For decades, distributed systems have typically assumed that correct participants execute protocol-specified behavior with stable, externally defined, and deterministic semantics. Classical theory has extensively parameterized network timing, communication topologies, and failure domains, but this participant model has remained comparatively fixed. The integration of autonomous reasoning engines, stochastic model-driven agents, and policy-driven actors into cloud control planes, incident response systems, and financial infrastructure challenges the universality of this assumption. These agents often produce divergent reasoning paths, distinct operational traces, and heterogeneous internal representations while achieving semantically equivalent and correct outcomes. In this paper, we introduce Post-Deterministic Distributed Systems (PDDS) as a research and engineering model for coordinating heterogeneous environments where deterministic code, stochastic models, and autonomous agents coexist. We show that classical distributed computing models form a zero-ambiguity special case of this participant-general model. We do not argue that deterministic systems disappear; rather, deterministic execution can no longer serve as the universal participant assumption for autonomous infrastructure. Finally, we outline five architectural pillars of post-deterministic infrastructure: Protocol-Driven Development, Verifiable Agentic Infrastructure, Autonomous State Control Planes, Semantic Quorum Assurance, and Epistemic State Replication. Epistemic State Replication extends persistence and consistency models from data visibility to knowledge visibility, enabling agentic memory, Verifiable Semantic Rollback, and coherence across reasoning participants. We also define a taxonomy of failure classes that arise in this setting.

翻译：数十年来，分布式系统通常假设正确参与者以稳定、外部定义且确定性的语义执行协议指定行为。经典理论已广泛参数化网络时序、通信拓扑和故障域，但参与者模型始终相对固定。将自主推理引擎、随机模型驱动代理和策略驱动参与者集成到云控制平面、事件响应系统和金融基础设施中，对这一假设的普遍性提出了挑战。这些代理往往在实现语义等价且正确结果的同时，产生发散性推理路径、不同的操作轨迹和异质内部表征。本文提出后确定性分布式系统（PDDS）作为研究和工程模型，用于协调确定性代码、随机模型和自主代理共存的异质环境。我们证明经典分布式计算模型构成了这种参与者通用模型的零歧义特例。我们不主张确定性系统消失；而是指出确定性执行不再能作为自主基础设施的普遍参与者假设。最后，我们勾勒出后确定性基础设施的五大架构支柱：协议驱动开发、可验证代理基础设施、自主状态控制平面、语义法定人数保证和认知状态复制。认知状态复制将持久性和一致性模型从数据可见性扩展至知识可见性，使代理记忆、可验证语义回滚和推理参与者间的一致性成为可能。我们还定义了此场景下出现的故障类别分类体系。