What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to explore how agency graphs can be used to represent composite identity and probabilistic trust in digital environments.

May 7, 2026Open Access

Agency Graphs: A Design Framework for Composite Identity and Probabilistic Trust

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Key Points

The aim is to explore how agency graphs can be used to represent composite identity and probabilistic trust in digital environments.
Developed a vocabulary around agency graphs and their components.
Surveyed various applied domains where agency graphs could be implemented.
Illustrated the framework through examples of digital systems and communities.
Proposed that identity is composite and trust functions probabilistically.
Showed how roles emerge from relationships within agency graphs.
Indicated ongoing challenges in establishing stable trust networks without a single authority.

Abstract

This paper introduces agency graphs, queryable probabilistic graphs for modeling composite identity, delegated control, and trust across heterogeneous digital systems. It argues that identity is composite, trust is probabilistic, roles emerge from relationships, and agency cascades through those relationships. This framing is intended for environments where communities act across multiple systems without a single authority or stable directory. The paper develops the supporting vocabulary, surveys applied domains, and closes with what was built and what remains open.

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Andrew Schwab

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Agency Graphs: A Design Framework for Composite Identity and Probabilistic Trust

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