Problem Frame Gate

Problem Frame Gate is a Python library and CLI for finite, proof-carrying audit checks around AI decision frames and external action gates. It implements the audit-calculus concepts in:

Takahashi, K. (2026). Problemogenesis Theory: A Finite Proof-Carrying Audit Calculus for Problem-Frame Activation. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20913669

The package is strict by default. A log is not considered safe unless a finite manifest declares writer authority, protected action constructors, capacities, certificate families, risk modes, and gate bundle policy.

Install

uv sync --all-extras
uv run pytest

From PyPI:

pip install problem-frame-gate
pfg init-manifest > horizon.json

Safe Quickstart

Create a strict manifest:

pfg init-manifest > horizon.json

Validate and fold a log. The repository contains complete copy-paste JSON fixtures in docs/examples/:

pfg validate-schema horizon docs/examples/horizon.json
pfg validate-schema log docs/examples/log.json
pfg verify-log --horizon docs/examples/horizon.json docs/examples/log.json
pfg fold --horizon docs/examples/horizon.json docs/examples/log.json

Check an action gate and emit the atomic bundle:

pfg validate-schema gate-request docs/examples/gate-request.json
pfg check-gate --horizon docs/examples/horizon.json --bundle docs/examples/gate-request.json docs/examples/log.json
pfg report --horizon docs/examples/horizon.json docs/examples/log.json

The generated bundle contains exactly five protected rows:

1. GateCheck
2. OutboxClaim
3. UseCap
4. ConsumeResource
5. RiskClose

Each row must be written by the executor writer and committed in one atomic group. A standalone OutboxClaim is rejected.

For a new project, copy the three JSON files from docs/examples/, then change the writer ids, certificate issuers, frame id, action name, risk id, and resource ids to match your deployment.

Python Example

from problem_frame_gate import (
    Envelope,
    EnvelopeClass,
    ExecutorGate,
    GateRequest,
    Horizon,
    RiskClaimRecord,
    RiskRouteWitness,
    digest_json,
)

horizon = Horizon.strict_default(agent_writers=("agent",))

def env(eid: str, commit: int, kind: str, **payload: object) -> Envelope:
    return Envelope(eid, eid, "0", commit, "agent", "agent", 1, EnvelopeClass.NORMAL, {"kind": kind, **payload})

family_check = {
    "accepted": True,
    "checker": "example-certificate-family-v1",
    "transcript_digest": digest_json({"checker": "example-certificate-family-v1", "accepted": True}),
    "dependency_digest": digest_json({"dependencies": [], "source_ids": []}),
    "revocation_frontier": [],
    "checked_at": 2,
    "assumption": "CertificateFamilyChecker",
}

log = [
    env("e0", 0, "Frame", frame_id="p1", scope="lab", goal="test anomaly",
        evidence_ids=["u1"], actions=["run-check"], acceptance=["review"], risk_ids=["r1"]),
    env("e1", 1, "Evidence", evidence_id="u1", digest="sha256:source"),
    env("e2", 2, "Issue", cert_id="c-risk", family="risk", issuer="agent",
        expires_at=99, family_check=family_check),
    env("e3", 3, "Activated", frame_id="p1"),
    env("e4", 4, "RiskReg", hypothesis_id="h1", family="fixed"),
    env("e5", 5, "RiskReserve", risk_id="r1", hypothesis_id="h1", frame_id="p1", eta="1/100"),
    env("e6", 6, "RiskSpend", risk_id="r1", hypothesis_id="h1", frame_id="p1",
        eta="1/100", mode="fixed", cert_id="c-risk"),
    env("e7", 7, "ReserveResource", lease_id="lease1", token_id="tool", frame_id="p1"),
    env("e8", 8, "MintCap", capability_id="cap1", frame_id="p1", action="run-check"),
    env("e9", 9, "AuthorizeOutbox", outbox_id="out1", frame_id="p1", action="run-check"),
]

risk_claim = RiskClaimRecord(
    claim_id="q1",
    risk_id="r1",
    hypothesis_id="h1",
    mode="fixed",
    cert_id="c-risk",
    eta="1/100",
    event_id="F1",
    standardized_event_id="F1",
    route_witness=RiskRouteWitness(
        accepted=True,
        checker="example-risk-route-v1",
        transcript_digest=digest_json({"checker": "example-risk-route-v1", "mode": "fixed"}),
        route="fixed",
    ),
)

request = GateRequest(
    gate_id="gate1", bundle_id="bundle1", frame_id="p1", action="run-check",
    outbox_id="out1", capability_id="cap1", lease_id="lease1",
    risk_id="r1", hypothesis_id="h1", risk_mode="fixed", risk_cert_id="c-risk",
    source_time=9, commit_time=10, risk_claim=risk_claim.to_json(), risk_alpha="1/50",
)

gate = ExecutorGate()
assert gate.check(horizon, log, request).ok
bundle = gate.create_bundle(horizon, log, request)
assert bundle.verify(horizon, log).ok

Durable Runtime Path

Use the runtime helpers when an agent needs to commit a gate decision before any external tool call:

from problem_frame_gate import GateCommitter, MemoryAppendOnlyStore, OutboxBroker

store = MemoryAppendOnlyStore(log)
commit = GateCommitter(store).commit_gate(horizon, request)
assert commit.ok

GateCommitter only appends the accepted five-row gate bundle. It never calls an actuator. OutboxBroker is the separate component that dispatches only after a durable OutboxClaim and DispatchStarted row exist. Production deployments can use SQLiteAppendOnlyStore or implement the AppendOnlyStore protocol with their own replicated storage.

Security Boundary

The library proves finite audit consistency. It does not prove external truth, cryptographic collision resistance, statistical model validity, or physical effect. Those are explicit assumptions in checker results.

Strict certificates require a finite family-check record with a checker name, transcript digest, dependency digest, revocation frontier, and check time. Boolean certificate flags are treated as legacy assumptions and fail strict v1.1.0 checks. Certificate issue rows can also carry signature fields; Python deployments may require and verify them with SignatureRegistry.

There are two verification routes:

• JSON-only use relies on manifest-declared environment assumptions such as CertificateFamilyChecker and StatisticalModel.
• Python deployments can register callable CertificateFamily and RiskMode checkers. The verifier reuses those registries when replaying embedded GateCheck transcripts.
• production_profile() supplies callable finite risk-route checkers and rejects assumption-only statistical routes unless the deployment explicitly declares that boundary.

See docs/quickstart.md, docs/schema.md, docs/theory-mapping.md, and docs/issue-codes.md for operational use.

Release

The canonical repository is https://github.com/kadubon/problem-frame-gate. Versioned releases are published by GitHub Actions through PyPI Trusted Publishing from .github/workflows/workflow.yml; no long-lived PyPI token is required.