I-number
Persistent numeric identifier in the Extensible Resource Identifier (XRI) standard
i-numbers are a type of Internet identifier designed to solve the problem of how any web resource can have a persistent identity that never changes even when the web resource moves or changes its human-friendly name. For example, if a web page has an i-number, and links to that page use the i-number, then those links will not break even if the page is renamed, the website containing the page is completely reorganized, or the page is moved to another website.
Conceptually, an i-number is similar to an IP address, except i-numbers operate at a much higher level of abstraction in Internet addressing architecture. The other key difference is that i-numbers are persistent, i.e., once they are assigned to a resource, they are never reassigned. By contrast, IP addresses are constantly reassigned, e.g., your computer may have a different IP address every time it connects to the Internet.
Technically, an i-number is one form of an extensible resource identifier (XRI) — an abstract structured identifier standard developed at the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards for sharing resources and data across domains and applications. The other form is called an i-name.
The i-number form of an XRI is designed to serve as an address that does not need to change no matter how often the location of a resource on (or off) the Internet changes. XRIs accomplish this by adding a third layer of abstract addressing over the existing layers: IP numbering (first layer) and DNS naming (second layer). The notion of a third layer for persistent addressing is not new — Uniform Resource Names (URNs) and other persistent identifier architectures have been developed for this purpose.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “I-number” is persistent numeric identifier in the Extensible Resource Identifier (XRI) standard. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through I-number, Persistent and numeric, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “persistent numeric identifier in the Extensible Resource Identifier (XRI) standard” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Nov 17, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q3146458. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
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- Expand the search: follow I-number primary sources, I-number archive and I-number research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “I-number” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.