Zenith Ontology / Historical release

v0.1.0

Source release date: August 23, 2026

Release notes

Zenith Ontology v0.1.0

This is the first canonical, machine-readable Zenith ontology release.

Devgraph is the authoritative source. zenith-research.ca is the public distribution surface. Consumers should resolve the current release through /.well-known/zenith-ontology, pin both version and bundle_digest, and use versioned URLs for reproducible work.

The release contains:

JSON-LD context and ontology graph;
transport-neutral Devgraph semantic operation names and schema identifiers;
the Zenith Repository filesystem contract;
human-readable class, predicate, taxonomy, readiness, and invariant documentation;
the generated Neo4j constraint mirror for the bounded Devgraph runtime subset;
compatibility notes and a checksum manifest.

The ontology is broader than the Devgraph Neo4j runtime. runtimeLabel: false means a canonical concept is not a first-class stored label in the current runtime. In particular, ZenithRepository is canonical vocabulary but projects into Devgraph through ExternalLink, optional SyncShadow, and Artifact evidence.

Numeric secS opcodes are not ontology identifiers. Receiver-local manifests bind those opcodes to the semantic operation names published in operations.json.

Compatibility

Compatibility notes for v0.1.0

This release is additive relative to the existing Devgraph v0 documentation and runtime model.

Existing runtime labels, predicates, statuses, constraints, persisted records, HTTP payloads, and decoders are unchanged.
Devgraph becomes the canonical authority for the cross-Zenith ontology; the public domain remains a distribution surface rather than a competing source.
ZenithRepository is added to the canonical vocabulary with runtimeLabel: false. It does not add a Neo4j label, constraint, migration, API resource, or authority claim.
Semantic operation names and schema IDs are published for transport-independent discovery. Existing HTTP bindings remain valid; future secS bindings must map receiver-local opcodes to these names.
Consumers must accept unknown additive classes, predicates, operations, and fields within the same major version. Consumers must fail closed on an unsupported major version or a mismatched pinned digest.

No legacy field or stored representation is removed by this release.

Initial release inventory

The first release establishes the baseline; every entry is shown as added. Term counts exclude the ontology metadata record. File comparisons use manifest checksums; prose and runtime rules can change without new terms.

Vocabulary terms

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zn:Todo

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{
  "@id": "zn:Todo",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Todo",
  "comment": "Common base for committed or proposed work objects.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:Proposal

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{
  "@id": "zn:Proposal",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Proposal",
  "comment": "Proposed work whose acceptance requires Decision provenance.",
  "subClassOf": "zn:Todo",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:Initiative

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{
  "@id": "zn:Initiative",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Initiative",
  "comment": "Strategic work container larger than a Project.",
  "subClassOf": "zn:Todo",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:Project

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{
  "@id": "zn:Project",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Project",
  "comment": "Delivery container for issues, tasks, and milestones.",
  "subClassOf": "zn:Todo",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:Issue

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{
  "@id": "zn:Issue",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Issue",
  "comment": "PR-boundary work object.",
  "subClassOf": "zn:Todo",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:Task

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{
  "@id": "zn:Task",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Task",
  "comment": "Commit-boundary execution slice.",
  "subClassOf": "zn:Todo",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:Requirement

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{
  "@id": "zn:Requirement",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Requirement",
  "comment": "Required behavior or condition.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:AcceptanceCriterion

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{
  "@id": "zn:AcceptanceCriterion",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Acceptance Criterion",
  "comment": "Checkable condition for accepting work or a requirement.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:Blocker

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{
  "@id": "zn:Blocker",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Blocker",
  "comment": "Explicit impediment to work.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:Decision

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{
  "@id": "zn:Decision",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Decision",
  "comment": "Accepted design or scope choice with provenance.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:Handoff

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{
  "@id": "zn:Handoff",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Handoff",
  "comment": "Context package transferred across actors or sessions.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:ReviewPacket

