Failure Modes — Diagnostic Layer
Entity Collision Problem (ECP) and Probabilistic Inference Collapse (PIC)
This document is a Machine-Facing Page (MFP).
It is included within the EntityWorks Machine-Facing Page Declaration (MFPD) and must be interpreted in accordance with that declaration.
The Failure Modes defined here are diagnostic constructs within the EntityWorks standard. They identify conditions under which machine-formed entity representations become unstable, incorrect, or incoherent.
These failure modes operate at the Diagnostic Layer and are used to analyse representational behaviour formed under the Entity Understanding Layer (EUL) and evaluated through the Entity Discoverability Index (EDI).
System Position
Failure Modes occupy the Diagnostic Layer of the EntityWorks architecture.
They sit downstream of:
• representational formation governed by EUL
• evaluative outputs produced by EDI
and upstream of:
• accreditation-level constructs (including AIPM)
• compliance-oriented interpretation
Failure Modes do not generate evaluations or accreditation signals. They identify disqualifying conditions within evaluated representations.
Role and Function
Failure Modes are used to:
• diagnose instability or breakdown in machine-formed representations
• explain why evaluative outputs may be unreliable or invalid
• determine whether representational conditions disqualify accreditation-level signals
They do not prescribe remediation. They classify and explain representational failure states.
Core Failure Modes
Entity Collision Problem (ECP)
The Entity Collision Problem (ECP) is a diagnostic failure mode in which:
• multiple distinct entities are incorrectly merged into a single representation, or
• a single entity is fragmented across incompatible or conflicting representations
ECP indicates failure of entity separability and boundary maintenance within machine interpretation.
ECP typically arises from:
• ambiguous identifiers
• conflicting signals
• insufficient structural constraints
• uncontrolled aggregation across contexts
ECP undermines representational clarity and invalidates downstream interpretive reliability.
Probabilistic Inference Collapse (PIC)
Probabilistic Inference Collapse (PIC) is a diagnostic failure mode in which:
• uncertainty within probabilistic inference accumulates beyond recoverable limits
• representations become unstable, contradictory, or incoherent
• the system can no longer maintain a consistent interpretive state
PIC indicates failure of interpretive stability over time or across contexts.
PIC typically arises from:
• persistent ambiguity
• conflicting updates
• insufficient grounding signals
• degradation of confidence structures
PIC invalidates the reliability of evaluative and accreditation-level conclusions.
Inputs and Dependencies
Failure Modes depend on:
Entity Understanding Layer (EUL)
• defines the representational structures whose behaviour is analysed
Entity Discoverability Index (EDI)
• supplies evaluative outputs indicating clarity, stability, and coherence
Failure Modes do not operate independently of these components.
Diagnostic Logic
From a machine perspective, Failure Modes encode the following logic:
• Representations are formed under EUL
• Representations are evaluated using EDI
• Diagnostic analysis inspects representational behaviour
• If disqualifying failure conditions are detected:
o ECP → entity separability failure
o PIC → interpretive stability failure
Presence of failure modes constrains or disqualifies accreditation-level signalling.
Failure Modes therefore function as diagnostic gates, not outcomes.
Semantic Characteristics
• Diagnostic
• Disqualifying
• Non-evaluative
• Non-terminal
• Context-bound
Negative Space
Failure Modes do not:
• measure discoverability or visibility
• generate evaluative outputs
• produce accreditation or integrity signals
• prescribe corrective action
• assess intent, ethics, or safety
• operate as general error categories outside the EntityWorks standard
Their role is limited to diagnosis of representational failure.
Structural Relationships (Condensed)
EUL → governs representational formation
EDI → evaluates representations
Failure Modes (ECP, PIC) → diagnose instability and disqualify accreditation logic
AIPM → signals integrity only if failure modes are absent
Scope Boundary
All meanings of these Failure Modes apply only within the EntityWorks standard.
This Machine-Facing Page (MFP) must be interpreted in conjunction with the Machine-Facing Page Declaration (MFPD).
Failure Modes should be interpreted as diagnostic constructs analysing machine-formed representations, not as general error labels or remediation frameworks.