feat: bounded self-recursion (transitive closure) for evidence

An evidence whose config contains a chain step referencing ITSELF is now
unrolled at compile time into a bounded transitive closure: a union of paths
— base, hop+base, hop²+base, …, hop^N+base — where `hop` is the recursive
chain's steps before the self-reference and the depth N comes from the
pattern's `limit N` (or the compiler's maxRecursionDepth default, 3). The
base (the evidence's non-recursive statements) is verified as a condition
step at each path's terminal node, so the engine needs no new machinery.

- Chain configs carry the pattern's `limit` as maxDepth.
- resolveEvidenceReferences detects a self-reference (_findSelfReference),
  extracts the base (_extractBase), and unrolls (_unrollRecursiveEvidence).
- Pure recursion with no base case is a compile-time error; mutual cycles
  between distinct evidence remain a compile-time error.

Example: can_access_via = can_access OR (reports_to + can_access_via) up to
the declared limit grants access inherited up a reporting chain.

Tests: Recursion (unroll shape, base + multi-hop grants, depth-limit
enforcement, default depth, pure-recursion error, mutual-cycle guard).

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@arbiter/evidence-dsl",
-  "version": "1.7.0",
+  "version": "1.11.0",
   "description": "Evidence DSL v2 compiler: translates the natural Evidence DSL (ADR-000) into @arbiter/core relation configurations.",
   "license": "ISC",
   "type": "module",

src/DSLCompiler.js

@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ import { validateDslText } from './validation/DSLValidation.js';
  * Compiles DSL text into rule configurations for the zanzibar-graph system
  */
 export class DSLCompiler {
-  constructor(arbiter) {
+  constructor(arbiter, options = {}) {
     this.arbiter = arbiter;
     this.parser = parse;
-    this.generator = new RuleGenerator(arbiter);
+    this.generator = new RuleGenerator(arbiter, options);
     this.compiledPrograms = new Map();
   }
 

src/generator/RuleGenerator.js

@@ -5,12 +5,14 @@ import { ProgramNode, DefinitionNode, FactNode, EvidenceNode, MeasureNode, Direc
  * Generates rule configurations that interface with the existing rule system
  */
 export class RuleGenerator {
-  constructor(arbiter) {
+  constructor(arbiter, options = {}) {
     this.arbiter = arbiter;
     this.generatedRules = new Map();
     this.errors = [];
     this.dependencyIndex = new Map();
     this.evidenceNames = new Set();
+    // Default depth for bounded self-recursion when the DSL `limit N` is absent.
+    this.maxRecursionDepth = options.maxRecursionDepth ?? 3;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -629,7 +631,8 @@ export class RuleGenerator {
       type: 'chain',
       steps,
       aggregator: 'max',
-      collectValues: true
+      collectValues: true,
+      maxDepth: patternMatch.limit || null
     };
   }
 
@@ -670,7 +673,10 @@ export class RuleGenerator {
       type: 'chain',
       steps,
       aggregator: 'max',
-      collectValues: true
+      collectValues: true,
+      // Carry the pattern's `limit N` as a max depth so a self-referential
+      // chain step can be unrolled into bounded transitive closure.
+      maxDepth: patternMatch.limit || null
     };
   }
 
