Advanced · Systems

Agent Protocol Dimensions

Visual diagram · (in preparation) · Math · (in preparation) · Worked example · 3 difficulty levels.

TL;DR. The distinct axes any agent-to-agent protocol must cover: identity, authorization, transport, semantics, evidence, and lifecycle.

Technical Definition

The distinct axes any agent-to-agent protocol must cover: identity, authorization, transport, semantics, evidence, and lifecycle.

How it works

Agent interoperability is not a single problem. Useful protocol design separates dimensions: identity (who is speaking), authorization (what they may do), transport and discovery (how messages travel and how peers are found), semantics (what messages mean and which vocabulary is shared), evidence (what proof of action is produced), and lifecycle (issuance, renewal, revocation). Mapping an implementation against these dimensions quickly exposes gaps — most early agent protocols specify transport and semantics well but leave authorization and evidence undefined.

Related Concepts

• Agent Identity Protocol (AIP) — A protocol for establishing and proving an AI agent's identity to other agents, services, and users.
• Agent Authorization Protocol (AAP) — A protocol that determines which actions an authenticated agent is permitted to perform, on whose behalf, and within what limits.
• Agent Action Evidence — Verifiable records proving what an agent did, under whose authority, with what inputs and result.
• Agent Protocol Semantics — The shared meaning layer of an agent protocol — what messages, verbs, and capability names actually denote.