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{
  "@id": "zn:ReviewPacket",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Review Packet",
  "comment": "Reviewable bundle of work, evidence, and criteria.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:Milestone

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{
  "@id": "zn:Milestone",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Milestone",
  "comment": "Grouped delivery marker.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:Artifact

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{
  "@id": "zn:Artifact",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Artifact",
  "comment": "Evidence or output object.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:ExternalLink

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{
  "@id": "zn:ExternalLink",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "External Link",
  "comment": "Reference to an external URL or system object without ownership semantics.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:SyncShadow

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{
  "@id": "zn:SyncShadow",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Sync Shadow",
  "comment": "Non-authoritative external metadata snapshot.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:StatusSet

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{
  "@id": "zn:StatusSet",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Status Set",
  "comment": "Named status vocabulary.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:StatusValue

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{
  "@id": "zn:StatusValue",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Status Value",
  "comment": "One value belonging to a Status Set.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:StatusTransition

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{
  "@id": "zn:StatusTransition",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Status Transition",
  "comment": "Allowed lifecycle transition.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:EventReceipt

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{
  "@id": "zn:EventReceipt",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Event Receipt",
  "comment": "Mutation and local outbox evidence; not external delivery proof.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:HermesSessionRef

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{
  "@id": "zn:HermesSessionRef",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Hermes Session Reference",
  "comment": "Reference and safe metrics for an external Hermes session, never a raw transcript.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:ReadinessAssessment

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{
  "@id": "zn:ReadinessAssessment",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Readiness Assessment",
  "comment": "Evidence record evaluating work readiness against the canonical rubric.",
  "runtimeLabel": true
}

zn:ZenithRepository

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{
  "@id": "zn:ZenithRepository",
  "@type": "owl:Class",
  "label": "Zenith Repository",
  "comment": "Sovereign Git project conforming to the canonical Zenith filesystem contract. Conformance does not imply network admission, authority, deployment, or delivery correctness.",
  "runtimeLabel": false
}

zn:CONTAINS

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{
  "@id": "zn:CONTAINS",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "contains",
  "comment": "Hierarchical work containment."
}

zn:DEPENDS_ON

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{
  "@id": "zn:DEPENDS_ON",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "depends on",
  "comment": "Source work cannot complete before target work."
}

zn:BLOCKS

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{
  "@id": "zn:BLOCKS",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "blocks",
  "comment": "Source prevents target work from progressing."
}

zn:HAS_REQUIREMENT

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{
  "@id": "zn:HAS_REQUIREMENT",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "has requirement"
}

zn:HAS_ACCEPTANCE_CRITERION

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{
  "@id": "zn:HAS_ACCEPTANCE_CRITERION",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "has acceptance criterion"
}

zn:ACCEPTED_BY_DECISION

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{
  "@id": "zn:ACCEPTED_BY_DECISION",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "accepted by decision"
}

zn:HAS_DECISION

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{
  "@id": "zn:HAS_DECISION",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "has decision"
}

zn:HAS_HANDOFF

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{
  "@id": "zn:HAS_HANDOFF",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "has handoff"
}

zn:HAS_REVIEW_PACKET

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{
  "@id": "zn:HAS_REVIEW_PACKET",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "has review packet"
}

zn:HAS_MILESTONE

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{
  "@id": "zn:HAS_MILESTONE",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "has milestone"
}

zn:HAS_ARTIFACT

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{
  "@id": "zn:HAS_ARTIFACT",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "has artifact"
}

zn:HAS_EXTERNAL_LINK

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{
  "@id": "zn:HAS_EXTERNAL_LINK",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "has external link"
}

zn:HAS_SYNC_SHADOW

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{
  "@id": "zn:HAS_SYNC_SHADOW",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "has sync shadow"
}

zn:EMITTED_EVENT

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{
  "@id": "zn:EMITTED_EVENT",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "emitted event",
  "comment": "Links a mutation subject to local receipt evidence; it does not assert external delivery."
}

