Entity Collision Problem (ECP) — Definition of Record

(As defined within the EntityWorks Standard)

Name: Entity Collision Problem (ECP)

Series: F-1100 — Entity Collision Problem (ECP)

Status: Published — Definition of Record

Version: v1.0

Publication Date: December 2025

Owner and Custodian: The Entity Collision Problem (ECP) is originated, defined, and maintained by EntityWorks Ltd as part of the EntityWorks Standard.

Definition (Canonical — Definition of Record)

The Entity Collision Problem describes a representational failure mode in which multiple distinct entities are incorrectly merged into a single representational space, or a single entity is fragmented across several incompatible representations.

This condition arises when interpretive structures fail to maintain clear entity boundaries, resulting in distorted or unstable machine understanding.

This definition is authoritative and governs all use of the term Entity Collision Problem within the EntityWorks Standard. Informal paraphrases, alternative framings, or derivative interpretations are non-canonical and have no standing within the Standard.

Purpose

To identify and describe a class of representational failure that undermines entity separability and interpretive coherence.

Scope

The Entity Collision Problem occurs within internal and external representational structures governed by the EntityWorks Standard.

It applies to representational phenomena, not to computational processes, algorithms, or system internals.

Conceptual Domain

The Entity Collision Problem operates within the discipline of AI Perception and forms part of the Standard’s representational risk framework.

It concerns the integrity of entity boundaries across AI-mediated interpretive contexts.

Role Within the EntityWorks Standard

Within the EntityWorks Standard, the ECP functions as a failure-mode classification construct.

It is used to describe observable breakdowns in entity-level representation, enabling consistent reasoning about representational instability without reliance on internal system knowledge. The ECP is descriptive, not explanatory. It does not assert causes, mechanisms, or fault.

Non-Canonical Uses (Explicit Exclusions)

The Entity Collision Problem is not:

a description of AI system internals or architectures
an explanation of algorithmic behaviour
an assessment of implementation quality
an attribution of intent, error, or responsibility
a diagnostic of computational performance

Uses of the term that imply these functions are non-canonical.

Relationships to Other Standard Components

The Entity Collision Problem is structurally related to:

Entity Understanding Layer (EUL) — whose interpretive architecture fails to maintain boundary integrity in ECP conditions
Probabilistic Inference Collapse (PIC) — a distinct but related failure mode addressing interpretive convergence breakdown

Together, ECP and PIC form the primary failure-mode layer of the EntityWorks Standard.

Publication and Citation Notice

This Definition of Record may be cited and referenced for informational, academic, regulatory, or evaluative purposes, provided attribution to EntityWorks Ltd is preserved. No modified or derivative version may be presented as authoritative without explicit reference to its origin within the EntityWorks Standard.

Last updated: December 2025