The full specification covers 48 chapters across 6900+ lines. Below is the complete chapter index with scope descriptions.
For access to the full specification, contact dev@rotifer.dev or file an issue in the rotifer-spec repository.
| # | Chapter | Scope |
|---|
| 1 | Problem Statement | Three systemic challenges |
| 2 | Design Principles | Three axioms + environment-independence |
| 3 | URAA Architecture | Five-layer stack (L0–L4) |
| 4 | Gene & Genome Standard | Phenotype, genome, controller genes, versioning |
| 5 | Fitness Model | F(g) + V(g) dual-metric, diversity factor |
| 6 | Agent Identity | Sovereign identity, key management |
| 7 | Core Mechanisms | Trust anchor, sandbox, hot-loading |
| # | Chapter | Scope |
|---|
| 8 | Propagation Dynamics | Gene discovery, SIR propagation model |
| 24 | Evolutionary Dynamics | Population genetics, exploration budgets, seasonal resets |
| 33 | Arena Mechanism Design | Evolutionary game theory, incentive compatibility, anti-Sybil |
| # | Chapter | Scope |
|---|
| 9 | Security Model | 9 attack categories, defense matrix |
| 10 | Privacy Model | Selective disclosure, opaque gene calibration |
| 28 | Agent Identity & Keys | Identity/key separation, atomic key rotation, recovery |
| 32 | Agent Ethics & Accountability | Five-layer accountability chain, ethical boundaries |
| 37 | Regulatory Adapter Interface | Risk classification, compliance data export |
| # | Chapter | Scope |
|---|
| 15 | Gene Composition Algebra | 4 core operators (Seq, Par, Cond, Try), gradual type system |
| 34 | Composition Algebra Safety | Semi-formal proofs — Progress, Preservation, Termination |
| 42 | Streaming Gene Model | Three-layer hybrid architecture for streaming |
| 11 | Rotifer IR | Cross-binding intermediate representation |
| # | Chapter | Scope |
|---|
| 16 | Agent Lifecycle | 4-state core machine (INIT → ACTIVE → DORMANT → TERMINATED) |
| 38 | Agent Memory Model | Knowledge genes for structured memory, migration |
| 46 | Gene Lifecycle | 6-state machine (Draft → Published → Active → Deprecated → Archived → Tombstoned) |
| # | Chapter | Scope |
|---|
| 12 | Binding Interface | Platform-agnostic RotiferBinding facade |
| 25 | Cross-Binding State Migration | Atomic three-phase migration protocol |
| 41 | Cross-Binding Arena Federation | Cross-platform competition |
| 45 | Cross-Binding Semantic Consistency | SemanticProfile 5-dimension declaration |
| # | Chapter | Scope |
|---|
| 14 | Protocol Governance | Self-evolving governance with PAP proposal standard |
| 26 | Formal Verification | Property classification, proof formats, verifier interface |
| 43 | Formal Protocol Model | TLA+/Alloy dual-language modeling, Lean 4 proofs |
| 47 | Gene Testing Framework | 4-layer test pyramid (T1–T4), publishing gates |
| # | Chapter | Scope |
|---|
| 22 | Multi-Agent Coordination | Capability broadcast, cross-agent task protocol |
| 48 | Agent Communication Primitives | 5 interaction modes |
| # | Chapter | Scope |
|---|
| 13 | Use Cases | Application scenarios |
| 17 | Observability | 3-layer telemetry, time-travel replay |
| 18 | Gene Attribution & Lineage | Derivation tracking, lineage graph |
| 19 | Human-Agent Interaction | Override protocol, privileged entities |
| 20 | Conformance Testing | 3-level compliance (Core/Standard/Full) |
| 21 | Protocol Profiles | Full/Constrained, binary phenotype |
| 23 | Contribution Metrics | Portable contribution proofs |
| 27 | Protocol Versioning | Semantic versioning, feature flags |
| 29 | Cross-Protocol Interop | ProtocolAdapter, trust degradation |
| 30 | Data Sovereignty | 4-class data taxonomy, DataPolicy |
| 31 | Fault Tolerance | Layered fault tolerance, checkpoints |
| 35 | Protocol Bootstrap | Seed + culture genesis model |
| 36 | Agent Cognitive Accessibility | Layered explainability, audit mode |
| 39 | Emergent Behavior Detection | Observatory genes, 3 emergence categories |
| 40 | Performance Framework | Performance baselines, memory quotas |
| 44 | Scalability Analysis | Scalability contracts, 3-level cache |
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Gene | Atomic unit of agent capability — modular, transferable, fitness-evaluable |
| Phenotype | Structured metadata declaration describing a gene’s interface and properties |
| Genome | Ordered collection of genes assembled into an agent’s capability set |
| Arena | Competitive environment where genes in the same domain are ranked by fitness |
| Fitness F(g) | Continuous evaluation score combining performance, reliability, efficiency, adoption, composability, and diversity |
| Binding | Platform-specific implementation of the protocol (Cloud, Edge, TEE, Web3, etc.) |
| Rotifer IR | Environment-agnostic intermediate representation for cross-binding gene portability |
| Trust Anchor | L0 mechanism enforcing immutable security constraints — the only non-evolving component |
| HLT | Horizontal Logic Transfer — inter-agent gene sharing analogous to biological HGT |
| Synthesizer | Abstract interface for gene creation (LLM, template, rule-based, manual, or hybrid) |
| Observatory Gene | Special gene at L4 that monitors for emergent behaviors across agent populations |