{
  "handle": "MonotonicCounter",
  "mechanism": "A distributed coordination primitive where a value (clock, version, balance) never decreases. This simplifies consensus: a node seeing a higher value knows it is seeing later state, without needing to compare histories. It is the foundation of logical clocks and CRDTs, and relies on a {{state_lock}} (or CRDT logic) to ensure the value never regresses.",
  "gloss": "Value that never decreases",
  "failure_modes": [
    "Counter overflow (finite integer space)."
  ],
  "invariants": [
    "{{value}}(T+1) >= {{value}}(T).",
    "A merge yields at least each of its inputs: Merge(A, B) >= A and >= B."
  ],
  "preconditions": [
    "Initial value defined"
  ],
  "postconditions": [
    "Order preserved"
  ],
  "_meta": {
    "tier": 1,
    "ring": 0,
    "supersedes": [
      "sema:MonotonicCounter#mh:SHA-256:f5a36a7775fe69757b2ab6fbf2dc66eab6689a1487b65005ae7ddef04dbd8235",
      "sema:MonotonicCounter#mh:SHA-256:40968470b9f8326f0171ebdc2ca7253982dc677e69aedfec61957a4ea5489131",
      "sema:MonotonicCounter#mh:SHA-256:33824eaaf148d996cbc3ccd7521b62dbba087070d23b5421918a446df3f01c8b",
      "sema:MonotonicCounter#mh:SHA-256:21c63e6bc594106fb6bd773e2d91a2ecb0aebb43e550d55cfbe901e6a38628a3"
    ],
    "path": [
      "Society",
      "Protocols"
    ]
  },
  "sema_id": "sema:MonotonicCounter#mh:SHA-256:d0d3ce256be4bc080a29eab7fda36381a4352a280d9a12d59179c60e71cf9bd0",
  "sema_ref": "MonotonicCounter#d0d3",
  "sema_stub": "d0d3",
  "dependencies": {
    "references": {
      "state_lock": "sema:StateLock#mh:SHA-256:c9c2809bdf97bb6ac17a8ffe428d4aa9a28294b99d64cc8a336a239d26a8afb8",
      "value": "sema:Value#mh:SHA-256:37fd75758d04cdd7f57a636ccb5394d463713d60c33b694e37ab71f4a5a896f8"
    }
  },
  "sema_layer": "Society",
  "sema_category": "Protocols",
  "used_by": {
    "references": {
      "AuditTrail": "sema:AuditTrail#mh:SHA-256:163b784f86e448340b94d0459483f0f476e052b5b7c589113f5c7df5dd1115a8",
      "Ballot": "sema:Ballot#mh:SHA-256:e0e4a34b48dba4669e09b04c4b8c3202f95c878fc26c29480a298012753b1f3c",
      "TimeWarpLog": "sema:TimeWarpLog#mh:SHA-256:755f480a60517d8e99807da674019db06ab0b7b2edabcc806d833947da4446e4"
    }
  }
}