Duckdb Timetravel

duckdb-timetravel

Layer 3: Temporal Versioning and ACSet Schema Generation for DuckDB

Version: 1.0.0
Trit: 0 (Ergodic - coordinates data flow)
Bundle: database

Overview

DuckDB-timetravel provides temporal versioning for interaction data, enabling queries across historical states. It integrates with ACSets for schema generation and supports DuckLake-style snapshots.

Capabilities

1. temporal-query

Query data at specific points in time.

-- DuckLake-style time travel
SELECT * FROM interactions 
AT (VERSION => 3);

-- Snapshot at specific timestamp
ATTACH 'ducklake:interactions.db' 
  (SNAPSHOT_TIME '2024-11-30 00:00:00');

-- Query historical state
SELECT * FROM interactions
WHERE created_at < '2024-11-30'
AS OF TIMESTAMP '2024-11-15';

2. version-management

Create and manage temporal versions.

from duckdb_timetravel import VersionManager

vm = VersionManager("interactions.duckdb")

# Create checkpoint
version_id = vm.checkpoint(
    message="Before pattern training",
    seed=0xf061ebbc2ca74d78
)

# List versions
versions = vm.list_versions()
# [
#   {id: 1, timestamp: "2024-11-01", message: "Initial import"},
#   {id: 2, timestamp: "2024-11-15", message: "Added network data"},
#   {id: 3, timestamp: "2024-11-30", message: "Before pattern training"}
# ]

# Restore to version
vm.restore(version_id=2)

3. acset-schema-gen

Generate DuckDB schemas from ACSet definitions.

from duckdb_timetravel import ACSsetSchemaGenerator

gen = ACSsetSchemaGenerator()

# From ACSet category definition
schema = gen.from_acset("""
@acset ThreadOperad begin
    Thread::Ob
    Concept::Ob
    touches::Hom(Thread, Concept)
    parent::Hom(Thread, Thread)
    trit::Attr(Thread, Int)
    color_h::Attr(Thread, Float)
end
""")

# Generates:
# CREATE TABLE threads (
#     id VARCHAR PRIMARY KEY,
#     parent_id VARCHAR REFERENCES threads(id),
#     trit INT CHECK (trit IN (-1, 0, 1)),
#     color_h FLOAT CHECK (color_h >= 0 AND color_h < 360)
# );
# CREATE TABLE concepts (id VARCHAR PRIMARY KEY, name VARCHAR);
# CREATE TABLE thread_concepts (thread_id VARCHAR, concept_id VARCHAR);

4. diff-versions

Compare data between versions.

diff = vm.diff(from_version=2, to_version=3)

# Returns:
# {
#   added: [{table: "interactions", count: 150}],
#   modified: [{table: "users", count: 12}],
#   deleted: [{table: "temp_cache", count: 1}],
#   schema_changes: []
# }

5. color-stream-history

Track GF(3) color stream evolution over time.

CREATE TABLE color_stream_history (
    stream VARCHAR,           -- 'LIVE', 'VERIFY', 'BACKFILL'
    index_position INT,
    thread_id VARCHAR,
    h FLOAT,                  -- Hue
    trit INT,                 -- -1, 0, +1
    timestamp TIMESTAMP,
    version_id INT,
    PRIMARY KEY (stream, index_position, version_id)
);

-- Query color evolution
SELECT stream, index_position, h, trit, timestamp
FROM color_stream_history
WHERE thread_id LIKE '%T-019b44%'
ORDER BY stream, index_position;

DuckDB Schema Templates

Thread Operad Schema

-- Core tables
CREATE TABLE thread_nodes (
    thread_id VARCHAR PRIMARY KEY,
    title VARCHAR,
    message_count INT,
    created_at TIMESTAMP,
    updated_at TIMESTAMP,
    trit INT CHECK (trit IN (-1, 0, 1)),
    color_h FLOAT,
    color_s FLOAT DEFAULT 0.7,
    color_l FLOAT DEFAULT 0.5,
    parent_thread_id VARCHAR,
    depth INT DEFAULT 0
);

