arXiv Machine Learning

Epistemic Memory: A Validity Layer for Self-Maintaining Intelligent Systems

The paper introduces epistemic memory, a validity-maintenance layer for intelligent systems that tracks when stored knowledge remains applicable. It formalizes a dynamic epistemic quotient and shows that fixed semantic representations inevitably incur error as epistemic boundaries shift. The authors propose Observable Belief Memory (OBM), which combines current epistemic quotients, belief over quotient classes, and within-class provenance, and demonstrate that explicit epistemic tracking improves robustness under changing observation conditions.