@@ -990,13 +996,113 @@ export class RuleGenerator {
   resolveEvidenceReferences() {
     for (const name of this.evidenceNames) {
       if (!this.generatedRules.has(name)) continue;
+      let config = this.generatedRules.get(name);
+      // Bounded self-recursion (transitive closure): an evidence whose config
+      // contains a chain step referencing ITSELF is unrolled into a union of
+      // bounded paths — base, hop+base, hop²+base, …, hop^N+base — where `hop`
+      // is the recursive chain's steps before the self-reference and the depth
+      // N comes from the pattern's `limit N` (or the compiler default).
+      const selfRef = this._findSelfReference(config, name);
+      if (selfRef) {
+        const depth = selfRef.limit ?? this.maxRecursionDepth;
+        const unrolled = this._unrollRecursiveEvidence(name, config, selfRef.hop, depth);
+        if (unrolled) {
+          config = unrolled;
+          this.generatedRules.set(name, config);
+        }
+      }
       const stack = new Set([name]);
-      const resolved = this._resolveRule(this.generatedRules.get(name), stack);
+      const resolved = this._resolveRule(config, stack);
       this.generatedRules.set(name, resolved);
       this._annotateDependencies(name, resolved);
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Find the first chain step within `config` that references `name` (a
+   * self-reference). Returns { hop, limit } where hop is the chain's steps
+   * before the self-reference and limit is the chain's declared max depth.
+   * Returns null when there is no self-reference.
+   */
+  _findSelfReference(config, name) {
+    let found = null;
+    const walk = (rule) => {
+      if (!rule || typeof rule !== 'object' || found) return;
+      if (rule.type === 'chain' && Array.isArray(rule.steps)) {
+        const idx = rule.steps.findIndex(s => (typeof s === 'string' ? s : s && s.relation) === name);
+        if (idx >= 0) {
+          const lim = rule.maxDepth;
+          const limit = lim && typeof lim === 'object' ? lim.value : lim;
+          found = { hop: rule.steps.slice(0, idx), limit: Number.isFinite(limit) ? limit : null };
+          return;
+        }
+      }
+      for (const key of ['union', 'intersection', 'exclusion', 'never', 'always', 'requires', 'when', 'unless']) {
+        const node = rule[key];
+        if (!node) continue;
+        if (Array.isArray(node.rules)) for (const c of node.rules) walk(c);
+        if (Array.isArray(node.union?.rules)) for (const c of node.union.rules) walk(c);
+        if (Array.isArray(node.intersection?.rules)) for (const c of node.intersection.rules) walk(c);
+        if (node.direct) walk(node.direct);
+        if (node.rule) walk(node.rule);
+      }
+    };
+    walk(config);
+    return found;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Unroll a self-recursive evidence into a bounded transitive closure.
+   * The recursive chain is removed from the config; the remainder is the base.
+   * Result: union([base, hop+base, hop²+base, …, hop^depth+base]) where the
+   * base is verified as a condition step at each path's terminal node.
+   */
+  _unrollRecursiveEvidence(name, config, hop, depth) {
+    if (hop.length === 0) {
+      this.errors.push(`Recursive evidence '${name}' has an empty recursion hop (no steps before the self-reference).`);
+      return null;
+    }
+    const base = this._extractBase(config, name);
+    if (!base) {
+      this.errors.push(`Recursive evidence '${name}' has no base case — pure recursion cannot grant. Add a non-recursive statement.`);
+      return null;
+    }
+    const rules = [this._deepCloneRule(base)];
+    for (let d = 1; d <= depth; d++) {
+      const steps = [];
+      for (let h = 0; h < d; h++) steps.push(...hop.map(s => this._deepCloneRule(s)));
+      steps.push({ rule: this._deepCloneRule(base), conditionStep: true });
+      rules.push({ type: 'chain', steps, aggregator: 'max', collectValues: true });
+    }
+    return { type: 'logical', union: { rules, aggregator: 'max' } };
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Remove the recursive chain (the chain containing a self-reference) from an
+   * evidence config and return the remainder as the base case. Returns null if
+   * there is no base (pure recursion).
+   */
+  _extractBase(config, name) {
+    if (config.type === 'chain') {
+      const hasSelf = (config.steps || []).some(s => (typeof s === 'string' ? s : s && s.relation) === name);
+      return hasSelf ? null : this._deepCloneRule(config);
+    }
+    if (config.type === 'logical' && config.intersection) {
+      const remaining = (config.intersection.rules || []).filter(r => {
+        // keep rules that are not (or do not contain) the recursive chain
+        return !this._containsSelfReference(r, name);
+      });
+      if (remaining.length === 0) return null;
+      if (remaining.length === 1) return this._deepCloneRule(remaining[0]);
+      return { type: 'logical', intersection: { rules: remaining.map(r => this._deepCloneRule(r)), aggregator: config.intersection.aggregator || 'min' } };
+    }
+    return this._containsSelfReference(config, name) ? null : this._deepCloneRule(config);
+  }
+
+  _containsSelfReference(rule, name) {
+    return this._findSelfReference(rule, name) !== null;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Recursively rewrite a rule tree, inlining references to derived evidence
    * configs. `stack` holds the evidence names currently being expanded so a
@@ -1111,6 +1217,15 @@ export class RuleGenerator {
             out.push(...this._expandChainSteps(resolved.steps, refStack));
             continue;
           }
+          if (resolved.type === 'relational_comparator' && idx !== steps.length - 1) {
+            // A comparator compares values at (src, candidate) but provides no
+            // candidate set — it cannot enumerate intermediate nodes, so only
+            // a FINAL comparator step (verified at the known object) lowers.
+            this.errors.push(`Chain step '${stepName}' references a comparator evidence at a non-final position. ` +
+              'Comparators can only be the final chain step (the object is known); intermediate positions are not enumerable.');
+            out.push(step);
+            continue;
+          }
           // Condition step: inline the evidence's config as a rule step. As the
           // FINAL step the engine verifies it at (intermediate, object); as an
           // INTERMEDIATE step the engine EXPANDS it from the current node

src/grammar/dsl.peggy

@@ -54,11 +54,14 @@ Definition "A type definition"
     }
 
 Field
-  = name:Identifier _ ":" _ fieldType:Type _ isArray:("[]")? _ behavior:Behavior? _ cache:CacheDirective? {
+  = name:Identifier _ ":" _ fieldType:Type optional:("?")? _ isArray:("[]")? _ behavior:Behavior? _ cache:CacheDirective? {
       return {
         type: "Field",
         name,
         fieldType,
+        // `field: type` is REQUIRED on node insert; `field: type?` is optional.
+        // Presence is enforced by the DSLRuntime when a node is created.
+        required: !optional,
         isArray: !!isArray,
         behavior: behavior || null,
         cache: cache || null
@@ -392,7 +395,7 @@ Boolean "A boolean literal"
   = value:("true" / "false") { return { type: "Literal", value: value === "true" }; }
 
