---
slug: "Variable"
name: "Variable"
type: "Data Structures"
layer: "Infrastructure"
ref: "Variable#5333"
sema_id: "sema:Variable#mh:SHA-256:5333c0009a269825753bf5470554844285c46920c32e3d46ed71403090224dc7"
tags: ["Infrastructure","Data Structures"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json
url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Variable/
related: ["AntifragileInversion","Correlation","Uncertain"]
---

# Variable

Mutable value

Layer: Infrastructure · Category: Data Structures

## Mechanism

A named container whose contents can change while the name continues to refer to the same thing. A dimension of freedom in the problem space: what varies is the contents, not the identity.

## Invariants

- The name denotes the same variable before and after its contents change.
- A reported value carries when it was read.

## Failure modes

- Stale read treated as current, so a clock difference is attributed to the parties.
- Identity reused: one name rebound to something that is not a later state of the same quantity.

## Data schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "name",
    "value",
    "type"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "name": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Variable identifier"
    },
    "value": {
      "description": "Current state"
    },
    "type": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Data type definition"
    },
    "history": {
      "type": "array",
      "description": "Previous values (optional)"
    }
  }
}
```

## Builds on

—

## Used by

- [AntifragileInversion](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/AntifragileInversion.md) (Mind; References)
- [Correlation](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Correlation.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Uncertain](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Uncertain.md) (Mind; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Variable#mh:SHA-256:5333c0009a269825753bf5470554844285c46920c32e3d46ed71403090224dc7`
- Ref: `Variable#5333`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Variable#mh:SHA-256:f488e278141238c50584777b751863d84b094229e4568205e9ba54a9121c3aa5`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Variable/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/#Variable)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Variable.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json)