Logic RFC (Request for Comments) is a system-agnostic Reference Architecture for data logic and AI governance. It provides a deterministic, machine-readable standard designed to bridge the gap between human intent ("The Why") and mechanical data actions ("The Then")[cite: 1]. By utilizing a Logic Map File Architecture, this protocol ensures that every metric is structurally bound to a verifiable business trigger, meeting the rigorous demands of NIST-2025/2026 AI Transparency Standards and Agentic AI Governance[cite: 1].
The framework utilizes a series of text-based map files to extract and standardize business rules, transforming raw data into "Logic DNA" and eliminating AI hallucinations[cite: 1].
- SEM (Semantic Layer): The "Business Why." A natural language manifest that anchors every metric to specific stakeholder personas and inclusion/exclusion logic[cite: 1].
- BRG (Bridge File): The "If-Then Connector." The kinetic link between a real-world business event (The If) and a data action (The Then)[cite: 1].
- LDD (Logical Data Design): The "Engine & Proof." The authoritative source for mathematical calculations, containing the Immutable Logic DNA™ signatures and validation rules[cite: 1].
- DIC (Data Dictionary): The "Map." High-fidelity physical source-to-target mapping providing the technical provenance required for 2026-standard audits[cite: 1].
- LUT (Lookup Tables): The "Universal Translator." Centralized reference data for all categorical labels and hierarchies, ensuring a unified vocabulary for NLP and AI agents[cite: 1].
Logic RFC™ utilizes Deterministic Safety Circuits to visually validate the logic flow. These proofs ensure that the "If-Then-Why" sequence is human-auditable and machine-enforced[cite: 1].
- Healthcare (ITW-1008): Visual Validation Proof of Sepsis Diagnostic Alert Logic — Aligned with ISO 13485[cite: 1].
- Operations (ITW-1002): Visual Validation Proof of Bereavement Fare Discount Logic — Aligned with NIST-600-1[cite: 1].
Logic RFC™ prevents "Operational Blindness" by forcing AI to validate a complete chain of institutional wisdom before taking action[cite: 1]. It turns decades of "What If" experience into an automated, proactive "Then" response[cite: 1].
Standard systems check a sensor; Logic RFC™ checks the entire world around that sensor to protect a cold perishable shipment[cite: 1]:
- Operational: Is the current temperature within the LUT threshold?[cite: 1]
- Asset Integrity: Is the transport vehicle (e.g., Boeing 737 MAX 9) currently grounded by the FAA/NTSB?[cite: 1]
- Infrastructure: Is the destination port closed due to a vessel bridge strike (like the Dali in Baltimore) or labor strike?[cite: 1]
- Geopolitical/Signal: Is the route compromised by a GPS blackout caused by a regional conflict, such as a war with Iran?[cite: 1]
- Result: If any link in this Deterministic Safety Chain fails, the AI is physically prohibited from proceeding[cite: 1].
The protocol now provides a horizontal logic backbone across the global economy[cite: 1]. The full registry of these logic maps—including the new NIST Small Business Series—can be explored at: https://www.ifthenwhy.ai/logic-rfc-metric-registry-index[cite: 1]
The protocol currently spans 18 comprehensive metric sets[cite: 1]:
- Retail (1001-1008): Growth, Churn, and Profit Logic[cite: 1].
- Manufacturing (1009): Cobot Safety and Production Integrity[cite: 1].
- Energy (1010): Grid Stability and Load Shedding[cite: 1].
- Manufacturing (1011): Cold-Chain Industrial Equipment Monitoring & Thermal Stability[cite: 1].
- Legal (1012): Deterministic Contractual Compliance & Perishable Clause Validation[cite: 1].
- Healthcare (1013): Clinical Safety & Cold-Chain Medication/Vaccine Integrity[cite: 1].
- Agriculture/ESG (1014): Carbon Sequestration & Cold Perishable Food Security[cite: 1].
- Logistics (1015): Cold Perishable Resilience & Global Macro-Risk Handling[cite: 1].
- NIST CSWP 50 Series (1016-1018): Small Business AI Governance[cite: 1].
- ITW-1016: The Digital Content Creator (The "Influencer" / Solo Marketer)[cite: 1]
- ITW-1017: The Independent Professional Services Provider (The "Solo Consultant")[cite: 1]
- ITW-1018: The Micro-Retailer / Service Provider (The "Physical-Digital" Hybrid)[cite: 1]
To maintain 100% deterministic fidelity and traceability, all files follow the Logic Map Universal Filename Protocol[cite: 1].
The internal identifier used for cross-linking metrics across the Logic Map set[cite: 1]:
itw_[MetricID].[PCF].[Section].[Division].[Status].[Version]
- Metric ID: 4-digit unique identifier (e.g.,
1001)[cite: 1]. - PCF: Process Classification Framework (last two digits)[cite: 1].
- Section: ISIC Industry Section letter (e.g., 'G' for Retail)[cite: 1].
- Division: ISIC Industry Division code (e.g., '047')[cite: 1].
- Status: Company identifier (e.g.,
REForEXP)[cite: 1]. - Version: 3-digit versioning (e.g.,
001)[cite: 1].
[PREFIX]_ITW-[MetricID].[PCF]-[Section].[Division].[Status].[Version].json[cite: 1]
Example Set for Metric 1017:[cite: 1]
SEM_ITW-1017.03-M.070-REF.001.json[cite: 1]BRG_ITW-1017.03-M.070-REF.001.json[cite: 1]LDD_ITW-1017.03-M.070-REF.001.json[cite: 1]
To understand the power of Logic RFC, consider the infamous Air Canada bereavement policy hallucination[cite: 1]. Without a logic anchor, an AI agent "guessed" a policy that didn't exist[cite: 1].
