Formalize the operational semantics of the semantic workflow model

Formalize the operational semantics of the derive and infer primitives, guards, approvals, context snapshots, and workflow resumption in the proposed semantic workflow model, extending the limited transition sketch into formal transition rules before making semantic-persistence guarantees.

Background

The paper presents a conceptual, Lisp-inspired model in which workflow definitions, workflow instances, inference records, context snapshots, and dependency relations persist as semantic knowledge objects. Although the paper provides a transition-oriented sketch, it does not supply a formal calculus or implementation.

A complete operational account is needed to determine precisely how deterministic computation, LLM-mediated inference, policy checks, human approvals, context construction, and interruption or resumption update workflow state and the persistent knowledge substrate. The authors identify this formalization as a prerequisite for claiming semantic-persistence guarantees.

References

The result is a preliminary conceptual account of semantic persistence: workflows do not merely produce knowledge and leave traces, but can themselves be represented as inspectable, resumable, and reviewable knowledge objects, while formal transition semantics remain future work.

— Workflow as Knowledge: Semantic Persistence for LLM-Mediated Workflows  (2607.08740 - Quinto et al., 9 Jul 2026) in Section 6, Future Work; see also Abstract and Section 3.5

The remaining question is whether the workflow, together with its inference and deliberation acts, can be represented with the same semantic status as the knowledge they help produce.

— Workflow as Knowledge: Semantic Persistence for LLM-Mediated Workflows  (2607.08740 - Quinto et al., 9 Jul 2026) in Section 3.1, “The Fragmentation Problem”

A later version should also decide whether non-LLM nondeterministic operations, such as randomized algorithms, stochastic simulations, or external measurements, are adequately covered by replay-controlled derive or require a separate semantic primitive.

— Workflow as Knowledge: Semantic Persistence for LLM-Mediated Workflows  (2607.08740 - Quinto et al., 9 Jul 2026) in Section 6, Future Work; see also Section 3.4