Shared vs. Separate Context

The first dimension of design: whether context is shared. Shared context – subsequent agent inherits the full trajectory of the predecessor (new role, but all memory): zero information loss, but context grows rapidly. Separate context – each agent has an independent trajectory, exchange via explicit mechanisms: modularity, isolation, parallelism, but synchronization is needed. OS analogy: shared context – threads (shared memory, no isolation), separate – processes. Heuristic rule: accumulated context >50% of window → separate; zero loss is critical → shared.

Related: [Multi-Agent Interaction without Shared Context], [Multi-Agent Role Switching], [File System in Multi-Agent Systems]