

  • MUST bind intent, affect, or context fields to at least one embodiment channel (sensor, actuator, or simulated environment input).
  • MUST preserve memory continuity across embodiment events or environmental cycles.
  • MUST enforce a safety‑bounded mutation or delegation rule for any agent controlling physical or simulated behavior.
  • MUST evaluate identity continuity (DAH/DDH or equivalent) before permitting privileged embodied actions.
  • MUST log embodiment‑relevant decisions as memory entries.

Experimental SHOULDs

  • SHOULD support affective modulation using external stimuli or sensory context.
  • SHOULD implement fallback scaffolding when embodiment channels degrade.
  • SHOULD support delegation to localized embodied child‑agents with scoped autonomy.
  • SHOULD encode embodiment constraints (mobility range, actuation caps, ethical limits) in the policy field.

7. AQ‑DSM (Draft)

This profile is early‑stage and tied to ongoing research.

Experimental SHOULDs

  • SHOULD encode disruptions as field‑level mutations in memory, affect, or integrity.
  • SHOULD model validation failures as slope‑continuity failures.
  • SHOULD express drift or collapse as lineage incoherence.

How to Claim Conformance

  • State the profiles implemented (e.g. “AQ Identity Level 1”).
  • State the conformance level (Experimental, Level 1).
  • Document the implementation’s interpretation of each MUST requirement.
  • Include a link back to this Conformance page.

A formal certification process and automated conformance tests will be introduced in later versions.

Roadmap for v0.2 and Beyond

  • Formal conformance test suite.
  • Reference implementations for each profile.
  • Optional licensing safe‑harbors for early adopters.
  • AQ‑DSM maturity levels and psychological integrity modeling.