eva-emptiness

name

eva-emptiness

description

Reasoning under epistemic emptiness: Prior → Probe → Simulate → Score → ActOrAsk (EVA tether). Use when the map/data is missing, unknowns dominate, requirements are rumor-thin, or authorization is the real unknown — not when the fix path is already clear. Composes with control-graph Outer; Grok Build plugin adds prior-agents + C/shell tether hooks. Triggers: eva-emptiness, /eva-emptiness, epistemic emptiness, blank sheet, EVA, Prior Probe Simulate Score ActOrAsk, trauma-shaped answers, robust decision making under uncertainty.

eva-emptiness

Load rule: This file is the formal SoT (AppGenMathPhyLang dialect). Expand references/english-procedure.md only if a Card field, Pathway, or Score axis is still ambiguous. Expand references/grok-build-map.md only if mapping a step to a Grok Build feature. Outer phases stay in control-graph — do not paste CG here.
CLT: DualLoad (A8) — HITL previews short; germane judgment at ActOrAsk; fan-out Probe/Simulate.

// Signature
EVA         : Extra-Vehicular Activity under epistemic emptiness
Skeleton    : Prior → Probe → Simulate → Score → ActOrAsk
Trauma ¬    : overclaim · unbounded ReAct · catastrophic forgetting ·
              auto-approve when unknown = authorization
Progress    : evidence_gain on Card vs pathway assumptions / signposts
Tether      : probe_budget · Claim-via-critical-path · auth hard-stop · signposts
ActOrAsk    : continue | switch | Ask
Pathway     : { short_step, tipping, signpost → switch }   // Simulate stub
Runtime     : control-graph Outer owns transitions
Agents      : EVA Inner (this skill) + prior-* forks

// Axioms
A1  Emptiness gate before EVA Inner — skip if path already clear
A2  Notice IDK on Card before first Probe
A3  One DOE question per Probe round (max ignorance reduction)
A4  Simulate ≥2 prior-diverse Pathways when emptiness_score high
A5  Score ⊥ ImplementerContext (plan + diffs + verify logs only)
A6  Act only via critical_path claims; else Ask (HITL); switch ≠ silent Act
A7  Never cut auth tether (--always-approve / --yolo under EVA = CANCELLED)
A8  Evaluate(δ) ≔ (Correctness, Effectiveness, Efficiency,
                   RobustSatisficing, OptionPreserve)
    // RobustSatisficing = C/E still hold under larger emptiness
    // OptionPreserve    = ≥1 high-value alternate pathway stays live

Related skills (load by name): control-graph · concurrent-cli-agents · adversarial-audit · higher-order-decision-architect.

---

Use / skip

Use	Skip
Unknowns dominate knowns; thin/no gold data	≤2-file obvious fix
Multiple futures disagree at PLAN	Clear acceptance + known verify cmds
Auth / irreversibility unclear	Pure mechanical refactor with tests
User asks EVA / epistemic emptiness / blank sheet

---

Emptiness gate (ORIENT)

Trigger EVA Inner when ≥2 hold; write on Card:

Field	Meaning
emptiness_score	low | med | high
knowns[] / unknowns[]	explicit split
idk	≥1 honest “I don’t know”
probe_budget	default 3 cheap probes
evidence_gain	append only on new disprove/confirm
bias_map	prior-fork disagreements (after Simulate)
auth_horizon	none | hit (HITL required)
disprove_with	cheapest check that would prove #1 assumption wrong
pathway_active	live pathway id (optional until Simulate)
signposts[]	{id, watch, fires_when → continue|switch|Ask}

---

Inner DAG (≤7)

E0 Prior+IDK → E1 one DOE Q → E2 explore probes → E3 Pathways
 → E4 blind Score → E5 ActOrAsk → E6 bounded Act (if continue)

id	done_when	role	on_fail
E0	Card: knowns/unknowns/priors + idk + disprove_with	deep	abort_batch
E1	Human answer or HOOTL default	human|fast	escalate_HITL
E2	≥2 explore summaries or probe_budget 0	explore	continue_siblings
E3	≥2 Pathways (short_step + tipping + switch signpost)	deep|coding	escalate_HITL
E4	scores + bias_map + trauma_flags + A8 axes	review	abort_batch
E5	continue | switch | Ask	human|deep	escalate_HITL
E6	verify cmds pass; Act cites Probe artifact	coding	continue → REPAIR via CG

Prior triad (default = 3):

Prior	Bias	Prefer
prior-conservative	refuse / delete	missing evidence → don’t ship
prior-generative	structure from analogy	shape when data≈none
prior-causal	intervene / disprove	name disprove_with

Self-bias (once/session): list assumptions → rank blast radius → Card.disprove_with for #1. Cannot name assumptions → Ask.

---

ActOrAsk

Choice	When
continue	Robust across Pathways; trauma_flags empty; critical_path cited; first step of pathway_active
switch	Signpost fired · tipping hit · fork contradiction → new pathway_active; Outer re-ORIENT (not silent Act)
Ask	Auth horizon · probe_budget 0 ∧ ignorance high · overclaim · switch needs human ack

---

Grok / Cursor wiring

Surface	Load
Cursor / library	this skill (/eva-emptiness)
Grok plugin	skill + prior agents + tether + /eva + /eva-tether-init
Auth tether	C bin/eva-tether preferred; portable shell fallback (zsh first); see permission-tether.md
Background	/workflow eva-emptiness {"goal":"…"} after .rhai copy to ~/.grok/workflows/ or project .grok/workflows/
Outer SM	control-graph; EVA owns Inner when gate fires

Map: references/grok-build-map.md. Compile C tether only with consent: /eva-tether-init --yes.

Suggest (name only — do not silent-launch)

Signal	Suggest
continue + multi-worker / multi-PR	/workflow multi-agent-delivery
Probe starved on cold/huge repo	/workflow context-ignite
Unknowns external/factual	/deep-research …
Want host-phased EVA	/workflow eva-emptiness {"goal":"…"}
auth_horizon=hit	stay /eva / HITL
next=switch	stay /eva or re-Prior with new pathway_active

---

Done when

• Card: emptiness_score, evidence_gain, bias_map, disprove_with, continue | switch | Ask reason
• continue → verify cmds pass; Claim-via-critical-path; OptionPreserve under high emptiness
• Ask → HITL preview only (approve/amend/abort) — no transcript dump
• No --always-approve / --yolo
• Tether hook active (C binary or shell fallback) for trauma bash

Do not

• Nest this inside control-graph/SKILL.md
• Auto-approve because the model “seems sure”
• Mega-step “implement everything” before Score
• Treat third-party “Arena Mode” as SoT — use forks + blind Score
• Compile bin/eva-tether without user consent (/eva-tether-init --yes)

Reference

• english-procedure.md — expand only if needed
• grok-build-map.md · permission-tether.md
• Library kernel: skills repo formal/AppGenMathPhyLang.kernel.md