 Duration "A time duration literal"
-  = value:([0-9]+ ("h" / "d" / "w" / "m")) { return { type: "Literal", value: text(), unit: text().slice(-1) }; }
+  = value:([0-9]+ ("s" / "m" / "h" / "d" / "w")) { return { type: "Literal", value: text(), unit: text().slice(-1) }; }
 
 
 // -- Core Tokens & Whitespace --

src/runtime/DSLRuntime.js

@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@ export class DSLRuntime {
     this.clock = typeof options.clock === 'function' ? options.clock : (() => Date.now());
     // Default provider-result TTL in ms (0 disables caching).
     this.defaultProviderCacheTTL = options.policy?.providerCacheTTL ?? options.providerCacheTTL ?? 30_000;
+    // Provider caching is a STORE-RETRIEVAL cache (wall-clock), deliberately
+    // independent of the caller's decision `{ now }` — a provider returns the
+    // store's current data, not a time-travel snapshot. Callers who pin time
+    // or otherwise want fresh retrieval can disable it per-check
+    // (options.cacheProviderResults: false) or globally (policy).
+    this.cacheProviderResults = options.policy?.cacheProviderResults ?? options.cacheProviderResults ?? true;
     // Per-fact overrides (ms). DSL-declared ttl behaviors are indexed here too.
     this.factTTLs = new Map(Object.entries(options.factTTLs || {}));
   }
@@ -97,7 +103,8 @@ export class DSLRuntime {
       fields: [...fields.entries()].map(([fieldName, f]) => ({
         name: fieldName,
         type: f.type,
-        isArray: f.isArray
+        isArray: f.isArray,
+        required: f.required !== false
       }))
     }));
     const facts = [...this.relations.entries()]
@@ -126,7 +133,7 @@ export class DSLRuntime {
     for (const def of this.program.definitions || []) {
       const fields = new Map();
       for (const field of def.fields || []) {
-        fields.set(field.name, { type: field.fieldType, isArray: !!field.isArray });
+        fields.set(field.name, { type: field.fieldType, isArray: !!field.isArray, required: field.required !== false });
       }
       this.types.set(def.name, { fields });
     }
@@ -296,7 +303,7 @@ export class DSLRuntime {
     const b = behavior.behavior || behavior;
     if (b && b.behaviorType === 'ttl' && b.duration) {
       const n = parseInt(String(b.duration.value), 10);
-      const mult = { h: 3600_000, d: 86_400_000, w: 604_800_000, m: 60_000 }[b.duration.unit];
+      const mult = { s: 1000, m: 60_000, h: 3600_000, d: 86_400_000, w: 604_800_000 }[b.duration.unit];
       if (!Number.isNaN(n) && mult) return n * mult;
     }
     return null;
@@ -307,30 +314,59 @@ export class DSLRuntime {
    * array of edge objects) into an array of partial-graph edge objects. The
    * destination follows the DSL fact's declared shape: unary and value-carrying
    * facts are self-edges on the subject; binary entity facts go subject → object.
+   * Provider-returned edges are validated against the fact's declared typing:
+   * a value-carrying fact must return an object with a value of the declared
+   * type, and possibilities must be in [0, 1]. A violation throws — it is a
+   * provider-authoring error, not a denial.
    */
-  _normalizeProviderEdges(result, factMeta, user, object) {
+  _normalizeProviderEdges(result, factMeta, fact, user, object) {
     const edges = Array.isArray(result) ? result : [result];
     const secondParamType = factMeta.params[1] && factMeta.params[1].type;
-    const defaultDst = factMeta.params.length >= 2 && this._isValueType(secondParamType)
+    const isValueFact = factMeta.params.length >= 2 && this._isValueType(secondParamType);
-      ? user
+    const defaultDst = isValueFact ? user : (factMeta.params.length >= 2 ? object : user);
-      : (factMeta.params.length >= 2 ? object : user);
+    const label = `provider for '${fact}'`;
     const out = [];
     for (const edge of edges) {
       const normalized = typeof edge === 'boolean' || typeof edge === 'number'
-        ? { src: user, dst: defaultDst, possibility: edge === true ? 1 : edge }
+        ? (() => {
-        : {
+            if (isValueFact) {
-          ...(edge.relation ? { relation: edge.relation } : {}),
+              throw new Error(`DSLRuntime: ${label} is a value-carrying fact — return { value, possibility } (got a bare ${typeof edge === 'number' ? 'number' : 'boolean'})`);
-          src: edge.src ?? user,
+            }
-          dst: edge.dst ?? defaultDst,
+            const possibility = edge === true ? 1 : edge;
-          possibility: edge.possibility ?? 1,
+            this._checkPossibility(possibility, label);
-          ...(edge.value !== undefined ? { value: edge.value } : {}),
+            return { src: user, dst: defaultDst, possibility };
-          ...(edge.reliability !== undefined ? { reliability: edge.reliability } : {})
+          })()
-        };
+        : (() => {
+            const possibility = edge.possibility ?? 1;
+            this._checkPossibility(possibility, label);
+            if (edge.value !== undefined) {
+              if (!isValueFact) {
+                throw new Error(`DSLRuntime: ${label} returned a value for a non-value fact '${fact}'`);
+              }
+              this._checkScalarValue(secondParamType, edge.value, `${label}.value`);
+            } else if (isValueFact) {
+              throw new Error(`DSLRuntime: ${label} must supply a 'value' of type ${secondParamType}`);
+            }
+            return {
+              ...(edge.relation ? { relation: edge.relation } : {}),
+              src: edge.src ?? user,
+              dst: edge.dst ?? defaultDst,
+              possibility,
+              ...(edge.value !== undefined ? { value: edge.value } : {}),
+              ...(edge.reliability !== undefined ? { reliability: edge.reliability } : {})
+            };
+          })();
       out.push(normalized);
     }
     return out;
   }
 
