Instant/Fast effort levels contradict Discrete Phase Enforcement #4
Description
The Contradiction
Two rules in v0.5.9 directly conflict:
Rule 1: Effort Level Table (OBSERVE phase)
Instant | <10s | "right now", trivial lookup, greeting | No phases — minimal format only
Fast | <1min | "quickly", simple fix | OBSERVE 10s, BUILD 20s, EXECUTE 20s, VERIFY 10s
Rule 2: Discrete Phase Enforcement
Every phase is independent. NEVER combine, merge, or skip phases.
A Fast effort level still has 7 discrete phases — they're just quick.
Skipping or combining phases defeats the entire purpose of systematic progression
The Problems
-
Instant says "No phases" but Discrete Phase Enforcement says phases are NEVER skipped. Which takes precedence?
-
Fast only budgets 4 of 7 phases (OBSERVE, BUILD, EXECUTE, VERIFY = 60s) but the same section says "Fast still has 7 discrete phases." Where do THINK, PLAN, and LEARN fit in the <1min budget?
Suggested Resolution Options
Option A: Instant is the ONE exception to discrete phases. Fast gets all 7 phases with time budgets (e.g., THINK 5s, PLAN 5s, LEARN 5s to fill the remaining time).
Option B: Reword Instant to use "implicit single-pass phases" instead of "No phases." Reword Fast to include all 7 phase budgets.
Option C: Relax Discrete Phase Enforcement to say "phases may be skipped at Instant/Fast but never merged at Standard+."
Location
- Effort level table: line ~36 in
versions/TheAlgorithm_Latest.md - Discrete Phase Enforcement: lines ~758-771