Context Number Sequence Checker

Audit observed context IDs for missing expected numbers, duplicates and outside-range IDs; omissions do not establish lost archaeological contexts.

Description

A context-number audit compares observed IDs with an explicitly expected range.

A context-number audit compares observed IDs with an explicitly expected range. Missing, duplicated and out-of-range IDs represent different record discrepancies.^[1]

Audit observed context IDs for missing expected numbers, duplicates and outside-range IDs; omissions do not establish lost archaeological contexts.

When to use Context Number Sequence Checker

Use this tool to audit observed context IDs for missing expected numbers, duplicates and outside-range IDs; omissions do not establish lost archaeological contexts.

Prepare the artifact, site or survey measurements and any independently established calibration or model choices. Keep paired observations aligned and confirm units and coordinate conventions.

How to use Context Number Sequence Checker and understand its results

Prepare the artifact, site or survey measurements and any independently established calibration or model choices. Keep paired observations aligned and confirm units and coordinate conventions.
Enter recordedContextNumbers, expectedFirstNumber, expectedLastNumber using the field table and calculation rules, then run the tool.
Read missingContextNumbers, duplicateContextNumbers, outsideExpectedContextNumbers. The explanation below defines the units, signs, ordering and any flags or placeholder values.
If the tool reports an input issue, correct the values and run it again. Apply the stated assumptions when interpreting a successfully returned result.

Input field	Meaning	Value type; see rules below	Requirement
recordedContextNumbers	Recorded context numbers	list of number	Required
expectedFirstNumber	Expected first number	integer	Required
expectedLastNumber	Expected last number	integer	Required

Supply nonnegative integer recorded context numbers and ordered nonnegative integer first/last expectations spanning at most 10,000 IDs. Return missing numbers in ascending order, distinct duplicated IDs sorted numerically and distinct outside-range IDs sorted numerically. Empty observed records are allowed and make the whole expected range missing.

missing = expected range minus observed set; duplicates = observed IDs with count>1

Units, indexing, boundary conditions and exceptional cases are defined in the calculation rules above.

Output field	Meaning	Value type
missingContextNumbers	Missing context numbers	list of number
duplicateContextNumbers	Duplicate context numbers	list of number
outsideExpectedContextNumbers	Outside expected context numbers	list of number

json

{
  "input": {
    "recordedContextNumbers": [
      10,
      12,
      12,
      9
    ],
    "expectedFirstNumber": 10,
    "expectedLastNumber": 13
  },
  "output": {
    "missingContextNumbers": [
      11,
      13
    ],
    "duplicateContextNumbers": [
      12
    ],
    "outsideExpectedContextNumbers": [
      9
    ]
  }
}

Limitations and assumptions

A numerical gap does not establish that an archaeological context is physically lost or that every intervening ID should have been assigned. Expectations are caller policy.

Numeric inputs must be finite. Follow the calculation-specific rules for overflow, underflow and exceptional cases. Numeric lists are limited to 100,000 entries; the rules above may require smaller limits. Missing required fields, extra fields, wrong value types and violations of the calculation rules are input errors.

Alternative or Complementary methods

Use Harris Matrix Depth Order Checker: Topologically audit supplied older-to-younger Harris relations, reporting measured positive-down depth contradictions without overwriting stratigraphy; input order breaks ties and cycles error. For a complementary task, use Original Order Preservation Deviation Flag Checker: Audit actual original/current matched stable identities through displacements and pair inversions, rather than infer archival integrity from moved count; missing/duplicate identity is unresolved, not accepted.

References

Context Number Sequence Checker — tool.io

Similar or alternative tools

Harris Matrix Depth Order Checker
Topologically audit supplied older-to-younger Harris relations, reporting measured positive-down depth contradictions without overwriting stratigraphy; input order breaks ties and cycles error.
Original Order Preservation Deviation Flag Checker
Audit actual original/current matched stable identities through displacements and pair inversions, rather than infer archival integrity from moved count; missing/duplicate identity is unresolved, not accepted.