---
slug: "Check"
name: "Check"
type: "Primitives"
layer: "Infrastructure"
ref: "Check#6890"
sema_id: "sema:Check#mh:SHA-256:6890b221c38531710528cd84bbf3a957e29d9836dfc9c02669fc0a86709bcb00"
tags: ["Infrastructure","Primitives"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json
url: https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Check/
related: ["Condition","Gate","Status","AbsenceEvidence","Compose","CreativeBlend","Discover","EpistemicCascade","HypothesisEngine","IdentityHandshake","InternalConsistency","InvariantFilter","Judge","LatticeCommit","LayeredCheck","MetaCheck","NormCheck","PropheticQuorum","PURECheck","ReversibilityCheck","Search","ShoutWhisper","Situfit","Specialize","SteelmanCheck","Twoledger","Validate","Verification","Situfit#74e5","Twoledger#a560"]
---

# Check

Side-effect-free observational verification yielding Verified/Falsified/Unknown

Layer: Infrastructure · Category: Primitives

## Mechanism

A non-blocking verification primitive. Evaluates a [Condition](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Condition.md) against a target and yields a [Status](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Status.md) (Verified, Falsified, or Unknown). Unlike a [Gate](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Gate.md) (which alters control flow via a Decision), Check is purely observational and side-effect free — it answers 'is this true?' without deciding 'should we stop?'. Unknown is a first-class outcome distinct from Falsified: it asserts absence of evidence, not evidence of absence.

## Invariants

- Side-Effect Free: Running a check must not mutate the target state.
- Determinism: Same input context yields same status.

## Failure modes

- False Positive: Check returns Verified due to flawed logic or sensor noise.
- Heisenbug: The act of checking alters the state being checked.
- Callers collapse Unknown into Falsified, losing the meaningful distinction.

## Builds on

- [Condition](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Condition.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Gate](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Gate.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Status](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Status.md) (Infrastructure; Yields)

## Used by

- [AbsenceEvidence](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/AbsenceEvidence.md) (Mind; References)
- [Compose](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Compose.md) (Mind; References)
- [CreativeBlend](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/CreativeBlend.md) (Mind; Composes with)
- [Discover](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Discover.md) (Society; References)
- [EpistemicCascade](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/EpistemicCascade.md) (Mind; References)
- [HypothesisEngine](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/HypothesisEngine.md) (Mind; References)
- [IdentityHandshake](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/IdentityHandshake.md) (Society; References)
- [InternalConsistency](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/InternalConsistency.md) (Society; Composes with)
- [InvariantFilter](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/InvariantFilter.md) (Society; References)
- [Judge](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Judge.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [LatticeCommit](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/LatticeCommit.md) (Society; References)
- [LayeredCheck](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/LayeredCheck.md) (Mind; Composes with)
- [MetaCheck](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/MetaCheck.md) (Mind; References)
- [NormCheck](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/NormCheck.md) (Mind; References)
- [PropheticQuorum](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/PropheticQuorum.md) (Society; References)
- [PURECheck](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/PURECheck.md) (Mind; Composes with)
- [ReversibilityCheck](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/ReversibilityCheck.md) (Society; References)
- [Search](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Search.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [ShoutWhisper](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/ShoutWhisper.md) (Society; References)
- [Situfit](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Situfit.md) (Mind; References)
- [Specialize](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Specialize.md) (Mind; References)
- [SteelmanCheck](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/SteelmanCheck.md) (Mind; Composes with)
- [Twoledger](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Twoledger.md) (Mind; References)
- [Validate](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Validate.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Verification](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Verification.md) (Mind; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Check#mh:SHA-256:6890b221c38531710528cd84bbf3a957e29d9836dfc9c02669fc0a86709bcb00`
- Ref: `Check#6890`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Check#mh:SHA-256:1544e646894003b4bac963cee70097a4bffd75f6cb753f218befb2079f8383a6`
  - `sema:Check#mh:SHA-256:22ecc8bd2d86f344a11551e3bae74a97660e47b1127739e8a84f88f4791960c8`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Check/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/#Check)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Check.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json)