backtracking-retracts-least-entrenched
IN premise
`add_nogood` resolves contradictions via dependency-directed backtracking: `find_culprits` traces to premises, scores by `_entrenchment`, and retracts the least-entrenched premise to minimize disruption.
Summary
When the system detects a contradiction between beliefs, it doesn't just pick an arbitrary one to throw out. Instead, it traces back through the chain of reasoning to find which foundational assumptions led to the conflict, then removes the one considered least important (lowest entrenchment score), preserving as much of the existing knowledge as possible.
Dependents
These beliefs depend on this one:
- contradiction-resolution-is-minimal-disruption — The nogood resolution system minimizes network disruption through layered heuristics: the primary path traces justification chains back to premises and selects the least-entrenched for retraction, the fallback uses dependent count when no traceable chain exists, and all contradictions are unconditionally recorded regardless of resolution outcome.
- nogood-resolution-maintains-consistent-ids — Nogood recording and resolution produces a consistent, referenceable history of contradictions
Details
| Source | entries/2026/04/23/reasons_lib-network.md |