Notes

Browse by topic

Three topic hubs; each one defines the area, offers a start path, and lists the notes.

Start here (reading paths)

Three short reading paths, one per topic.

Performance

1. TTFB and origin latencyUnderstand request phases and what “first byte” really contains.
2. Queueing basics and latency budgetsWhy tail latency explodes and how to set budgets that survive load.
3. Performance regressions checklistA workflow to confirm, isolate, and mitigate regressions.

Formal methods

1. Specs, invariants, and contractsWrite constraints you can review, test, and monitor.
2. Model checking primerExplore behaviour spaces and interpret counterexamples.
3. Session types and protocolsMake interaction structure explicit and checkable.

Distributed systems

1. Time, clocks, and orderingDefine “before” without relying on a single clock.
2. Failure modes, retries, idempotencyDesign operations so retry behaviour is safe and predictable.
3. Observability for distributed systemsDebug with evidence across service boundaries.

Latest notes

Six recent notes across all topics.

• Formal Methods for Multi-Agent Protocols: Specifying and Verifying Communication PatternsHow to apply session types, process algebras, and model checking to specify and verify the communication protocols that multi-agent AI systems depend on. formal
• Runtime Verification and Correct-By-Design: Scaling Formal Methods for Distributed SystemsHow runtime verification and correct-by-design principles bring formal methods into production distributed systems, catching violations that static analysis misses. formal
• AI-Generated Code and Formal Specifications: Challenges and Opportunities for 2026The tension between AI code generation speed and correctness guarantees, and how formal specifications can serve as both guardrails and validation targets for generated code. formal
• Integrating Formal Methods with AI Models: Neuro-Symbolic Techniques for Reliable SoftwareHow neuro-symbolic approaches combine neural network capabilities with formal reasoning to produce software systems that are both adaptive and verifiable. formal
• Formal Verification Goes Mainstream: LLM-Driven Proofs and VericodingHow large language models are lowering the barrier to formal verification by generating proof sketches and specifications, and what 'vericoding' means for engineering practice. formal
• MCP, A2A and ACP: The Emerging Protocols Powering Multi-Agent AI SystemsA technical comparison of the Model Context Protocol, Agent-to-Agent protocol, and Agent Communication Protocol, with analysis of their design assumptions, interoperability, and formal properties. formal
• Observability for distributed systemsHow traces and correlation IDs turn incidents into evidence. distributed
• Performance regressions checklistA repeatable workflow for confirming and localising regressions. performance
• Specs, invariants, and contractsWhat to write down so behaviour stays reviewable. formal
• Failure modes, retries, and idempotencyWhy retries create duplicates and how to make outcomes safe. distributed
• Cache hierarchy: edge to originReason about caches as a system, not a single knob. performance
• Behavioural equivalence in plain EnglishWhat “same behaviour” means depends on your observations. formal

How notes are written

• Quick summaryA short statement of what the note covers and why it matters.
• Key ideasDefinitions and mini examples to build working intuition.
• Common pitfallsThe mistakes that recur in practice (measurement, assumptions, and semantics).
• Related notesInternal links that keep the knowledge base navigable and crawlable.