Foundations · Lesson 04 of 04
Honest boundaries and not_proved
When Ota cannot verify a claim, it must say so explicitly. not_proved is a first-class result, not a failure.
Learning objectives
- Explain what
not_provedmeans in a receipt - Describe when Ota emits a
not_provedboundary - Avoid treating silence as a proof of absence
Prerequisites
Honest proof reports both established evidence and material boundaries. Ota uses bounded verdicts and not_proved records so one green lane cannot silently imply broader repository, service, platform, or application proof.
Read the verdict and its boundary together
A runtime proof can complete while retaining unproved boundaries. The correct interpretation is not 'everything passed'; it is 'the selected obligations passed, and these adjacent claims remain unproved.'
{ proof_verdict: "passed_with_unproven_boundaries", not_proved: [ { "kind": "broader_repo_completion_not_proved" } ]}Unknown must remain visible
Missing instrumentation, unsupported adapters, unverified services, and unselected platform lanes should remain unknown or not_proved. Ota must not convert silence into absence or a structurally valid field into verified truth.
Canonical terminology
Evidence boundary for this lesson
Establishes
- The worked examples establish the lesson's canonical Ota distinctions for its stated scope.
Does not establish
- Reading the lesson does not validate a repository, execute its tasks, or establish organizational acceptance.
Knowledge check
What does passed_with_unproven_boundaries mean?
The selected proved obligations passed, while named adjacent claims remain unproved. It is not repository-global success.