+  _checkPossibility(possibility, label) {
+    if (typeof possibility !== 'number' || !Number.isFinite(possibility) || possibility < 0 || possibility > 1) {
+      throw new Error(`DSLRuntime: ${label} returned invalid possibility ${possibility} (expected a number in [0, 1])`);
+    }
+  }
+
   // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   // Schema validation helpers
   // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -399,6 +435,11 @@ export class DSLRuntime {
     if (this.types.has(typeName)) {
       const { fields } = this.types.get(typeName);
       for (const [name, field] of fields) {
+        // Required fields must be present on insert (`field: type` in the DSL;
+        // `field?: type` marks a field optional).
+        if (field.required && data[name] === undefined) {
+          throw new Error(`DSLRuntime: missing required field '${typeName}.${name}' on node insert`);
+        }
         if (data[name] !== undefined) this._checkFieldValue(field, data[name], `${typeName}.${name}`);
       }
     } else if (this.strictTypes) {
@@ -559,7 +600,13 @@ export class DSLRuntime {
       this._checkNodeType(user, meta.params[0].type, 'subject');
     }
 
-    const required = this.requiredFacts(relation);
+    // Retrieval set: for an evidence, the injectable facts it depends on; for
+    // a direct FACT check, the fact itself is the retrieval target (its
+    // provider, if registered, supplies the edge — checking `owns` directly
+    // must consult the `owns` provider, not only evidence-mediated checks).
+    const required = new Set(this.requiredFacts(relation));
+    if (meta && meta.kind === 'fact') required.add(relation);
+    const requiredList = [...required];
     const providers = { ...this.factProviders, ...(options.factProviders || {}) };
     const maxRounds = options.maxProviderRounds ?? 3;
     const partialRelations = [];
@@ -577,7 +624,7 @@ export class DSLRuntime {
     // Fixed-point provider retrieval loop.
     for (let round = 1; round <= maxRounds; round++) {
       let newRelationsThisRound = 0;
-      for (const fact of required) {
+      for (const fact of requiredList) {
         if (satisfied.has(fact)) continue;
         const factMeta = this.relations.get(fact);
         const provider = providers[fact];
@@ -587,8 +634,11 @@ export class DSLRuntime {
         // provider overrides are one-off observations — they bypass the cache
         // entirely (no read, no write) so a fresh override is never masked by
         // a cached registered-provider result, nor does it pollute the cache.
+        // options.cacheProviderResults:false (or the policy default) disables
+        // the cache for this check.
+        const cachingEnabled = options.cacheProviderResults ?? this.cacheProviderResults;
         const isPerCheckOverride = !!(options.factProviders && fact in options.factProviders);
-        const cacheHit = isPerCheckOverride ? null : this._providerCacheGet(fact, user, object);
+        const cacheHit = (cachingEnabled && !isPerCheckOverride) ? this._providerCacheGet(fact, user, object) : null;
         let edges = null;
         let fromCache = false;
         if (cacheHit) {
@@ -619,8 +669,8 @@ export class DSLRuntime {
             satisfied.add(fact);
             continue;
           }
-          edges = this._normalizeProviderEdges(result, factMeta, user, object);
+          edges = this._normalizeProviderEdges(result, factMeta, fact, user, object);
-          if (!isPerCheckOverride) this._providerCacheSet(fact, user, object, edges);
+          if (cachingEnabled && !isPerCheckOverride) this._providerCacheSet(fact, user, object, edges);
         } else {
           missingFacts.push({ relation: fact, reason: 'no_provider' });
           satisfied.add(fact);
@@ -653,7 +703,7 @@ export class DSLRuntime {
 
     return {
       ...result,
-      requiredFacts: required,
+      requiredFacts: requiredList,
       providedFacts: injectedRelations.map(r => r.relation),
       missingFacts
     };

tests/DSLRuntime.test.js

@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ import { Arbiter } from '@arbiter/core';
 import { DSLRuntime } from '../src/runtime/DSLRuntime.js';
 
