Glossary · Evaluator mechanisms
Configured trusted base
Everything a formal guarantee is relative to: permitted axioms, theorem statements, checker version, kernel configuration, environment assumptions, and whether the optimizer can modify any of them. The Goodhart boundary moves here rather than disappearing.
Defined in
Handbook · FoundationsThe verification hierarchy, demotedFormal > execution > learned judges > intrinsic signals. A useful prior on how grounded a signal is, never a verdict on validity.Related terms
- Formal verifier
- A proof checker, model checker, type system, or similar mechanism whose acceptance has a soundness argument relative to a configured trusted base.
Where it comes up
- The evaluator systemHandbook · Foundations
- Mechanism familiesHandbook · Instrument
- Exposure, modification, and accessHandbook · Regime
- The validation profile and validity statementHandbook · Validity under pressure
- Guarantee before you estimateHandbook · Practice
- A: Mathematical reasoningHandbook · Case studies