:PROPERTIES:
:ID:       e870d860-5db7-443a-aaf3-23cd5521b27c
:CREATED:  [2026-03-31 Tue 18:28]
:EDITED:   [2026-04-07 Tue 13:42]
:END:
#+TITLE: SKILL: Sub-Agent Manager (Concurrency & Parallelism)
#+STARTUP: content
#+FILETAGS: :concurrency:parallelism:threads:psf:

* Overview
The *Sub-Agent Manager* enables the Neurosymbolic Lisp Machine to handle multiple concurrent thoughts. It allows the primary kernel to "spawn" lightweight, isolated Lisp threads (sub-agents) to perform long-running or background tasks (research, massive refactors, etc.) without blocking the main event bus.

* Phase A: Demand (PRD)
:PROPERTIES:
:STATUS: FROZEN
:END:

** 1. Purpose
Define the interfaces for parallel cognitive execution and thread lifecycle management.

** 2. User Needs
- *Non-Blocking Execution:* Spawn background threads for long-running tasks.
- *Context Isolation:* Sub-agents must have their own execution context to prevent parent context poisoning.
- *Communication Loop:* Sub-agents must inject a "Return Stimulus" upon completion.
- *Observability:* Ability to list and terminate active sub-agents.

** 3. Success Criteria
*** TODO Successful spawning of a non-blocking background thread
*** TODO Verification of context isolation (distinct local variables)
*** TODO Autonomous injection of :sub-agent-complete stimulus
*** TODO Thread safety verification using bordeaux-threads locks


* Phase B: Blueprint (PROTOCOL)
:PROPERTIES:
:STATUS: SIGNED
:END:

* Phase B: Blueprint (PROTOCOL)
 :PROPERTIES:
 :STATUS: DRAFT
 :END:

** 1. Architectural Intent
The Sub-Agent Manager is designed as a facade over a thread management library (initially `bordeaux-threads`). It provides a high-level API for spawning, managing, and monitoring sub-agents.  The core principle is to create isolated Lisp environments for each sub-agent, encapsulating all state and preventing interference with the main system or other sub-agents.  Communication back to the main kernel occurs through a standardized `:sub-agent-complete` stimulus injected into the event bus.  Thread safety, enforced with locks where necessary, is paramount.

** 2. Semantic Interfaces (Lisp Signatures)

*** `spawn-sub-agent (task-fn &key name)`
    - *Purpose:* Creates and starts a new sub-agent thread.
    - *Parameters:*
      - `task-fn`: A function of no arguments that contains the code to be executed in the sub-agent.
      - `name`: (optional) A symbol representing the name of the sub-agent for identification and debugging.
    - *Returns:* A sub-agent object (e.g., a struct) representing the spawned thread, containing its ID, status, and other metadata.
    - *Side Effects:* Creates a new thread and starts the execution of `task-fn` within it.

*** `kill-sub-agent (sub-agent)`
    - *Purpose:* Terminates a running sub-agent.
    - *Parameters:*
      - `sub-agent`:  The sub-agent object (returned by `spawn-sub-agent`) representing the thread to terminate.
    - *Returns:* `T` if the sub-agent was successfully terminated, `NIL` otherwise.
    - *Side Effects:* Attempts to terminate the specified thread, potentially releasing any resources held by the sub-agent.

*** `list-sub-agents ()`
    - *Purpose:* Returns a list of all active sub-agents.
    - *Parameters:* None
    - *Returns:*  A list of sub-agent objects, each representing a running sub-agent.

*** `sub-agent-status (sub-agent)`
    - *Purpose:* Returns the current status of a sub-agent.
    - *Parameters:*
      - `sub-agent`: The sub-agent object to query.
    - *Returns:* A symbol representing the status of the sub-agent (e.g., `:running`, `:completed`, `:terminated`, `:error`).

*** `inject-sub-agent-completion-stimulus (result &key sub-agent)`
    - *Purpose:*  This PRIVATE function (not exposed directly) is called by the sub-agent, to inject knowledge of the result of its process into the stimulus stream.
    - *Parameters:*
        - `result`:  The result of the sub-agent's computation.
        - `sub-agent`: The current sub-agent (optional).
    - *Returns:* `T` if stimulus was injected successfully
    - *Side Effects:*  Injects a  `:sub-agent-complete` stimulus into the event bus.  The stimulus will contain the `result` and any metadata associated with the `sub-agent` (including its name/id).  The stimulus will be of the form `(:type :sub-agent-complete :result <result> :sub-agent <sub-agent>)`