# GEARM 0.1 RC1 Release Notes

**Release identifier:** `GEARM-0.1-RC1`  
**Artifact stage:** `GEARM-A15`  
**Release status:** Executable Release Candidate  
**Specification version:** `0.1`  
**Closure date:** 2026-09-27

## Scope

GEARM 0.1 RC1 closes the first complete executable formalization of the Generic Enterprise Analytics Reference Model. The release candidate preserves the human-readable GEARM 0.1 specification as normative semantic authority and supplies machine-readable registries, graph representations, constraints, schemas, examples, tests, conformance tooling, reconciliation, and regression controls.

## Established artifact programme

1. **A1 — Canonical Concept Registry** — 176 GEARM-owned concepts.
2. **A2 — Canonical Relationship Registry** — 74 canonical relationships.
3. **A3 — Semantic Invariant Catalogue** — 180 normative `GEARM-INV-*` invariants.
4. **A4 — RDF / OWL Representation** — conservative formal representation without automatic semantic strengthening.
5. **A5 — JSON-LD Context** — explicit compact terms with no default `@vocab`.
6. **A6 — SHACL Constraints** — conservative executable portions of Hybrid invariants plus explicit assessment coverage metadata.
7. **A7 — Structural JSON / JSON-LD Schema** — Draft 2020-12 structural validation.
8. **A8 — Profile Schema** — governed Profile declaration and tightening structure.
9. **A9 — Canonical Examples** — eight informative examples.
10. **A10 — Positive Test Cases** — deterministic expected-PASS cases.
11. **A11 — Negative Test Cases** — structural-invalid, semantic-invalid, and Profile-invalid failure classes.
12. **A12 — Automated Conformance Runner** — 46-case manifest-driven machine regression.
13. **A13 — Cross-Artifact Reconciliation** — 51 deterministic consistency checks.
14. **A14 — Regression Suite** — 19 release-facing baseline checks with fail-closed drift detection.
15. **A15 — Release Closure** — release manifest, checksum inventory, final gate, and closure report.

## Release-candidate gate expectations

The A15 release manifest requires the established live machine gates to remain:

- A12: **46 / 46** testcase expectations matched.
- A13: **51 / 51** reconciliation checks passed, with zero warnings and zero failures.
- A14: **19 / 19** regression checks passed.

## Formalization corrections retained in RC1

Three non-normative defects were found and corrected during the executable programme:

- During A9 validation, the A8 `EvidenceRequirement.supports` union was corrected from `oneOf` to `anyOf` because a canonical `GEARM-INV-*` identifier is also a valid URI-reference string. Profile semantics were unchanged.
- During A12 integration, `GEARM-TC-014` manifest metadata was corrected to reference the actual canonical-specialization invariants `GEARM-INV-033`, `GEARM-INV-034`, `GEARM-INV-036`, `GEARM-INV-042`, and `GEARM-INV-076`. The testcase subject and A6 Shapes were unchanged.
- During A13 reconciliation, stale A3/A4 machine-constraint status metadata was aligned with A6 coverage: 85 `partial-executable`, 35 `assessment-required`, and 60 `assessment-only`. No invariant statement, requirement level, validation class, or normative meaning changed.

## Known limitations and conformance boundary

GEARM 0.1 intentionally does not claim that all semantic distinctions can be proven mechanically.

- A6 coverage records 85 invariants with partial executable constraints, 35 Hybrid invariants requiring semantic assessment without a safe executable reduction, and 60 Semantic-Assessment invariants.
- The A10/A11 manifest includes cases whose machine outcomes pass while semantic assessment remains required. Machine success is not complete GEARM conformance.
- The packaged A12 runner includes a deterministic native executor for the exact SHACL subset used by A6 and fails closed if unsupported SHACL constructs appear. PySHACL remains an optional alternative engine.
- GEARM conformance is independent of Product qualification, AI Product assurance, Data Product conformance, GEARA architecture conformance, model accuracy, fairness, regulatory compliance, analytical fitness, and business value unless an explicitly governed Profile composes such requirements.
- This release is an **Executable Release Candidate**, not a final `Released` publication. Promotion is a separate governance decision.

## Authority and compatibility

The human-readable GEARM 0.1 specification remains the normative semantic authority. Where a machine artifact conflicts with it, the machine artifact is defective and must be reconciled.

GEARM 0.1 RC1 preserves the central boundary:

```text
GEARM defines semantic meaning.
GEARA defines architectural responsibility for realizing that meaning.
```

and the hard architecture rule:

```text
GEARM Domain != GEARA Plane
```