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Proof

Measurement methodology.

Benchmark numbers are only useful when you know what job was measured.

The wrong way to read a benchmark is to take one number from one category and compare it to a different number from another category. A warm local read, a cold local read, a content address lookup, a durable batch write, a runtime call, and a network command are different jobs.

The categories

CategoryWhat it meansWhat to compare it to
Warm local readThe data is local, the needed pages are warm, and Bitfield knows where to read.Other warm local reads with a similar access shape.
Cold local readThe data is local, but setup or fetch work is included.Other cold local reads on similar hardware.
Content address lookupBitfield resolves a content identity before reading.Other local lookup paths, not exact-position reads.
Durable batch writeMany writes are grouped, then the cost is divided across written items.Other batch writes with the same durability boundary.
Runtime callApp code asks a Bitfield target to do work through Runtime Kit.Other runtime request and reply paths.
Network commandData crosses a network before the app gets an answer.Other networked systems in the same deployment shape.

Why warm local read is allowed to be tiny

Warm means the operating system already has the needed file pages available. Local means the read does not cross a network. Known position means Bitfield is not asking a separate database process to parse, plan, and search for the answer.That does not break physics. It names the physics being measured.

Why the non-claims matter

The headline number is never the whole truth. The non-claims tell you where the number stops.
If a number says warm local read, do not read it as cold disk, network request, every possible query, or every possible write.

How docs should present numbers

Every public speed row needs:
  • The number.
  • The unit.
  • The measured category.
  • The mechanism.
  • A list of what the number is not claiming.
That is why the benchmark ledger and claim ledger exist.
Last modified on May 8, 2026