zn:ATTRIBUTED_TO_HERMES_SESSION

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{
  "@id": "zn:ATTRIBUTED_TO_HERMES_SESSION",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "attributed to Hermes session"
}

zn:HAS_READINESS_ASSESSMENT

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{
  "@id": "zn:HAS_READINESS_ASSESSMENT",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "has readiness assessment"
}

zn:IDENTIFIED_GAP

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{
  "@id": "zn:IDENTIFIED_GAP",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "identified gap"
}

zn:USES_RUBRIC

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{
  "@id": "zn:USES_RUBRIC",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "uses rubric"
}

zn:SUPPORTED_BY

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{
  "@id": "zn:SUPPORTED_BY",
  "@type": "owl:ObjectProperty",
  "label": "supported by"
}

Operations

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urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:get_work_object:v1

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{
  "name": "get_work_object",
  "id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:get_work_object:v1",
  "mutation": false,
  "required_scopes": [
    "devgraph.read"
  ],
  "request_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:get-work-object-request:v1",
  "response_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:work-object:v1"
}

urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:query_work_objects:v1

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{
  "name": "query_work_objects",
  "id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:query_work_objects:v1",
  "mutation": false,
  "required_scopes": [
    "devgraph.read"
  ],
  "request_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:query-work-objects-request:v1",
  "response_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:work-object-list:v1"
}

urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:create_work_object:v1

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{
  "name": "create_work_object",
  "id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:create_work_object:v1",
  "mutation": true,
  "required_scopes": [
    "devgraph.write"
  ],
  "request_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:create-work-object-request:v1",
  "response_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:mutation-result:v1"
}

urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:update_work_object_content:v1

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{
  "name": "update_work_object_content",
  "id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:update_work_object_content:v1",
  "mutation": true,
  "required_scopes": [
    "devgraph.write"
  ],
  "request_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:update-work-object-request:v1",
  "response_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:mutation-result:v1"
}

urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:archive_work_object:v1

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{
  "name": "archive_work_object",
  "id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:archive_work_object:v1",
  "mutation": true,
  "required_scopes": [
    "devgraph.write"
  ],
  "request_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:archive-work-object-request:v1",
  "response_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:mutation-result:v1"
}

urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:transition_work_object_status:v1

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{
  "name": "transition_work_object_status",
  "id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:transition_work_object_status:v1",
  "mutation": true,
  "required_scopes": [
    "devgraph.write"
  ],
  "request_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:transition-work-object-status-request:v1",
  "response_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:mutation-result:v1"
}

urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:accept_proposal:v1

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{
  "name": "accept_proposal",
  "id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:accept_proposal:v1",
  "mutation": true,
  "required_scopes": [
    "devgraph.write"
  ],
  "request_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:accept-proposal-request:v1",
  "response_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:mutation-result:v1"
}

urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:convert_accepted_proposal_to_issue:v1

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{
  "name": "convert_accepted_proposal_to_issue",
  "id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:convert_accepted_proposal_to_issue:v1",
  "mutation": true,
  "required_scopes": [
    "devgraph.write"
  ],
  "request_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:convert-proposal-request:v1",
  "response_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:mutation-result:v1"
}

urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:children_of:v1

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{
  "name": "children_of",
  "id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:children_of:v1",
  "mutation": false,
  "required_scopes": [
    "devgraph.read"
  ],
  "request_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:children-request:v1",
  "response_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:work-object-list:v1"
}

urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:blockers_for:v1

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{
  "name": "blockers_for",
  "id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:blockers_for:v1",
  "mutation": false,
  "required_scopes": [
    "devgraph.read"
  ],
  "request_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:blockers-request:v1",
  "response_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:work-object-list:v1"
}

urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:export_internal_by_ids:v1

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{
  "name": "export_internal_by_ids",
  "id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:export_internal_by_ids:v1",
  "mutation": false,
  "required_scopes": [
    "devgraph.export.internal"
  ],
  "request_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:export-by-ids-request:v1",
  "response_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:internal-export:v1"
}

urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:export_redacted_by_ids:v1