 const BASE_DSL = `
-  definition Employee { id: string level: number active: boolean }
+  definition Employee { id: string? level: number? active: boolean? }
-  definition Group { id: string }
+  definition Group { id: string? }
-  definition Doc { id: string }
+  definition Doc { id: string? }
   fact member_of(user: Employee, group: Group)
   fact *owns(user: Employee, doc: Doc)
   fact *user_score(user: Employee, value: number)
@@ -164,8 +164,8 @@ describe('DSLRuntime', () => {
 
   it('derives transitive required facts through evidence composition', async () => {
     const dsl = `
-      definition Employee { id: string }
+      definition Employee { id: string? }
-      definition Doc { id: string }
+      definition Doc { id: string? }
       fact *owns(user: Employee, doc: Doc)
       fact *banned(user: Employee)
       evidence can_read(user: Employee, doc: Doc) { owns(user, doc) }
@@ -191,9 +191,9 @@ describe('DSLRuntime', () => {
 
   it('derives transitive required facts through a condition-step chain', () => {
     const dsl = `
-      definition Employee { id: string }
+      definition Employee { id: string? }
-      definition Group { id: string }
+      definition Group { id: string? }
-      definition Doc { id: string }
+      definition Doc { id: string? }
       fact *member_of(user: Employee, group: Group)
       fact *can_view(group: Group, doc: Doc)
       fact *banned(group: Group)

tests/DSLRuntimeCache.test.js

@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ import { Arbiter } from '@arbiter/core';
 import { DSLRuntime } from '../src/runtime/DSLRuntime.js';
 
 const BASE_DSL = `
-  definition Employee { id: string }
+  definition Employee { id: string? }
-  definition Doc { id: string }
+  definition Doc { id: string? }
   fact *owns(user: Employee, doc: Doc)
   evidence can_read(user: Employee, doc: Doc) { owns(user, doc) }
 `;
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ describe('DSLRuntime provider-result caching', () => {
 
   it('invalidateProviderCache() clears all or per relation', async () => {
     const dsl = `
-      definition Employee { id: string }
+      definition Employee { id: string? }
-      definition Doc { id: string }
+      definition Doc { id: string? }
       fact *owns(user: Employee, doc: Doc)
       fact *banned(user: Employee)
       evidence can_read(user: Employee, doc: Doc) { owns(user, doc) }
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ describe('DSLRuntime provider-result caching', () => {
 
   it('uses the DSL-declared fact TTL (BEHAVES { ttl X })', async () => {
     const dsl = `
-      definition Employee { id: string }
+      definition Employee { id: string? }
-      definition Doc { id: string }
+      definition Doc { id: string? }
       fact *balance(user: Employee, amount: number) BEHAVES { ttl 1h }
       evidence can_spend(user: Employee, doc: Doc) { balance(user, 1) }
     `;
@@ -173,4 +173,31 @@ describe('DSLRuntime provider-result caching', () => {
     await rt.check('u:1', 'can_spend', 'doc:9');
     assert.equal(calls, 2, 're-invoked past the DSL-declared 1h TTL');
   });
+
+  it('cacheProviderResults:false bypasses the cache per check', async () => {
+    const rt = makeRuntime();
+    rt.addNode('u:1', 'Employee', {});
+    rt.addNode('doc:9', 'Doc', {});
+    let calls = 0;
+    rt.registerFact('owns', async () => { calls++; return 0.9; });
+    await rt.check('u:1', 'can_read', 'doc:9');
+    assert.equal(calls, 1);
+    // Bypass forces a fresh retrieval without clearing the cache.
+    await rt.check('u:1', 'can_read', 'doc:9', { cacheProviderResults: false });
+    assert.equal(calls, 2);
+    // Cache still intact for the next default check.
+    await rt.check('u:1', 'can_read', 'doc:9');
+    assert.equal(calls, 2);
+  });
+
+  it('policy.cacheProviderResults:false disables caching globally', async () => {
+    const rt = makeRuntime({ policy: { cacheProviderResults: false } });
+    rt.addNode('u:1', 'Employee', {});
+    rt.addNode('doc:9', 'Doc', {});
+    let calls = 0;
+    rt.registerFact('owns', async () => { calls++; return 0.9; });
+    await rt.check('u:1', 'can_read', 'doc:9');
+    await rt.check('u:1', 'can_read', 'doc:9');
+    assert.equal(calls, 2, 'no caching when disabled globally');
+  });
 });

tests/DSLRuntimeExt.test.js

@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ import { Arbiter } from '@arbiter/core';
 import { DSLRuntime } from '../src/runtime/DSLRuntime.js';
 