-- GF(3) sibling verification view
CREATE VIEW gf3_sibling_triplets AS
SELECT 
    t1.thread_id as thread_1,
    t2.thread_id as thread_2,
    t3.thread_id as thread_3,
    (t1.trit + t2.trit + t3.trit) % 3 as sum_mod_3,
    CASE WHEN (t1.trit + t2.trit + t3.trit) % 3 = 0 
         THEN 'CONSERVED' ELSE 'VIOLATION' END as status
FROM thread_nodes t1
JOIN thread_nodes t2 ON t1.parent_thread_id = t2.parent_thread_id
JOIN thread_nodes t3 ON t2.parent_thread_id = t3.parent_thread_id
WHERE t1.thread_id < t2.thread_id 
  AND t2.thread_id < t3.thread_id;

GF(3) Triad Integration

Conservation: (-1) + (0) + (+1) = 0 ✓

Configuration

# duckdb-timetravel.yaml
database:
  path: "interactions.duckdb"
  wal_mode: true
  checkpoint_interval: 100

versioning:
  auto_checkpoint: true
  max_versions: 50
  compression: zstd

acset:
  schema_prefix: "acset_"
  generate_views: true
  gf3_verification: true

reproducibility:
  seed: 0xf061ebbc2ca74d78

Justfile Recipes

# Initialize database with schema
discohy-init-db:
    duckdb thread_operad.duckdb -c ".read db/​thread_operad_schema.sql"

# Query thread tree
discohy-tree:
    duckdb thread_operad.duckdb -c "SELECT * FROM thread_tree ORDER BY depth, path"

# Check GF(3) conservation
discohy-gf3:
    duckdb thread_operad.duckdb -c "SELECT * FROM gf3_sibling_triplets"

# Time travel to version
discohy-restore version="1":
    duckdb thread_operad.duckdb -c "CALL restore_version({{version}})"

# View color stream history
discohy-stream-history thread_id:
    duckdb thread_operad.duckdb -c "SELECT stream, index_position, h, trit, timestamp FROM color_stream_history WHERE thread_id LIKE '%{{thread_id}}%' ORDER BY stream, index_position"

Related Skills

• acsets - ACSet category definitions
• clj-kondo-3color - Schema validation
• gay-mcp - Color stream generation
• entropy-sequencer - Temporal arrangement

Scientific Skill Interleaving

This skill connects to the K-Dense-AI/​claude-scientific-skills ecosystem:

Dataframes

• polars [○] via bicomodule
  • High-performance dataframes

Bibliography References

• general: 734 citations in bib.duckdb

SDF Interleaving

This skill connects to Software Design for Flexibility (Hanson & Sussman, 2021):

Primary Chapter: 4. Pattern Matching

Concepts: unification, match, segment variables, pattern

GF(3) Balanced Triad

duckdb-timetravel (+) + SDF.Ch4 (+) + [balancer] (+) = 0

Skill Trit: 1 (PLUS - generation)

Secondary Chapters

• Ch6: Layering

Connection Pattern

Pattern matching extracts structure. This skill recognizes and transforms patterns.

Cat# Integration

This skill maps to Cat# = Comod(P) as a bicomodule in the equipment structure:

Trit: 0 (ERGODIC)
Home: Prof
Poly Op: ⊗
Kan Role: Adj
Color: #26D826

GF(3) Naturality

The skill participates in triads satisfying:

(-1) + (0) + (+1) ≡ 0 (mod 3)

This ensures compositional coherence in the Cat# equipment structure.

Forward Reference

• unified-reafference (cross-universe coordination)

Patterns That Work

• Temporal versioning with Bumpus sheaves
• ACSet schema generation from categories
• Cross-universe session alignment

Patterns to Avoid

• Timestamp mixing without epoch conversion
• Queries without GF(3) conservation checks