gastown/docs/molecule-algebra.md

# Molecule Algebra: A Composition Language for Work

> Status: Design Spec v1 - December 2024
>
> "From 'issues in git' to a work composition algebra in 10 weeks."

## Overview

This document defines the **Molecule Algebra** - a declarative language for
composing, transforming, and executing structured work. The algebra enables
mechanical composition of workflows without AI, reserving cognition for
leaf-node execution only.

**Key insight**: Structure is computation. Content is cognition. They're separate.

```
Molecules = Graph Algebra (mechanical, gt executes)
Steps = AI Cognition (agent provides)
```

## The Three Phases: Rig, Cook, Run

Gas Town work flows through three phases:

```
RIG ────→ COOK ────→ RUN
```

| Phase | What Happens | Operator | Output |
|-------|--------------|----------|--------|
| **Rig** | Compose formulas (source level) | extends, compose | Compound Formula |
| **Cook** | Instantiate work | cook, pour, wisp | Proto, Mol, Wisp |
| **Run** | Execute steps | (agent execution) | Work done |

See [rig-cook-run.md](rig-cook-run.md) for the full specification.

## Formulas and Cooking

> *"Let's cook."* - Walter White

**Formulas** are the source code; **rigging** composes them; **cooking**
produces executable artifacts.

### The Artifact Tiers

```
Formula (.formula.yaml)     ← "The secret formula" (source code)
    ↓ rig (compose)         ← "Rig it up" (source-level composition)
Compound Formula            ← Combined source
    ↓ cook                  ← "Let's cook" (pre-expand, flatten)
Proto (frozen in beads)     ← "Pure product" (compiled, flat graph)
    ↓ pour/wisp             ← Instantiate
Mol/Wisp (running)          ← The work flowing
```

| Tier | Name | Format | Nature |
|------|------|--------|--------|
| Source | **Formula** | YAML | Composable via `extends`/`compose` |
| Compiled | **Proto** | Beads issue | Frozen, flat graph, fast instantiation |
| Running | **Mol/Wisp** | Beads issue | Active, flowing work |

### Two Composition Operators

| Operator | Level | Inputs | Output |
|----------|-------|--------|--------|
| **Rig** | Source | Formula + Formula | Compound Formula |
| **Bond** | Artifact | Proto/Mol/Wisp + any | Combined artifact |

**Rig** is source-level composition (formula YAML with `extends`, `compose`).
**Bond** is artifact-level composition (combining cooked protos, linking mols).

See the Bond Table in [rig-cook-run.md](rig-cook-run.md) for full semantics.

### Why Cook?

Cooking **pre-expands** all composition at "compile time":
- Macros (Rule of Five) expand to flat steps
- Aspects apply to matching pointcuts
- Branches and gates wire up
- Result: pure step graph with no interpretation needed

Instantiation then becomes pure **copy + variable substitution**. Fast, mechanical,
deterministic.

### Formula Format

Formulas are YAML files with `.formula.yaml` extension. YAML for human
readability (humans author these; agents cook them):

```yaml
formula: shiny
description: Engineer in a Box - the canonical right way
version: 1
steps:
  - id: design
    description: Think carefully about architecture
  - id: implement
    needs: [design]
  - id: review
    needs: [implement]
  - id: test
    needs: [review]
  - id: submit
    needs: [test]
```

Formulas with composition:

```yaml
formula: shiny-enterprise
extends: shiny
version: 1
compose:
  - expand:
      target: implement
      with: rule-of-five
  - aspect:
      pointcut: "implement.*"
      with: security-audit
  - gate:
      before: submit
      condition: "security-postscan.approved"
```

### CLI

```bash
# Cook a formula into a proto
bd cook shiny-enterprise
# "Cooking shiny-enterprise..."
# "✓ Cooked proto: shiny-enterprise (30 steps)"

# Preview without saving
bd cook shiny-enterprise --dry-run

# List available formulas
bd formula list

# Show formula details
bd formula show rule-of-five

# Instantiate the cooked proto
bd pour shiny-enterprise --var feature="auth"
```

### Formula Storage

```
~/.beads/formulas/          # User formulas
~/gt/.beads/formulas/       # Town formulas
.beads/formulas/            # Project formulas
```

### Breaking Bad × Mad Max

The naming spans both universes:
- **Formula** = the chemistry, the secret (Breaking Bad, mad scientist)
- **Cook** = the process, the craft (Breaking Bad iconic)
- **Proto** = the pure product, crystallized (the "blue sky")
- Both work in Mad Max (fuel formulas, cooking up schemes)

Heisenberg's formula is worthless without the cook. The cook is where purity
comes from. Same here: formulas define the algebra, but cooking produces the
pure proto.

