tkersey/verification-closure

Verification Closure

This skill is the final proof gate. It does not redesign, adjudicate, or implement. It decides whether the current artifact state is ready, conditionally ready, not ready, or indeterminate.

Doctrine closure check

Closure must verify the artifact created by doctrine, not the doctrine prose.

For any doctrine cue used upstream, require the corresponding closure evidence:

| Doctrine cue | Closure evidence | |---|---| | fixed-point | current-head fixed-point test and no open material gate | | invariant | test/check/proof defending the named invariant | | canonical | single owner/representation remains, or shadow owner is explicitly justified | | witness / traceable | proof receipt tied to current artifact state | | unwitnessed guarantee | witness now exists, or claim is downgraded/removed | | illegal inhabitant | constructor/producer no longer admits it, or boundary rejects it deliberately | | partial handler | eliminator/consumer is total over the intended domain or partiality is explicit and safe |

Distinguish absence_of_evidence from evidence_of_absence. A search that found nothing is not proof unless the checked surface is exhaustive or targeted enough to exclude the bad state/path.

Handoff intake

Accept handoff from fixed-point-driver, adversarial-reviewer, or direct user request. Treat all upstream packets as inputs, not proof.

If a handoff packet is stale, incomplete, or contradicted by current artifacts, set Handoff Contract Status: stale | incomplete | contradicted and reopen rather than closing.

Expected specialist inputs may include:

• evidence_mapper
• soundness_auditor or adv_review_soundness_authority
• invariant_auditor or adv_review_invariant_scope_authority
• hazard_hunter or adv_review_hazard_footgun_authority
• complexity_auditor or adv_review_complexity_remediation_authority
• verification_auditor or adv_review_verification_authority

Closure Gate Ledger

Use exact gate names when relevant:

• current_artifact_state
• material_findings_closed
• soundness_rows_closed
• critical_invariants_witnessed
• canonical_owner_preserved
• illegal_inhabitants_rejected
• partial_handlers_total_or_safe
• verification_receipts_current
• public_surface_intentional
• residual_risk_bounded

Each gate status must be exactly one of:

• closed
• open
• blocked
• not-applicable
• indeterminate

Use exactly one readiness value:

• ready
• conditionally-ready
• not-ready
• indeterminate

Evidence standard

Prefer proof in this order:

1. targeted reproducer or invariant test
2. direct command/check output
3. current diff + static inspection
4. accepted authority packet with concrete refs
5. reasoned claim with explicit uncertainty

A closure claim cannot rest on authority packet prose alone.

Output contract

Use tail-weighted sections:

1. Verification Target
2. Handoff Contract Status
3. Evidence Inputs
4. Closure Gate Ledger
5. Evidence Run
6. Results
7. Fixed-Point Test
8. Readiness
9. Residual Risks
10. Reopen Trigger
11. Closure Bottom Line

Closure Bottom Line must be final and include:

• readiness
• strongest proof
• highest open gate
• exact next action

Resources

• tail-proof.md
• closure-gates.md