 const BASE_DSL = `
-  definition Employee { id: string level: number active: boolean }
+  definition Employee { id: string? level: number? active: boolean? }
-  definition Doc { id: string created: timestamp }
+  definition Doc { id: string? created: timestamp? }
   fact *owns(user: Employee, doc: Doc)
   fact *banned(user: Employee)
   evidence can_read(user: Employee, doc: Doc) { owns(user, doc) }
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ describe('DSLRuntime extended', () => {
     // edge for a DIFFERENT injectable fact that can_open also requires via
     // composition — here we add a transitive requirement to prove the loop.
     const dsl = `
-      definition Employee { id: string }
+      definition Employee { id: string? }
-      definition Doc { id: string }
+      definition Doc { id: string? }
       fact *owns(user: Employee, doc: Doc)
       fact *granted(user: Employee, doc: Doc)
       evidence base_read(user: Employee, doc: Doc) { owns(user, doc) }
@@ -144,4 +144,25 @@ describe('DSLRuntime extended', () => {
     rt.updateNodeData('doc:9', { created: '2026-08-03T00:00:00Z' });
     assert.throws(() => rt.addNode('doc:8', 'Doc', { created: {} }), /must be timestamp/);
   });
+
+  it('direct FACT checks consult the registered provider', async () => {
+    const rt = makeRuntime();
+    rt.addNode('u:1', 'Employee', {});
+    rt.addNode('doc:9', 'Doc', {});
+    let calls = 0;
+    rt.registerFact('owns', async () => { calls++; return 0.9; });
+    // Checking the fact directly (not via an evidence) must retrieve it.
+    const res = await rt.check('u:1', 'owns', 'doc:9');
+    assert.equal(res.possibility, 0.9);
+    assert.equal(calls, 1);
+    assert.deepEqual(res.requiredFacts, ['owns']);
+    assert.deepEqual(res.providedFacts, ['owns']);
+    // Without a provider and without an edge, it reports the missing fact.
+    const rt2 = new DSLRuntime(new Arbiter()).compile(BASE_DSL, 'rt-fact-miss');
+    rt2.addNode('u:1', 'Employee', {});
+    rt2.addNode('doc:9', 'Doc', {});
+    const missed = await rt2.check('u:1', 'owns', 'doc:9');
+    assert.equal(missed.possibility, 0);
+    assert.deepEqual(missed.missingFacts, [{ relation: 'owns', reason: 'no_provider' }]);
+  });
 });

tests/DSLRuntimeTyping.test.js

@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+/**
+ * tests/DSLRuntimeTyping.test.js — duration seconds, required fields, and
+ * type validation of insertions / updates / provider retrievals.
+ *
+ * - Duration literals now accept s/m/h/d/w: `BEHAVES { ttl 30s }` is 30s.
+ * - Definition fields are REQUIRED by default (`field: type`); `field: type?`
+ *   marks a field optional. addNode enforces presence on insert.
+ * - Provider-returned edges are validated against the fact's declared typing:
+ *   a value-carrying fact must return { value, possibility } with a value of
+ *   the declared type, and possibilities must lie in [0, 1].
+ */
+import { describe, it } from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { Arbiter } from '@arbiter/core';
+import { DSLRuntime } from '../src/runtime/DSLRuntime.js';
+
+describe('DSLRuntime typing', () => {
+  it('accepts seconds/minutes/hours/days/weeks in duration literals', async () => {
+    const dsl = `
+      definition Employee { id: string? }
+      definition Doc { id: string? }
+      fact *a(user: Employee, amount: number) BEHAVES { ttl 30s }
+      fact *b(user: Employee, amount: number) BEHAVES { ttl 2m }
+      fact *c(user: Employee, amount: number) BEHAVES { ttl 1h }
+      fact *d(user: Employee, amount: number) BEHAVES { ttl 3d }
