Definition ∞ Invariant calculation refers to the process of determining a value or property within a smart contract or protocol that should remain constant despite various operations or state changes. These invariants represent fundamental rules or conservation principles that must always hold true for the system to function correctly and securely. Validating these calculations is crucial for preventing exploits where deviations from expected invariants lead to financial loss or system malfunction. It acts as a security check.
Context ∞ Audits of smart contracts heavily rely on identifying and verifying invariant calculations to ensure protocol integrity and prevent vulnerabilities. News reports on DeFi exploits often trace the root cause back to a failure in maintaining a critical invariant, leading to unauthorized asset transfers or liquidity drains. The continuous development of formal verification tools aims to automate the rigorous checking of these essential mathematical properties.
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