hermes-brain/concepts/cl-modernization-corrected-phases.org

CL Modernization — Corrected Phase Order

• Corrected insight
• Corrected Phase Order
  • Phase 0: HOL Kernel (~500-800 lines of pure CL, verified by ACL2). The smallest, best-defined, highest-leverage artifact. Everything depends on it. A well-known mathematical specification (HOL Light's 10 primitive inference rules).
  • Phase 1: Minimal Verified Build System. Just enough to compile the prover and the LSP. Doesn't need to be Cargo-complete — needs to be verified.
  • Phase 2: Verified LSP Server. Surfaces SBCL's type inference backed by proofs.
  • Phase 3: Verified Language Extensions. Coalton, standard library, all proved correct.
  • Phase 4: Full Modernized CL Stack. Self-hosted, self-verifying.

Corrected insight

The prover must come first, not last. An unverified base can't bootstrap a verified upper layer. Every tool that the agent uses to build the next tool must itself be provably correct. The order flips from easiest first to most foundational first.

Corrected Phase Order

Phase 0: HOL Kernel (~500-800 lines of pure CL, verified by ACL2). The smallest, best-defined, highest-leverage artifact. Everything depends on it. A well-known mathematical specification (HOL Light's 10 primitive inference rules).

Phase 1: Minimal Verified Build System. Just enough to compile the prover and the LSP. Doesn't need to be Cargo-complete — needs to be verified.

Phase 2: Verified LSP Server. Surfaces SBCL's type inference backed by proofs.

Phase 3: Verified Language Extensions. Coalton, standard library, all proved correct.

Phase 4: Full Modernized CL Stack. Self-hosted, self-verifying.