> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ecmf.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Memory Lifecycle

> How memories are created, updated, contradicted, ranked, and snapshot-selected.

# Memory Lifecycle

## Creation

New memories are created only after the Adjudicator stages and finalizes a valid operation set.

Each persisted memory includes:

* `user_id`
* `scope_type`
* optional `bucket_id`
* type, content, summary, rationale, evidence
* scoring fields
* source provenance

## Update and merge

The Adjudicator can decide that a new claim should:

* create a new memory
* update an existing memory
* merge into an existing memory
* remain visible as a contradiction
* be discarded

Merges and supersession are tracked through lineage events.

## Contradictions

Competing claims are tracked through contradiction groups and contradiction items.

This prevents silent overwrites when a fact is unstable, contested, or not yet resolved.

## Relevance updates

Whenever memory is touched during read or maintenance flows, aCMF updates:

* `recall_count`
* `last_recalled_at`
* `current_relevance_score`
* `average_relevance_score`

## Decay and status

Memories are scored for decay over time and may move through:

* `active`
* `warm`
* `stale`
* `archived`

Other states include:

* `duplicate`
* `superseded`
* `conflicted`

## Snapshot selection

Snapshots are built per user and include only `user` and `global` memories.

Container-only memories are excluded by design.

The snapshot path favors:

* importance
* confidence
* relevance
* recency
* memory health