+      fact *e(user: Employee, amount: number) BEHAVES { ttl 1w }
+    `;
+    const rt = new DSLRuntime(new Arbiter()).compile(dsl, 'rt-units');
+    assert.equal(rt.relations.get('a').ttlMs, 30_000);
+    assert.equal(rt.relations.get('b').ttlMs, 120_000);
+    assert.equal(rt.relations.get('c').ttlMs, 3_600_000);
+    assert.equal(rt.relations.get('d').ttlMs, 259_200_000);
+    assert.equal(rt.relations.get('e').ttlMs, 604_800_000);
+  });
+
+  it('enforces required definition fields on node insert', () => {
+    const rt = new DSLRuntime(new Arbiter()).compile(`
+      definition Employee { id: string level: number active: boolean? }
+    `, 'rt-req');
+    // id and level are required (no `?`); active is optional.
+    assert.throws(() => rt.addNode('u:1', 'Employee', { level: 3 }), /missing required field 'Employee.id'/);
+    assert.throws(() => rt.addNode('u:2', 'Employee', { id: 'u:2' }), /missing required field 'Employee.level'/);
+    rt.addNode('u:3', 'Employee', { id: 'u:3', level: 5 }); // both required, no active -> ok
+    rt.addNode('u:4', 'Employee', { id: 'u:4', level: 5, active: true });
+  });
+
+  it('exposes requiredness in the schema snapshot', () => {
+    const rt = new DSLRuntime(new Arbiter()).compile(`
+      definition Employee { id: string level: number? }
+    `, 'rt-schema-req');
+    const employee = rt.getSchema().types.find(t => t.name === 'Employee');
+    assert.equal(employee.fields.find(f => f.name === 'id').required, true);
+    assert.equal(employee.fields.find(f => f.name === 'level').required, false);
+  });
+
+  it('validates a provider-returned value against the declared value type', async () => {
+    const rt = new DSLRuntime(new Arbiter()).compile(`
+      definition Employee { id: string? }
+      definition Doc { id: string? }
+      fact *balance(user: Employee, amount: number)
+      evidence can_spend(user: Employee, doc: Doc) { balance(user, 1) }
+    `, 'rt-valuetype');
+    rt.addNode('u:1', 'Employee', {});
+    rt.addNode('doc:9', 'Doc', {});
+    rt.registerFact('balance', async () => ({ possibility: 1.0, value: 'high' }));
+    await assert.rejects(() => rt.check('u:1', 'can_spend', 'doc:9'), /must be number/);
+  });
+
+  it('requires a value for a value-carrying fact (no bare-number shorthand)', async () => {
+    const rt = new DSLRuntime(new Arbiter()).compile(`
+      definition Employee { id: string? }
+      definition Doc { id: string? }
+      fact *balance(user: Employee, amount: number)
+      evidence can_spend(user: Employee, doc: Doc) { balance(user, 1) }
+    `, 'rt-valshape');
+    rt.addNode('u:1', 'Employee', {});
+    rt.addNode('doc:9', 'Doc', {});
+    rt.registerFact('balance', async () => 0.9);
+    await assert.rejects(() => rt.check('u:1', 'can_spend', 'doc:9'), /value-carrying fact/);
+    rt.registerFact('balance', async () => ({ possibility: 1.0 })); // missing value
+    await assert.rejects(() => rt.check('u:1', 'can_spend', 'doc:9'), /must supply a 'value'/);
+  });
+
+  it('rejects a provider-returned possibility outside [0, 1]', async () => {
+    const rt = new DSLRuntime(new Arbiter()).compile(`
+      definition Employee { id: string? }
+      definition Doc { id: string? }
+      fact *owns(user: Employee, doc: Doc)
+      evidence can_read(user: Employee, doc: Doc) { owns(user, doc) }
+    `, 'rt-poss');
+    rt.addNode('u:1', 'Employee', {});
+    rt.addNode('doc:9', 'Doc', {});
+    rt.registerFact('owns', async () => ({ possibility: 2.0 }));
+    await assert.rejects(() => rt.check('u:1', 'can_read', 'doc:9'), /invalid possibility/);
+  });
+});

