CODATA Physical Constants Reference mechanism

Model scope

The reference-table concept is appropriate and has no computational formula to verify. Verdict is NEEDS_REVIEW because the advertised inputs say only 'search/select constant' while the data requirement includes both CODATA 2018 and CODATA 2022; the required year-selection behavior is unspecified. The vectors use CODATA 2022 and should be made deterministic by adding catalog_year to the instrument input contract.

No additional formula finding is recorded.

Units and conventions

• Values are interpreted as CODATA recommended values in SI units.
• The catalog vintage must be explicitly selected; CODATA 2018 and CODATA 2022 can differ, especially for measured constants and derived constants.
• Uncertainties use CODATA parenthetical notation: for example, 6.67430(15)×10^-11 means (6.67430±0.00015)×10^-11.
• Exact zero uncertainty is appropriate only for constants defined exactly by the SI, such as c, h, e, and k_B.
• Equivalent SI units must be treated consistently: N A^-2 is equivalent to H m^-1 for permeability, and J s is equivalent to kg m^2 s^-1 for h.

Inspectable vector

One of 4 source-bound review vectors:

{
  "inputs": {
    "search": "speed of light in vacuum",
    "constant_symbol": "c",
    "catalog_year": 2022
  },
  "expected_outputs": {
    "value": "299792458",
    "unit": "m s^-1",
    "symbol": "c",
    "uncertainty": "0 (exact)",
    "codata_year": 2022
  },
  "working": "1. Search the catalog for the canonical name 'speed of light in vacuum'. 2. Select symbol c and CODATA 2022. 3. Return the tabulated exact SI-defined value: c = 299792458 m s^-1. 4. Because the value is exact by definition, uncertainty = 0."
}

Failure boundary

BREAK_CLAIMED · SELF_FLAGGED

The principal hazards are ambiguity and boundary handling: an empty query may be mishandled as an invalid zero-length operation, an extreme selector may be coerced instead of rejected, and the query e can return the wrong sign if elementary charge and signed electron charge are not explicitly distinguished. The CODATA-year branch also produces different alpha values and must not be silently mixed.

Other records

Sources and evidence

These pointers bind the page to evidence. They do not grant authority or collapse verification into deployment.

• VERIFIED_LEDGER.json
• evidence-tranche6/tranche6-results.json
• BOUNDARY_HAZARD_CATALOG.json