PAT-0330
Invariant Breakage
A structural condition where an observed state violates a declared invariant that is supposed to remain true.
Primary Lenses
Invariant Lens
Verifies that declared invariants are structurally enforceable and not contradicted by observed structure.
Lens Application
The Invariant Lens is a primary inspection mechanism for Invariant Breakage because it compares declared invariants with the structural conditions that are supposed to preserve them. It helps surface places where enforcement is missing, inconsistent, or contradicted by observed states without treating the finding as a final verdict.
Inspect For
- Declared invariants contradicted by observed state
- Missing structural enforcement of invariant conditions
- Exceptions or transitions that bypass invariant protection
- Conflicting rules that make the invariant unstable
Avoid
Treat a contradiction as an inspection signal rather than conclusive evidence without checking whether scope, timing, or enforcement boundaries affect the observation.
Conflict Lens
Detects mutually incompatible constraints, claims, states, or declarations that cannot be simultaneously satisfied.
Lens Application
The Conflict Lens is a primary inspection mechanism for Invariant Breakage because it examines where an invariant’s declared condition conflicts with observed system state, behavior, or downstream claims. It helps locate the incompatibility that may indicate structural breakage without treating the mismatch as automatically conclusive.
Inspect For
- Declared invariants contradicted by observed state
- Constraints that cannot hold together
- State transitions that violate required conditions
- Conflicting records, claims, or enforcement rules
Avoid
Treat a conflict as an inspection signal rather than sufficient closure without checking whether scope, timing, or interpretation explains the apparent incompatibility.
Secondary Lenses
Interface Contract Lens
Compares declared interface structure to observed runtime structure to detect contract deviations.
Lens Application
As a secondary lens, the Interface Contract Lens supports inspection of Invariant Breakage by highlighting mismatches between declared interface contracts and observed runtime structures. Contract deviations may indicate where an invariant assumption no longer matches actual system behavior, especially when runtime shape, type, nullability, or cardinality changes affect conditions that were supposed to remain true.
Inspect For
- Runtime fields or shapes missing from declared contracts
- Extra or unexpected interface members
- Type, nullability, or cardinality mismatches
- Contract changes that alter invariant assumptions
Avoid
Treat an interface mismatch as an inspection signal rather than sufficient evidence of Invariant Breakage without checking the related invariant expectation and runtime context.
Primary Issue Matches
No primary issue matches.