By applying the Logic RFC protocol[cite: 1]:
- The IF (The Trigger): A customer requests a bereavement fare[cite: 1].
- The THEN (The Action): The system retrieves the
LOCKEDLDD math for the discount[cite: 1]. - The WHY (The Intent): To ensure regulatory compliance and brand consistency[cite: 1].
The agent no longer "reasons" or "guesses"—it simply follows the deterministic map[cite: 1].
To meet the "Validity and Reliability" requirements of the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, the Logic RFC™ protocol is audited for Hallucination Resistance using the industry-standard RAGAS Faithfulness metric (
| Test ID | Use Case Persona | RAGAS Faithfulness | Deterministic Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| ITW-1002 | Customer Support (Air Canada) | 100% | Absolute enforcement via extractive LDD[cite: 1]. |
| ITW-1017 | Solo-Consultant (NIST UC2) | 98.1% | Authorized scope & rate governance[cite: 1]. |
| ITW-1016 | Content Creator (NIST UC1) | 96.4% | FTC compliance & health claim integrity[cite: 1]. |
| ITW-1018 | Mobile Plumber (NIST UC3) | 94.2% | Privacy-first financial transaction guard[cite: 1]. |
Audit Note: The ~5% variance in UC1 and UC3 accounts for "conversational padding" (polite AI fillers). All core business and compliance claims remain 100% grounded in the Logic DNA™[cite: 1].
This update incorporates the NIST Dioptra testbed logic to evaluate the trustworthy characteristics of the AI models interacting with Logic Map Files. While BERT measures if the AI is faithful to the logic, Dioptra measures how much you can trust the model's robustness against risks and attacks.
| ITW_ID | BERT Alignment Score | Audit Status |
|---|---|---|
| ITW-1001 | 84.85% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1002 | 85.21% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1004 | 85.17% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1005 | 84.40% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1006 | 86.83% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1007 | 84.92% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1008 | 84.71% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1009 | 82.64% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1010 | 81.93% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1011 | 82.44% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1012 | 82.81% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1013 | 82.72% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1014 | 81.82% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1015 | 83.25% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1016 | 84.31% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1017 | 86.54% | Successful Audit |
| ITW-1018 | 85.91% | Successful Audit |
The NoLI app provides both BERT analysis and interfaces with DIOPTRA to calculate scores that align with the NIST AI Risk Management Framework (RMF).
| Audit Layer | Metric | Focus Area | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faithfulness | BERT Score | Semantic Alignment | Ensures the "Then" reflects the "Why" |
| Robustness | DIOPTRA Score | Adversarial Resilience | Ensures model stability against risks/attacks |
Detailed logic alignment scores for the full registry can be found at: https://www.ifthenwhy.ai/bert-scores
The Logic RFC protocol ensures global interoperability by aligning with internationally recognized standards[cite: 1]:
- Industry Classification (ISIC): Section and Division codes are derived from the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) Rev. 4[cite: 1].
- Process Taxonomy: PCF values align with APQC standards for cross-industry process benchmarking[cite: 1].
- AI Governance: Engineered for compliance with NIST-2025/2026 AI Transparency Standards and NIST-600-1[cite: 1].
This protocol is engineered for Agentic AI Governance, providing[cite: 1]:
- Hallucination Prevention: Direct grounding for AI agents to interpret data without "Logic Drift"[cite: 1].
- Non-Repudiation: Proof that logic has not been altered since its last human-in-the-loop validation[cite: 1].
- Deterministic Guardrails: Ensuring autonomous agents operate only within "LOCKED" logical boundaries defined in the LDD[cite: 1].
- NIST Public Record: This framework and its underlying logic were formally submitted to the NIST-2025-0035 public docket (Security Considerations for AI Agents) in March 2026[cite: 1].
- Digital DNA: All core files utilize the
ITW_IDsignature protocol to ensure deterministic cross-referencing and logic integrity across distributed systems[cite: 1]. - Licensing: Distributed under the Apache License 2.0. Attribution to IfThenWhy™ is required for all derivative works, commercial implementations, or regulatory submissions[cite: 1].
Logic RFC™ is a Thought Leadership Protocol designed to prioritize human intent over technical infrastructure. It is an open-source methodology, not a proprietary service or a guaranteed fail-safe for AI accuracy.
- No Liability: This protocol and all associated mapping files are provided "as is" under the Apache License 2.0. IfThenWhy™ and its contributors are not legally responsible for AI hallucinations, data errors, or operational failures resulting from the implementation of this framework.
- User Responsibility: Users are solely responsible for the creation, human-in-the-loop validation, and oversight of the business rules defined within their specific Logic Map sets.
- Non-Commercial Intent: Use of this framework constitutes an acknowledgment that IfThenWhy™ is providing a thought leadership idea and is not actively selling or providing professional data services.
This repository is organized to separate the core protocol specifications from the operational tools and reference data.
/app: Contains the core Python engines, logic-processing scripts, and backend utilities that power the framework./NoLI_App: The home of the Streamlit application used to make, update, and audit Logic RFC map files./spec: The authoritative registry for ITW_ID metric files and Logic DNA signatures./spec/registry: Contains universal reference data, including ISIC Industry codes and PCF categories./templates: Master JSON templates used by the NoLI App to "Forge" new, standardized logic maps./output: The default destination for newly generated or updated Logic Map files.
© 2026 IfThenWhy™. All Rights Reserved. Logic RFC™ and Logic DNA™ are trademarks of IfThenWhy™.