# conservation/1 — conformance

Test vectors for any implementation claiming to implement the
JouleClaw Information Conservation Law (`conservation/1`). The
reference [`DeterministicVerifier`] in this crate passes every
vector; any other implementation (alternate verifier, FFI binding,
re-implementation in another language) is conformant iff it produces
the same `Vec<VerificationFinding>` — same variants, same field
values, same order — for every input fixture.

## Files

- `vectors.json` — the canonical fixture set. 5 vectors covering
  every finding variant (`conforming`, `below_spec`, `hallucination`,
  `missing_delta`) plus one multi-finding case.

## Verifier

`../tests/conformance.rs` is the Rust verifier. It is wired into
this crate's standard test target:

```
cargo test -p jouleclaw-conservation --test conformance
```

Other-language verifiers (Python, Go, JavaScript, …) MUST parse
`vectors.json` directly, compute the findings, and assert byte-
equality against `expected_findings` under the same snake_case-
tagged enum serialization the reference uses. The order of
findings in the output MUST match the order in `expected_findings`.

## Encoding

- `spec_bytes_utf8` / `output_bytes_utf8` — UTF-8 bytes to measure.
- `delta_fields` — a JSON object of name → string value. The
  reference verifier sums per-field byte counts in BTreeMap
  iteration order (sorted), so the choice is deterministic.
- `substrate_*` — the amortized arrangement store id, optional
  content hash, and the bytes contributed to the output by the
  substrate (not by the spec or delta).
- `residual_tolerance` — bytes of acceptable shortfall on
  `output ≥ spec`. `0` for strict conservation.
- `required_slots` — names that MUST appear in `delta_fields`
  with a non-empty value; missing or empty fields produce a
  `missing_delta` finding.

## Adding a vector

Add an entry to `vectors`, bump `vector_count`, and re-run the
verifier. Any added vector becomes part of the conformance contract
for every implementer.