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{
  "name": "export_redacted_by_ids",
  "id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:export_redacted_by_ids:v1",
  "mutation": false,
  "required_scopes": [
    "devgraph.export.redacted"
  ],
  "request_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:export-by-ids-request:v1",
  "response_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:redacted-export:v1"
}

urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:export_public_safe_summary_by_ids:v1

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{
  "name": "export_public_safe_summary_by_ids",
  "id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:export_public_safe_summary_by_ids:v1",
  "mutation": false,
  "required_scopes": [
    "devgraph.export.redacted"
  ],
  "request_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:export-by-ids-request:v1",
  "response_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:public-safe-summary:v1"
}

urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:health_live:v1

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{
  "name": "health_live",
  "id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:health_live:v1",
  "mutation": false,
  "required_scopes": [],
  "request_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:empty-request:v1",
  "response_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:liveness:v1"
}

urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:health_ready:v1

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{
  "name": "health_ready",
  "id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:operation:health_ready:v1",
  "mutation": false,
  "required_scopes": [],
  "request_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:empty-request:v1",
  "response_schema_id": "urn:zenith:devgraph:schema:readiness:v1"
}

Bundle files

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README.md

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{
  "path": "README.md",
  "sha256": "dd1e832c4e5f262bf4e2b090e9888e0a0e43849ec5801a36562b3905396aca35"
}

classes.md

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{
  "path": "classes.md",
  "sha256": "1ede2e6ab4dcf2559152b246742d5f0ec6a9358a82bc7b8a9d59e49853e44c97"
}

compatibility.md

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{
  "path": "compatibility.md",
  "sha256": "671c7ecd5f2d2197d2ee4b00d8eeb354eff2f600fa7a7213047108ad24f7e8f7"
}

constraints.cypher

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{
  "path": "constraints.cypher",
  "sha256": "4e9d1012f49d7c20fb95ff969808a040029b8a0e4ae2e61347090f3c0039cff1"
}

context.jsonld

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{
  "path": "context.jsonld",
  "sha256": "45bae6e66df778892ea90950dd3d0aab06371701a1d3f1e79d4d096fc90a46e8"
}

invariants.md

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{
  "path": "invariants.md",
  "sha256": "56b2775e9fb5a73bf464edcbf4faef14ab129d8cb7745b96a80d95e00db4f39c"
}

ontology.jsonld

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{
  "path": "ontology.jsonld",
  "sha256": "cfab42fd855a300d43f32a4add66916359e77effc74125b25ac355f81ab03d02"
}

operations.json

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{
  "path": "operations.json",
  "sha256": "6d6098f3a255747a72263222ad708232576181b3224dce8ce9e7077360e97b55"
}

predicates.md

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{
  "path": "predicates.md",
  "sha256": "38a2eefc53a5c17c052ae5111f22c248548fe261db59fc9d6b69dc90d293203d"
}

readiness.md

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{
  "path": "readiness.md",
  "sha256": "233f6e52611c41c4b9f3ec81b9924c3b2a89e6851490b485cd749a59682c4503"
}

repository-contract.json

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{
  "path": "repository-contract.json",
  "sha256": "7cf6da9ce07e9a729c65b3c5aeb1c60e952e55f856361e43c664fba0bc9ecc74"
}

taxonomy.md

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{
  "path": "taxonomy.md",
  "sha256": "b9125bac71a748d6a1ab39f426f34506cb655304856427aa6772a50adce523f1"
}

Source history

This release was already present in the first public repository snapshot. The commit below records its public availability, not its original authoring date. Notes and history are pinned to source revision c72770e.

Release Devgraph public beta under AGPLv3 (ca0d95f)
September 15, 2026

Bundle SHA-256: 95d0a6e69fd8b79e46802b7e9f4a0cea8564b15add9cfa8f430b2a9d62c0f0e3