What Is a ‘Liveness Property’ and How Does It Differ from an Invariant?
A liveness property is a condition that states "something good eventually happens," meaning the contract will eventually reach a desired state. It differs from an invariant (a safety property) which states "nothing bad ever happens." For a financial contract, a liveness property might be "a user who deposits collateral will eventually be able to withdraw it," or "the contract will eventually be upgradable." While invariants prevent loss, liveness ensures the contract remains functional and is not stuck in a permanent, unusable state.
Glossar
Liveness Property
Property ⎊ A formal verification concept ensuring that a system, such as a derivative settlement engine, will eventually reach a defined operational state and not become permanently stuck in an intermediate or unresponsive configuration.
Liveness
Verification ⎊ Liveness, within cryptocurrency and financial derivatives, denotes the continuous confirmation of system state and operational integrity, crucial for maintaining trust and preventing manipulation.
Invariant
Condition ⎊ An Invariant is a logical condition or property that must remain true throughout the entire operational lifecycle of a financial system, regardless of the sequence or volume of transactions executed.