tests/Recursion.test.js

@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+/**
+ * tests/Recursion.test.js — bounded self-recursion (transitive closure).
+ *
+ * An evidence whose config contains a chain step referencing ITSELF is
+ * unrolled at compile time into a bounded transitive closure: a union of
+ * paths — base, hop+base, hop²+base, … — where `hop` is the recursive chain's
+ * steps before the self-reference and the depth N comes from the pattern's
+ * `limit N` (or the compiler's maxRecursionDepth default). The base (the
+ * evidence's non-recursive statements) is verified as a condition step at each
+ * path's terminal node.
+ *
+ * A pure recursion (no base case) cannot grant and is a compile-time error.
+ */
+import { describe, it } from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { Arbiter } from '@arbiter/core';
+import { DSLCompiler } from '../src/DSLCompiler.js';
+
+const BASE = `
+  definition Employee { id: string }
+  definition Doc { id: string }
+  fact can_access(user: Employee, doc: Doc)
+  fact reports_to(user: Employee, manager: Employee)
+`;
+
+const RECURSIVE = `
+  evidence can_access_via(user: Employee, doc: Doc) {
+    can_access(user, doc)
+    reports_to(user, *m) { can_access_via(m, doc) } limit 3
+  }
+`;
+
+function compile(dsl, name = 'rec') {
+  const arb = new Arbiter();
+  const result = new DSLCompiler(arb).compile(dsl, name);
+  return { arb, result };
+}
+
+describe('Bounded self-recursion', () => {
+  it('unrolls into a union of base + bounded hop chains', () => {
+    const { arb, result } = compile(BASE + RECURSIVE);
+    assert.ok(result.success, JSON.stringify(result.errors));
+    const cfg = arb.relationConfigs.get('can_access_via');
+    assert.equal(cfg.type, 'logical');
+    assert.ok(cfg.union, 'recursion should compile to a union of paths');
+    // base + 3 hops (limit 3)
+    assert.equal(cfg.union.rules.length, 4);
+  });
+
+  it('grants through the base case and through multi-hop chains', () => {
+    const { arb, result } = compile(BASE + RECURSIVE);
+    assert.ok(result.success);
+    arb.addNode('u:1', 'Employee'); arb.addNode('m:1', 'Employee'); arb.addNode('m2:1', 'Employee'); arb.addNode('doc:9', 'Doc');
+    // base
+    arb.addRelation('u:1', 'can_access', 'doc:9', { possibility: 1.0 });
+    assert.equal(arb.check('u:1', 'can_access_via', 'doc:9').possibility, 1.0);
+    // 1-hop: u -> m -> doc
+    arb.removeRelation('u:1', 'can_access', 'doc:9');
+    arb.addRelation('u:1', 'reports_to', 'm:1', { possibility: 1.0 });
+    arb.addRelation('m:1', 'can_access', 'doc:9', { possibility: 0.7 });
+    assert.equal(arb.check('u:1', 'can_access_via', 'doc:9').possibility, 0.7);
+    // 2-hop: u -> m -> m2 -> doc
+    arb.addRelation('m:1', 'reports_to', 'm2:1', { possibility: 1.0 });
+    arb.addRelation('m2:1', 'can_access', 'doc:9', { possibility: 0.5 });
+    // union takes the best path: max(0.7, 0.5) = 0.7
+    assert.equal(arb.check('u:1', 'can_access_via', 'doc:9').possibility, 0.7);
+    // 2-hop alone (remove the 1-hop can_access)
+    arb.removeRelation('m:1', 'can_access', 'doc:9');
+    assert.equal(arb.check('u:1', 'can_access_via', 'doc:9').possibility, 0.5);
+  });
+
+  it('enforces the recursion depth limit', () => {
+    const { arb, result } = compile(`
+      ${BASE}
+      evidence can_access_via(user: Employee, doc: Doc) {
+        can_access(user, doc)
+        reports_to(user, *m) { can_access_via(m, doc) } limit 2
+      }
+    `);
+    assert.ok(result.success);
+    arb.addNode('u:1', 'Employee'); arb.addNode('m:1', 'Employee'); arb.addNode('m2:1', 'Employee'); arb.addNode('m3:1', 'Employee'); arb.addNode('doc:9', 'Doc');
+    arb.addRelation('u:1', 'reports_to', 'm:1', { possibility: 1.0 });
+    arb.addRelation('m:1', 'reports_to', 'm2:1', { possibility: 1.0 });
+    arb.addRelation('m2:1', 'reports_to', 'm3:1', { possibility: 1.0 });
+    arb.addRelation('m2:1', 'can_access', 'doc:9', { possibility: 0.5 }); // 2 hops
+    arb.addRelation('m3:1', 'can_access', 'doc:9', { possibility: 0.9 }); // 3 hops
+    assert.equal(arb.check('u:1', 'can_access_via', 'doc:9').possibility, 0.5);
+    arb.removeRelation('m2:1', 'can_access', 'doc:9');
+    // only the 3-hop path remains — beyond the limit -> denied
+    assert.equal(arb.check('u:1', 'can_access_via', 'doc:9').possibility, 0);
+  });
+
+  it('uses the compiler maxRecursionDepth default when no limit is given', () => {
+    const dsl = `
+      ${BASE}
+      evidence can_access_via(user: Employee, doc: Doc) {
+        can_access(user, doc)
+        reports_to(user, *m) { can_access_via(m, doc) }
+      }
+    `;
+    const { arb, result } = compile(dsl);
+    assert.ok(result.success, JSON.stringify(result.errors));
+    // default depth 3 -> base + 3 hops
+    assert.equal(arb.relationConfigs.get('can_access_via').union.rules.length, 4);
+    // a deeper path (4 hops) is not granted
+    arb.addNode('u:1', 'Employee'); arb.addNode('m:1', 'Employee'); arb.addNode('m2:1', 'Employee'); arb.addNode('m3:1', 'Employee'); arb.addNode('m4:1', 'Employee'); arb.addNode('doc:9', 'Doc');
+    arb.addRelation('u:1', 'reports_to', 'm:1', { possibility: 1.0 });
+    arb.addRelation('m:1', 'reports_to', 'm2:1', { possibility: 1.0 });
+    arb.addRelation('m2:1', 'reports_to', 'm3:1', { possibility: 1.0 });
+    arb.addRelation('m3:1', 'reports_to', 'm4:1', { possibility: 1.0 });
+    arb.addRelation('m4:1', 'can_access', 'doc:9', { possibility: 1.0 });
+    assert.equal(arb.check('u:1', 'can_access_via', 'doc:9').possibility, 0, '4-hop path exceeds default depth');
+  });
+
+  it('rejects a pure recursion with no base case', () => {
+    const { result } = compile(`
+      ${BASE}
+      evidence can_access_via(user: Employee, doc: Doc) {
+        reports_to(user, *m) { can_access_via(m, doc) } limit 3
+      }
+    `);
+    assert.equal(result.success, false);
+    assert.ok(result.errors.some(e => /no base case/.test(e)), JSON.stringify(result.errors));
+  });
+
+  it('keeps mutual (non-self) cycles a compile error', () => {
+    const { result } = compile(`
+      ${BASE}
+      fact peer(user: Employee, other: Employee)
+      evidence a(user: Employee, doc: Doc) { peer(user, *p) { b(p, doc) } }
+      evidence b(user: Employee, doc: Doc) { peer(user, *p) { a(p, doc) } }
+    `);
+    assert.equal(result.success, false);
+    assert.ok(result.errors.some(e => /[Cc]yclic/.test(e)), JSON.stringify(result.errors));
+  });
+});