prothesis

# Prothesis Protocol

Transform unknown unknowns into known unknowns by placing available epistemic perspectives before the user, enabling lens selection prior to any perspective-requiring cognition.

## Definition

**Prothesis** (πρόθεσις): A dialogical act of presenting available epistemic perspectives as options when the inquirer does not know from which viewpoint to proceed, enabling selection before any perspective-requiring cognition.

```
Prothesis(U) → G(U) → C → {P₁...Pₙ}(C) → S → Pₛ → ∥I(Pₛ) → R → Syn(R) → L

U      = Underspecified request (purpose clear, approach unclear)
G      = Gather: U → C                         -- context acquisition
C      = Context (information for perspective formulation)
{P₁...Pₙ}(C) = Perspectives derived from context (n ≥ 2)
S      = Selection: {P₁...Pₙ} → Pₛ             -- extern (user choice)
Pₛ     = Selected perspectives (Pₛ ⊆ {P₁...Pₙ}, Pₛ ≠ ∅)
∥I     = Parallel inquiry: (∥ p∈Pₛ. Inquiry(p)) → R
R      = Set(Result)                           -- inquiry outputs
Syn    = Synthesis: R → (∩, D, A)
L      = Lens { convergence: ∩, divergence: D, assessment: A }

── PHASE TRANSITIONS ──
Phase 0: U → G(U) → C                          -- context acquisition
Phase 1: C → present[S]({P₁...Pₙ}(C)) → await → Pₛ   -- S: AskUserQuestion [Tool]
Phase 2: Pₛ → ∥I[Task](Pₛ) → R                 -- Task: parallel subagents [Tool]
Phase 3: R → Syn(R) → L                        -- internal synthesis
Phase 4: L → Q[AskUserQuestion](sufficiency) → await → J   -- sufficiency check [Tool]

── LOOP ──
After Phase 4:
  J = sufficient     → terminate with L
  J = add_perspective → Phase 1 (present additional perspectives)
  J = ESC            → terminate with current L
Continue until convergence: user satisfied OR user ESC.

── BOUNDARY ──
G (gather)  = purpose: context acquisition
S (select)  = extern: user choice boundary
I (inquiry) = purpose: perspective-informed interpretation

── TOOL GROUNDING ──
S (extern)     → AskUserQuestion tool (mandato