Mutation Blast Radius (MBR)
Mutation Blast Radius is the extent to which a proposed semantic or structural change propagates across dependent anchors within the Semantic Surface Area.
The Danger of Deep Dependencies
Even nominal changes (e.g., renaming a core term) may exhibit high MBR when the term functions as a semantic hub. In highly interconnected institutional systems, a simple revision can unintentionally alter the meaning of policies, rules, or governance constraints downstream.
Governing the Radius
High-MBR environments require structured containment. This includes:
- Pre-mutation reference inventory
- Criteria articulation
- Backward compatibility evaluation
- Authority validation
- Structured mutation containers
Part of the PKOS Lexicon.