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LCSM / Backboard

Durable state, provenance, authority, and inspectable change of mind for AI systems

Long-running work with language models fails less often because the model cannot generate text than because the surrounding system cannot preserve what is currently true. Transcripts accumulate proposals, corrections, reversals, sources, and outputs, but they do not reliably distinguish what was said from what was accepted. A later model must reread history and reconstruct state, often blending obsolete instructions with current intent.

Long-Context State Memory (LCSM) is a model-agnostic runtime for durable canonical state, provenance, authority, journaled transition, and reconstruction. Backboard is the reference workbench that makes the protocol visible. Conversation is intake; bounded notes and canonical objects represent current recognized truth; immutable versions preserve change of mind; proposals are validated and gated before they move a canonical pointer; receipts explain why the current state exists.

The architecture is summarized by one chain of command:

The model proposes. The runtime validates. The policy gate authorizes. The journal records. The canon pointer moves. The user can inspect.

LCSM is not an attempt to place an infinitely long transcript inside a model. It removes the obligation for the model to own memory. The model receives a scoped working set compiled from authoritative state and relevant evidence. The runtime retains the durable object.

Current evidence state

VERIFIED_MECHANISM

This label describes the strongest public-safe state of the specific paper claims. Open the paper's claim ledger for claim-level distinctions and limitations.

Publication

  • Full paper: /papers/p02-lcsm-backboard
  • Claim ledger: content/papers/p02-lcsm-backboard/claim-ledger.json
  • Source manifest: content/papers/p02-lcsm-backboard/source-manifest.json
  • Diagrams: 4
  • Approximate body length: 2,373 words

Demonstrations

  • d01-truth-plane-lens-plane

Benchmarks

  • b01-fovea-correctness-cognition

Public boundary

The research entry publishes a public-safe architecture and evidence record. It does not grant implementation rights or expose restricted claim-ready material.