sica-fondt/core/docs/plans/A5-priors.md

A5 — Priors database

1. Component

PS+'s non-endocrine primitive: the records of the self — high-salience Triumphs and Traumas (scar/reward tissue). When a current event structurally matches a prior, it activates and injects a large, specific argument into PS+ load.

2. Status / certainty

Structure WIP (priors.R, 63 L). As a database (query/decay/persistence), C3.

3. Language & location

R · src/endocrine/priors.R (consumed by PS+ A3). Persistence backing → storage (E2/E3) later.

4. Does / does-not

• Does: store prior records; return top active priors above a salience threshold; track activation counts; decay salience over time.
• Does-not: aggregate load (A3) or decide; it is memory tissue, queried by PS+.

5. Interface contract [WIP]

• Record: { id, type∈{TRAUMA,TRIUMPH}, salience(0..5.00), payload(str), activation_count }.
• init_priors_state() -> store · add_prior(store,id,type,salience,payload) -> store' · get_top_active_priors(store, threshold=?) -> [record] (desc salience) · activate_prior(store,id) -> store' · decay_prior(store,id,rate=?) -> store'.

6. Dependencies & stubs

None upstream. The match that activates a prior (structural similarity of current event ↔ prior) is upstream of A5 — stub: call activate_prior(id) directly for tests. Also connects to EthInt via Memory stores and Tool Calling

7. Invariants / laws

• L1 (C5): type ∈ {TRAUMA, TRIUMPH} only (invalid types error).
• L2 (C4): salience clamped 0..5; top-active sorted descending; only ≥ threshold are "active." Uses floating point scalar.
• L3 (C4): activation is tracked; salience decays over time (for migration cycles).
• L4 (C1): threshold + decay-rate constants — refit invariants-first.

8. Build steps

1. Lock the record + L1–L3 as tests. 2. Refit threshold/decay (drop old 0.8 / 0.01 unless re-derived).
2. Define the match interface (how an event activates a prior) — likely semantic, ties to A4/A7 tags.
3. Add persistence (E2/E3) once storage specs land.

9. Tests

Rscript src/endocrine/test_* (PS+ tests exercise priors); add a dedicated priors test for L1–L3.

10. Open items

• The match mechanism (event ↔ prior structural similarity) — C1.
• Persistence backing (VARIANT store E2 vs RAG E3) — C1.
• Threshold/decay constants (C1).
• Should we use R for a predominantly lookup and reference script? Is R-to-R worth precision and ease of use compared to C-abi connection?