## The Phases of Matter

Work in Gas Town exists in three phases:

| Phase | Name | Storage | Lifecycle | Use Case |
|-------|------|---------|-----------|----------|
| **Solid** | Proto | `.beads/` (template) | Frozen, reusable | Workflow patterns |
| **Liquid** | Mol | `.beads/` | Flowing, persistent | Project work, audit trail |
| **Vapor** | Wisp | `.beads-wisp/` | Ephemeral, evaporates | Execution scaffolding |

### Phase Transitions

```
                    ┌─────────────────┐
                    │     PROTO       │
                    │    (solid)      │
                    └────────┬────────┘
                             │
              ┌──────────────┼──────────────┐
              │              │              │
            pour           wisp          bond
              │              │              │
              ▼              ▼              ▼
      ┌───────────────┐  ┌───────────────┐  ┌───────────────┐
      │      MOL      │  │     WISP      │  │   COMPOUND    │
      │   (liquid)    │  │    (vapor)    │  │    PROTO      │
      └───────┬───────┘  └───────┬───────┘  └───────────────┘
              │                  │
           squash             squash/burn
              │                  │
              ▼                  ▼
      ┌───────────────┐  ┌───────────────┐
      │    DIGEST     │  │  (evaporates) │
      │  (condensed)  │  │   or digest   │
      └───────────────┘  └───────────────┘
```

### Phase Verbs

| Verb | Transition | Effect |
|------|------------|--------|
| `pour` | solid → liquid | Create persistent mol |
| `wisp` | solid → vapor | Create ephemeral wisp |
| `bond` | any + any | Combine (polymorphic) |
| `squash` | liquid/vapor → digest | Condense to record |
| `burn` | vapor → nothing | Discard without record |

## The Mol/Wisp Decision

**"Is this the work, or is this wrapping the work?"**

| Spawn as Mol when... | Spawn as Wisp when... |
|---------------------|----------------------|
| This IS the work item | This SHAPES execution |
| Multiple agents coordinate | Single agent executes |
| Stakeholders track progress | Only outcome matters |
| Cross-rig visibility needed | Local execution detail |
| CV/audit trail value | Scaffolding, process |

The `--on` flag implies wisp: `gt sling shiny gastown/Toast --on gt-abc123`

## Graph Primitives

### Steps

A step is a unit of work with:
- `id`: Unique identifier within molecule
- `description`: What to do (consumed by agent)
- `needs`: Dependencies (steps that must complete first)
- `output`: Structured result (available to conditions)

```yaml
- id: implement
  description: Write the authentication module
  needs: [design]
```

### Edges

Dependencies between steps:
- `needs`: Hard dependency (must complete first)
- `blocks`: Inverse of needs (this step blocks that one)
- `conditional`: Only if condition met

### Molecules

A molecule is a DAG of steps:

```yaml
molecule: shiny
description: Engineer in a Box - the canonical right way

steps:
  - id: design
    description: Think carefully about architecture

  - id: implement
    description: Write the code
    needs: [design]

  - id: review
    description: Code review
    needs: [implement]

  - id: test
    description: Run tests
    needs: [review]

  - id: submit
    description: Submit for merge
    needs: [test]
```

## Composition Operators

### Sequential Composition

```yaml
# A then B
sequence:
  - step-a
  - step-b
```

Or implicitly via `needs`:
```yaml
- id: b
  needs: [a]
```

### Parallel Composition

Steps without dependencies run in parallel:
```yaml
- id: unit-tests
  needs: [implement]

- id: integration-tests
  needs: [implement]

- id: review
  needs: [unit-tests, integration-tests]  # Waits for both
```

### Branching

Add parallel paths that rejoin:

```yaml
compose:
  - branch:
      from: implement
      steps: [perf-test, load-test, chaos-test]
      join: review
```

Produces:
```
implement ─┬─ perf-test ──┬─ review
           ├─ load-test ──┤
           └─ chaos-test ─┘
```

### Looping

Fixed iteration:
```yaml
compose:
  - loop:
      count: 5
      body: [refine]
```

Conditional iteration:
```yaml
compose:
  - loop:
      step: review
      until: "review.output.approved == true"
      max: 3  # Safety bound
```

### Gates

Wait for condition before proceeding:
```yaml
compose:
  - gate:
      before: submit
      condition: "security-scan.output.passed == true"
```

## Advice Operators (Lisp-style!)

Inspired by Lisp advice and AOP, these operators inject behavior
without modifying the original molecule.

