---
slug: "Hypothesis"
name: "Hypothesis"
type: "Data Structures"
layer: "Infrastructure"
ref: "Hypothesis#0989"
sema_id: "sema:Hypothesis#mh:SHA-256:09894332330937ab8ffd172087883db3adeddf6b7d4ca2befe31832416dedc14"
tags: ["Infrastructure","Data Structures"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json
url: https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Hypothesis/
related: ["Abduction","AdversarialProof","Callshort","ConfirmationBlock","Falsification","HypothesisEngine","HypothesisLadder","NegativeProof","Callshort#9525"]
---

# Hypothesis

Testable prediction staged for falsification attempts — provisional, not asserted

Layer: Infrastructure · Category: Data Structures

## Mechanism

A testable prediction staged for falsification attempts. Distinct from a Claim (asserted as true), an Assumption (held provisionally to make progress), and an Axiom (accepted without proof): a Hypothesis carries an explicit commitment to be checked against evidence and updated or discarded accordingly.

## Invariants

- Names at least one observation that, if made, would tell against it.
- Evidence can falsify or corroborate a Hypothesis, never establish it.

## Failure modes

—

## Data schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "proposition",
    "status"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "proposition": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "The tentative explanation"
    },
    "confidence": {
      "type": "number",
      "description": "Initial probability estimate (0-1)"
    },
    "status": {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "Open",
        "Corroborated",
        "Falsified"
      ],
      "description": "Standing against evidence. No Proven state: surviving falsification attempts corroborates a hypothesis, it does not establish it."
    }
  }
}
```

## Builds on

—

## Used by

- [Abduction](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Abduction.md) (Mind; References)
- [AdversarialProof](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/AdversarialProof.md) (Society; References)
- [Callshort](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Callshort.md) (Mind; References)
- [ConfirmationBlock](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/ConfirmationBlock.md) (Mind; References)
- [Falsification](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Falsification.md) (Mind; References)
- [HypothesisEngine](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/HypothesisEngine.md) (Mind; References)
- [HypothesisLadder](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/HypothesisLadder.md) (Mind; References)
- [NegativeProof](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/NegativeProof.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Hypothesis#mh:SHA-256:09894332330937ab8ffd172087883db3adeddf6b7d4ca2befe31832416dedc14`
- Ref: `Hypothesis#0989`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Hypothesis#mh:SHA-256:e95b94f3066236d1b543330c46d177a5e2e590ea5bdd97953f589226a9f11812`
  - `sema:Hypothesis#mh:SHA-256:e13b827d9dea5d37bc7431cd20aee5acd49c69e15bf7660a0d563f741ba3fd71`

## Links

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