---
slug: "PromiseGraph"
name: "PromiseGraph"
type: "Protocols"
layer: "Society"
ref: "PromiseGraph#3d39"
sema_id: "sema:PromiseGraph#mh:SHA-256:3d396f8f7903b440b517dd7f5711a8da61c0001d77722517a94100252fc0830e"
tags: ["Society","Protocols"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json
url: https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/PromiseGraph/
related: ["Agent","NegativeProof","SpotAudit"]
---

# PromiseGraph

Recursive trust dependencies modeled as a DAG

Layer: Society · Category: Protocols

## Mechanism

Agents do not trust each other directly; they trust a graph of promises. [Agent](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Agent.md) A accepts a promise from [Agent](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Agent.md) B only if B provides a dependency graph of sub-promises it relies on. A verifies the leaves of the graph or checks B's 'credit score' for fulfilling similar graph structures. It maintains a DAG of trust, validating leaf nodes via [SpotAudit](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/SpotAudit.md) and ensuring acyclic dependencies via [NegativeProof](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/NegativeProof.md) logic.

## Invariants

- Acyclic: Promise dependencies cannot form a loop
- Cycles forbidden.
- Leaf Verification: All leaf promises must be anchored in verified truth

## Failure modes

- Graph explosion (too much verification overhead).

## Data schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "nodes",
    "edges"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "nodes": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "object",
        "properties": {
          "promise_id": {
            "type": "string"
          },
          "promisor": {
            "type": "string"
          }
        }
      },
      "description": "Promise nodes"
    },
    "edges": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "object",
        "properties": {
          "from": {
            "type": "string"
          },
          "to": {
            "type": "string"
          }
        }
      },
      "description": "Dependency edges"
    },
    "leaf_anchors": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "description": "Verified leaf promises"
    }
  }
}
```

## Builds on

- [Agent](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Agent.md) (Mind; References)
- [NegativeProof](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/NegativeProof.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [SpotAudit](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/SpotAudit.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

—

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:PromiseGraph#mh:SHA-256:3d396f8f7903b440b517dd7f5711a8da61c0001d77722517a94100252fc0830e`
- Ref: `PromiseGraph#3d39`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:PromiseGraph#mh:SHA-256:b71f80814ed80753cff7a03dc7b0969e1afafb207e0eef5edd5dcd74c1eb93ec`
  - `sema:PromiseGraph#mh:SHA-256:b671a765bd7d7b02ee4ad3582eb6a8fa7301bae735df912befb8e35c3c4f73a8`
  - `sema:PromiseGraph#mh:SHA-256:6bddbeb9a53a37790eca67d11fdb8d515c8f3c42a173f0a2d7cd191a6fe4a0f0`

## Links

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