Flatfile Agential Resource System Idea

What this is

A FlatfileAgentialResourceSystemIdea is an open term: a potential work item with unresolved metavariables.

The mathematical invariant comes from the theory of free algebras and proof assistants. In Agda, Coq, and Lean, an open term (or term with holes) is an expression that is well-typed but not yet fully elaborated — it contains metavariables ?m that must be resolved before the term becomes a ground, closed expression. A term with holes is a partial specification: it names what is being built without fully determining it.

A FlatfileAgentialResourceSystemIdea is exactly this: a potential OperationItem with metavariables left open. The metavariables are:

• Action: the specific thing to do — may be unclear (“something about the nucleus spec”)
• Blocker: a dependency that must be resolved before the action becomes available
• Priority: whether the work is worth committing to now

When all metavariables are resolved — the action is clear, no blocker prevents it, and it is worth doing now — the open term closes into a ground OperationItem and is promoted to PLANS.md. The FlatfileAgentialResourceSystemIdea entry is deleted: the ground term (OperationItem) is the record.

This parallels the WorkUnit / template distinction: a WorkUnit is a ground term in T(Σ, ∅); a skill template is an open term in T(Σ, X). An OperationItem is a ground work item; a FlatfileAgentialResourceSystemIdea is the open term it was before elaboration.

Status lifecycle

Status names the state of the open metavariables:

• active — metavariables are resolvable with current information; can be closed soon
• blocked — a specific external fact must become true before the action metavariable can be filled
• deferred — resolvable but judged not worth closing now; the blocker is priority

active   → (improvement skill closes it to OperationItem; entry deleted)
blocked  → active    (blocker is resolved)
active   → deferred  (judgment: not worth committing now)

Required fields

Every FlatfileAgentialResourceSystemIdea MUST have:

• An identifier: kebab-case name unique within the locale’s idea store
• A title: noun phrase naming what the FlatfileAgentialResourceSystemIdea is about
• Status: exactly one of active, blocked, or deferred
• Problem: one to three sentences on the gap or issue — what is wrong or missing
• Approach: one paragraph on what would address the problem

A FlatfileAgentialResourceSystemIdea with **Status:** blocked MUST also have:

• Blocker: one sentence naming what must become true before the action metavariable resolves

What belongs in IDEAS.md

A FlatfileAgentialResourceSystemIdea is appropriate when: a concept is identified as missing but the spec cannot yet be written; a potential improvement is noticed but is not urgent; a Message was triaged as not yet actionable.

A FlatfileAgentialResourceSystemIdea is NOT appropriate for: something with a clear action that can be done now (use an OperationItem); a settled fact (use a MemoryEntry); an incoming communication (use a Message and triage it).

Open questions

• Whether the three metavariables (action, blocker, priority) fully characterize the open-ness of a FlatfileAgentialResourceSystemIdea or whether additional holes are possible.