A.4:8 - Rationale

The difference between intended design and actual operation is a relation between an account claim and facts about its subject. It is not explained by labeling every state “design-time” or “run-time”. A pump may operate while engineers edit its description; an observation may change knowledge while the pump remains unchanged.

Selecting the criterion first makes the distinction useful. The same observed flow can meet one requirement and miss another, and unmatched conditions can leave both conclusions unsupported. Keeping the response separate preserves an applicable target and permits a justified decision to retain the current arrangement, qualify its use or investigate further.

Repeated improvement remains available through B.4. It follows a selected need and subject-specific continuity, rather than a law requiring every holon to evolve or every account to have exactly one predecessor.