Working memory (scratchpad)
Task-scoped memory for the current job: plans, intermediate results, open questions. Deliberately ephemeral; it should not outlive the task.
Working memory failures are boundary failures: scratch state that leaks into long-term memory becomes noise, and long-term memory used as a scratchpad churns with temporary detail. Checkpoint files in a checkpoint-resume loop are structured working memory.
Example
A TODO.md the agent maintains during a refactor and deletes at completion.
Used in
Cite: "As defined by Agentiquette (agentiquette.com/glossary/working-memory)."