Clan OS scopes 1–100 built kernel mechanics. Post-100 work defines constitutional law for semantic integrity: authority, IPC, temporal visibility, and native identity.
Axioms are the highest normative layer. They change only by explicit charter revision (rare). All documents in INDEX.md § Post-100 must remain consistent with these axioms.
See also: NATIVE_MODEL.md, SEMANTIC_JURISDICTION.md, RIGHTS_ALGEBRA.md.
| Axiom | Statement | Role |
|---|---|---|
| A7 | Semantic laws override implementation convenience | Prevents convenience-driven corruption of the model over years |
| A10 | Semantic minimization — no new law without justification (see below) | Prevents doctrinal sprawl and unmaintainable semantic surface |
Together: controlled semantic evolution. Without A7, implementation erodes architecture. Without A10, architecture becomes too heavy to reason about.
| ID | Axiom | Role |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Authority never amplifies implicitly | Prevents hidden privilege inflation |
| A2 | Native code has no ambient authority (no unrestricted global namespace) | Foundational post-Unix principle |
| A3 | All cross-domain authority transfer is explicit (move / borrow / delegate per RIGHTS_ALGEBRA.md) | Formalizes propagation |
| A4 | Endpoint semantics are deterministic within documented bounds | Prevents IPC drift |
| A5 | Compat never defines native semantics | Preserves architectural identity |
| A6 | Revocation visibility is always documentable (TEMPORAL_SEMANTICS.md) | Prevents temporal ambiguity |
| A7 | Semantic laws override implementation convenience | Anti-entropy (see above) |
| A8 | Architecture-preservation spec cases are authoritative for behavior claims | Invariant preservation |
| A9 | Semantic law versioning is explicit (clan-semantics-v* in ABI_STABILITY.md) |
Semantics are platform ABI |
| A10 | Semantic minimization — every new law must pass review (below) | Occam’s Razor for OS semantics |
| Question | Must answer |
|---|---|
| Can this derive from existing axioms or laws? | Yes → do not add a new law |
| Is it fundamental (cross-cutting), not subsystem-local? | No → keep in subsystem notes only |
| Is it the smallest statement that carries the guarantee? | No → rewrite smaller |
| Should this be a spec case ID instead of prose? | Prefer spec ID |
Scope 110 performs a minimization audit (law count per hierarchy layer).
| Gate | Blocks | Requires |
|---|---|---|
| G1 | Scope 115+ new handle semantics | KERNEL_OBJECT_MODEL.md |
| G2 | Scope 112–113 cap lifecycle code | RIGHTS_ALGEBRA.md |
| G3 | Scope 134+ native endpoint code | ABI_IPC.md |
| G4 | Scope 128+ native-only enforcement | NATIVE_MODEL.md |
| G5 | Scope 111+ authority/IPC contradicting specs | SEMANTIC_SPECS.md, TEMPORAL_SEMANTICS.md |
Scopes 111+ must not ship kernel behavior that violates ratified axioms or signed gates.
To amend an axiom:
- Document conflict with existing laws and spec cases
- Propose
clan-semantics-v*bump if guarantees change - Update SEMANTIC_SPECS.md and run minimization audit
- Record decision in ROADMAP_POST100.md scope 110+ notes
Default: reject charter changes that weaken A1, A2, A5, A7, or A10 without extraordinary rationale.