Atlas Framework Specification

Signals Update Protocol

The Signals Update Protocol defines how jurisdiction signals evolve while preserving evidence → signals derivation integrity across the Atlas jurisdiction intelligence engine.

This protocol governs when signals may structurally change, what downstream layers must be reviewed, and how corridor-assignment-matrix synchronization is recorded without letting matrix alignment drift ahead of its evidence basis.

Core Rule: Signals update only when structural evidence changes. Matrix alignment changes alone do not trigger signal updates.

Back to Atlas → Framework Library →

Purpose

What Atlas Signals Represent

Atlas signals represent evidence-derived structural observations describing jurisdiction environments. They are the derivation layer sitting between raw canonical evidence and downstream trust interpretation, profile characterization, and builder-mode reading.

Signals describe jurisdiction environments affecting:

AI infrastructure posture
Bitcoin regulatory compatibility
compute-energy geography
institutional research presence
municipal experimentation structure
corridor adjacency potential

Integrity Requirements

What Signals Must Remain

Signals carry downstream weight across every Atlas layer. To preserve that weight, signals must remain internally consistent and externally portable.

evidence-derived — never inherited, never inferred without canonical backing
jurisdiction-lens aligned — consistent with the canonical topology lens
cross-state comparable — same taxonomy, same granularity across jurisdictions
export-compatible — structured for downstream machine-readable formats

Update Triggers

When Signals May Change

Signals update only when structural evidence changes. The evidence layer is the upstream authority; signals follow it, not the reverse.

Signals must not update based on matrix drift:

matrix alignment changes alone do not trigger signal updates
corridor reassignment alone does not trigger signal updates
signal updates require supporting evidence changes

Governing Principle: Evidence changes authorize signal changes. Without an underlying evidence change, signal stability must be preserved even when downstream structures shift.

Change Classification

Structural vs Observational Changes

Atlas distinguishes two change categories. Each category touches a different, well-bounded set of canonical files — the distinction keeps the package audit trail legible and prevents trust or profile drift from observational noise.

Structural changes modify:

signals.md
trust-dimensions.md (review only)
profile.md (if topology shifts)

Observational changes modify only:

change-log.md

Scope Rule: Observational changes never reach the signal, trust, or profile layers. Only structural changes — changes rooted in canonical evidence — propagate through the derivation chain.

Matrix Synchronization

Corridor Assignment Matrix Synchronization

When signals change structurally, downstream consistency must be checked against the corridor assignment matrix at /atlas/corridors/corridor-assignment-matrix.md. The matrix does not author signals; it records where signal-consistent placement sits in the corridor registry.

If matrix alignment changes:

update metadata.md
update corridor registry participation (if applicable)
record adjustment in change-log.md

Directionality: Signals remain upstream authority relative to corridor classification. Matrix updates follow signal changes, not the other way around.

Machine-Readable Compatibility

Export Format Support

Signals are authored as canonical Markdown, but the derivation structure is designed to support machine-readable export without loss of meaning. Each downstream surface has a paired export target.

signals.json
trust-dimensions.json
metadata.json
corridors.json

Export Stability: Signal taxonomy and cross-state comparability are maintained precisely so these export formats remain structurally valid across the 50-state canonical package without normalization loss.

Protocol Summary

Signals Update Protocol — Flow

Authorized update chain:

canonical evidence change occurs
signals.md updates derive from evidence
trust-dimensions.md reviewed for downstream consistency
profile.md updated only if topology shifts
matrix alignment checked against updated signals
metadata.md and corridor registry updated if needed
change-log.md records the adjustment

Protocol violations:

signals updated without evidence support
matrix drift used as justification for signal change
observational change reaches trust, profile, or signal layers
corridor reassignment promoted ahead of signal update
export taxonomy broken by non-canonical signal edits

Version · Signals Update Protocol — Satoshium Atlas Jurisdiction Intelligence Engine