### Before

Insert step before target:
```yaml
compose:
  - advice:
      target: review
      before: security-scan
```

### After

Insert step after target:
```yaml
compose:
  - advice:
      target: implement
      after: run-linter
```

### Around

Wrap target with before/after:
```yaml
compose:
  - advice:
      target: "*.implement"
      around:
        before: log-start
        after: log-end
```

### Pattern Matching

Target supports glob patterns:
```yaml
# All implement steps in any molecule
target: "*.implement"

# All steps in shiny
target: "shiny.*"

# Specific step
target: "shiny.review"

# All steps (wildcard)
target: "*"
```

## Expansion Operators (Macros!)

Expansion operators transform structure at bond time.

### Simple Expansion

Apply a template to a target step:
```yaml
compose:
  - expand:
      target: implement
      with: rule-of-five
```

The `rule-of-five` template:
```yaml
molecule: rule-of-five
type: expansion
description: Jeffrey's Rule - iterate 4-5 times for convergence

template:
  - id: "{target}.draft"
    description: "Initial attempt: {target.description}"

  - id: "{target}.refine-1"
    description: "Refine for correctness"
    needs: ["{target}.draft"]

  - id: "{target}.refine-2"
    description: "Refine for clarity"
    needs: ["{target}.refine-1"]

  - id: "{target}.refine-3"
    description: "Refine for edge cases"
    needs: ["{target}.refine-2"]

  - id: "{target}.refine-4"
    description: "Final polish"
    needs: ["{target}.refine-3"]
```

Result: `implement` becomes 5 steps with proper dependency wiring.

### Map Expansion

Apply template to all matching steps:
```yaml
compose:
  - map:
      select: "shiny.*"
      with: rule-of-five
```

All 5 shiny steps get R5 treatment → 25 total steps.

## Aspects (AOP)

Cross-cutting concerns applied to multiple join points:

```yaml
aspect: security-audit
description: Security scanning at implementation boundaries

pointcuts:
  - glob("*.implement")
  - glob("*.submit")

advice:
  around:
    before:
      - step: security-prescan
        args: { target: "{step.id}" }
    after:
      - step: security-postscan
        args: { target: "{step.id}" }
      - gate:
          condition: "security-postscan.output.approved == true"
```

Apply aspects at bond time:
```bash
bd bond shiny --with-aspect security-audit --with-aspect logging
```

## Selection Operators

For targeting steps in advice/expansion:

| Selector | Matches |
|----------|---------|
| `step("review")` | Specific step by ID |
| `glob("*.implement")` | Pattern match |
| `glob("shiny.*")` | All steps in molecule |
| `filter(status == "open")` | Predicate match |
| `children(step)` | Direct children |
| `descendants(step)` | All descendants |

## Conditions

Conditions are evaluated mechanically (no AI):

```yaml
# Step status
"step.status == 'complete'"

# Step output (structured)
"step.output.approved == true"
"step.output.errors.count == 0"

# Aggregates
"steps.complete >= 3"
"children(step).all(status == 'complete')"

# External checks
"file.exists('go.mod')"
"env.CI == 'true'"
```

Conditions are intentionally limited to keep evaluation decidable.

## Runtime Dynamic Expansion

For discovered work at runtime (Christmas Ornament pattern):

```yaml
step: survey-workers
on-complete:
  for-each: output.discovered_workers
  bond: polecat-arm
  with-vars:
    polecat: "{item.name}"
    rig: "{item.rig}"
```

The `for-each` evaluates against step output, bonding N instances dynamically.
Still declarative, still mechanical.

## Polymorphic Bond Operator

`bond` combines molecules with context-aware phase behavior:

| Operands | Result |
|----------|--------|
| proto + proto | compound proto (frozen) |
| proto + mol | spawn proto as mol, attach |
| proto + wisp | spawn proto as wisp, attach |
| mol + mol | link via edges |
| wisp + wisp | link via edges |
| mol + wisp | reference link (cross-phase) |
| expansion + workflow | expanded proto (macro) |
| aspect + molecule | advised molecule |

Phase override flags:
- `--pour`: Force spawn as mol
- `--wisp`: Force spawn as wisp

## Complete Example: Shiny-Enterprise

```yaml
molecule: shiny-enterprise
extends: shiny
description: Full enterprise engineering workflow

compose:
  # Apply Rule of Five to implement step
  - expand:
      target: implement
      with: rule-of-five

  # Security aspect on all implementation steps
  - aspect:
      pointcut: "implement.*"
      with: security-audit

  # Gate on security approval before submit
  - gate:
      before: submit
      condition: "security-postscan.approved == true"

  # Parallel performance testing branch
  - branch:
      from: implement.refine-4
      steps: [perf-test, load-test, chaos-test]
      join: review

  # Loop review until approved (max 3 attempts)
  - loop:
      step: review
      until: "review.output.approved == true"
      max: 3

  # Logging on all steps
  - advice:
      target: "*"
      before: log-start
      after: log-end
```

gt compiles this to ~30+ steps with proper dependencies.
Agent executes. AI provides cognition for each step.
Structure is pure algebra.

