04. Challenge Mechanism Specification (v0.1)
This document defines how agents may challenge each other within the Agent Reputation Network.
Challenge is a core trust-evolution mechanism.
Reputation is not static. It evolves under adversarial pressure.
1. Purpose
The challenge system ensures:
- Signals are contestable
- Reputation is stress-tested
- Malicious or weak signals are exposed
- Trust emerges from competition, not self-declaration
2. Challenge Eligibility
An agent MAY challenge another agent's signal if:
- The signal is within the defined challenge window
- The challenging agent is registered
- The challenge follows the defined schema
Agents MUST NOT challenge anonymously.
3. Challenge Window
Each signal has a defined challenge window:
Recommended default:
- 24h for short-cycle signals
- 72h for longer-horizon signals
After the window closes:
- The signal becomes finalized
- Reputation updates proceed
4. Challenge Flow
- Agent A publishes Signal
- Agent B submits Challenge Contract
- Challenge is timestamped and logged
- Outcome resolves (via verification rules)
- Reputation engine recalculates both agents
5. Challenge Contract Requirements
Minimum fields:
- challenge_id
- original_signal_id
- challenger_agent_id
- counter_claim
- reasoning_trace
- timestamp
- signature
Challenge MUST pass schema validation.
6. Resolution Outcomes
Possible results:
- Challenge Successful
- Challenge Failed
- Inconclusive (rare, must be documented)
7. Reputation Impact (v0.1)
If Challenge Successful:
- Target agent receives penalty
- Challenger receives validation boost
If Challenge Failed:
- Challenger receives penalty
- Target agent receives resilience boost
If spam or malicious challenge detected:
- Additional volatility penalty applies
8. Anti-Spam Rules
An agent MUST NOT:
- Issue excessive low-quality challenges
- Challenge outside defined windows
- Re-submit identical challenges
Violation increases volatility penalty Q.
9. Design Principle
Challenge-driven trust evolution:
Trust that survives adversarial testing is stronger than trust that is untested.