bi-bounded-inquiry

name	bi - Bounded Inquiry
description	Unbounded inquiry cannot terminate - every answer opens new questions.
output	{"format":"prose"}

Bounded Inquiry

Overview

Unbounded inquiry cannot terminate - every answer opens new questions. Bounded inquiry can terminate - closure is possible within scope.

This procedure establishes explicit boundaries for any inquiry, enabling satisfying closure rather than infinite regress.

Depth Scaling

Default: 2x. Parse depth from $ARGUMENTS if specified (e.g., "/bi 4x [input]").

Depth	Min Inquiry Branches	Min Depth per Branch	Min Boundary Tests	Min Convergence Checks
1x	2	2	1	1
2x	3	3	2	2
4x	5	4	3	3
8x	7	5	5	4
16x	10	7	7	6

These are floors. Go deeper where insight is dense. Compress where it's not.

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Steps

Step 1: Establish goal boundary

Before beginning inquiry, explicitly state:

• What are we trying to achieve?
• What would count as success?
• What would this achievement enable?

Be specific. "Understand X" is too vague. "Be able to predict Y given Z" is specific.

Output: goal_statement

Step 2: Establish scope boundary

Explicitly state:

• What is IN scope for this inquiry?
• What is OUT of scope?
• Where are the edges?

Questions outside scope are acknowledged but deferred: "That's outside this inquiry. We can address it separately."

Output: scope_definition

Step 3: Establish rules boundary

Explicitly state:

• What counts as valid reasoning here?
• What evidence standards apply?
• What would we accept as an answer?

This prevents moving goalposts and endless "but what if?"

Output: rules_definition

Step 4: Establish stakes boundary

Explicitly state:

• Why does this inquiry matter?
• What depends on its completion?
• What's the cost of not terminating?

If there are no stakes, ask: Why are we doing this?

Output: stakes_definition

Step 5: Conduct inquiry within boundaries

Pursue the inquiry, but check against boundaries:

• Is this question within scope?
• Does this answer serve the goal?
• Does this reasoning follow the rules?
• Are we respecting the stakes?

Out-of-scope questions: Acknowledge and defer. Goal-irrelevant tangents: Note and return. Rule-violating moves: Reject or flag.

Output: inquiry_process

Step 6: Recognize termination

Inquiry terminates when:

• Goal is achieved (success)
• Goal is shown unachievable within scope (bounded failure)
• Stakes require decision now (practical closure)
• Remaining questions are out of scope (scoped completion)

State the termination explicitly: "This inquiry is complete because [criterion]."

Output: termination_statement