## The Grammar

```
MOLECULE  ::= 'molecule:' ID steps compose?

STEPS     ::= step+
STEP      ::= 'id:' ID 'description:' TEXT needs?
NEEDS     ::= 'needs:' '[' ID+ ']'

COMPOSE   ::= 'compose:' rule+
RULE      ::= advice | insert | branch | loop | gate | expand | aspect

ADVICE    ::= 'advice:' target before? after? around?
TARGET    ::= 'target:' PATTERN
BEFORE    ::= 'before:' STEP_REF
AFTER     ::= 'after:' STEP_REF
AROUND    ::= 'around:' '{' before? after? '}'

BRANCH    ::= 'branch:' from steps join
LOOP      ::= 'loop:' (count | until) body max?
GATE      ::= 'gate:' before? condition

EXPAND    ::= 'expand:' target 'with:' TEMPLATE
MAP       ::= 'map:' select 'with:' TEMPLATE

ASPECT    ::= 'aspect:' ID pointcuts advice
POINTCUTS ::= 'pointcuts:' selector+
SELECTOR  ::= glob | filter | step

CONDITION ::= field OP value | aggregate OP value | external
FIELD     ::= step '.' attr | 'output' '.' path
AGGREGATE ::= 'children' | 'descendants' | 'steps' '.' stat
EXTERNAL  ::= 'file.exists' | 'env.' key
```

## Decidability

The algebra is intentionally restricted:
- Loops have max iteration bounds
- Conditions limited to step/output inspection
- No recursion in expansion templates
- No arbitrary code execution

This keeps evaluation decidable and safe for mechanical execution.

## Safety Constraints

The cooker enforces these constraints to prevent runaway expansion:

### Cycle Detection
Circular `extends` chains are detected and rejected:
```
A extends B extends C extends A  →  ERROR: cycle detected
```

### Aspect Self-Matching Prevention
Aspects only match *original* steps, not steps inserted by the same aspect.
Without this, a pointcut like `*.implement` that inserts `security-prescan`
could match its own insertion infinitely.

### Maximum Expansion Depth
Nested expansions are bounded (default: 5 levels). This allows massive work
generation while preventing runaway recursion. Configurable via:
```yaml
cooking:
  max_expansion_depth: 5
```

### Graceful Degradation
Cooking errors produce warnings, not failures where possible. Philosophy:
get it working as well as possible, warn the human, continue. Invalid steps
may be annotated with error metadata rather than blocking the entire cook.

Errors are written to the Gas Town escalation channel for human review.

## What This Enables

1. **Composition without AI**: gt compiles molecule algebra mechanically
2. **Marketplace of primitives**: Aspects, wrappers, expansions as tradeable units
3. **Deterministic expansion**: Same input → same graph, always
4. **AI for content only**: Agents execute steps, don't construct structure
5. **Inspection/debugging**: See full expanded graph before execution
6. **Optimization**: gt can parallelize, dedupe, optimize the graph
7. **Roles/Companies in a box**: Compose arbitrary organizational workflows

## The Vision

```
               ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
               │           MOL MALL (Marketplace)        │
               │  ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐  │
               │  │ Shiny   │ │ Rule of │ │ Security  │  │
               │  │ Formula │ │ Five    │ │ Aspect    │  │
               │  └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └───────────┘  │
               │  ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐  │
               │  │Planning │ │ Release │ │ Company   │  │
               │  │ Formula │ │ Formula │ │ Onboard   │  │
               │  └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └───────────┘  │
               └─────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼ compose
               ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
               │       YOUR ORGANIZATION FORMULA          │
               │                                          │
               │  Planning + Shiny + R5 + Security +     │
               │  Release + Onboarding = Company in Box   │
               │                                          │
               └─────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼ cook ("Let's cook")
               ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
               │              PURE PROTO                  │
               │  Pre-expanded, flat graph, 99.1% pure   │
               │  No macros, no aspects, just steps      │
               └─────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼ pour/wisp
               ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
               │              GAS TOWN                    │
               │  Polecats execute. Wisps evaporate.     │
               │  Mols persist. Digests accumulate.      │
               │  Work gets done.                         │
               └─────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

From issues in git → work composition algebra → companies in a box.

---

*The formula is the secret. The cook is the craft. The work gets done.*