fix: defer relationship classification until comparability is established

lib/graph/question-formulator.js

@@ -210,6 +210,23 @@ export function assessComparability(graph) {
   };
 }
 
+function buildReasoningStages(comparability, relationship, deferred = false) {
+  return [
+    {
+      stage: "comparability",
+      status: comparability.comparabilityStatus,
+      outcome: comparability.reason,
+    },
+    {
+      stage: "relationship",
+      status: relationship.relationshipStatus,
+      outcome: deferred
+        ? "not assessed until comparability is established"
+        : relationship.reason,
+    },
+  ];
+}
+
 function extractObservationConcepts(profile) {
   const concepts = new Set();
   const text = profile.normalised;
@@ -250,7 +267,7 @@ function extractObservationDirection(profile) {
   return "unknown";
 }
 
-export function classifyObservationRelationship(graph) {
+function classifyObservationRelationshipWhenComparable(graph) {
   const observations = collectObservationNodes(graph);
   const profiles = observations.map((node) =>
     analyseObservationText(`${node.label} ${node.description}`),
@@ -343,6 +360,42 @@ export function classifyObservationRelationship(graph) {
   };
 }
 
+export function classifyObservationRelationship(graph) {
+  const comparability = assessComparability(graph);
+
+  if (comparability.comparabilityStatus !== "confirmed") {
+    const deferredRelationship = {
+      relationshipStatus: "insufficient_information",
+      reason:
+        "Relationship classification is deferred until comparability is established.",
+      contradictionReasoningAllowed: false,
+      questionRequired: comparability.comparabilityStatus === "uncertain",
+      questionSuppressedReason:
+        comparability.comparabilityStatus === "incompatible"
+          ? "Relationship classification was not attempted because the observations are not yet comparable."
+          : undefined,
+      relationshipAssessed: false,
+    };
+
+    return {
+      ...deferredRelationship,
+      reasoningStages: buildReasoningStages(
+        comparability,
+        deferredRelationship,
+        true,
+      ),
+    };
+  }
+
+  const classified = classifyObservationRelationshipWhenComparable(graph);
+
+  return {
+    ...classified,
+    relationshipAssessed: true,
+    reasoningStages: buildReasoningStages(comparability, classified, false),
+  };
+}
+
 function buildComparabilityQuestion(graph, assessment) {
   const centralText = normaliseText(graph?.centralStatement || "");
   const mentionsPeriod =
@@ -380,6 +433,7 @@ function detectContradictionContext(graph) {
 export function formulateTieResolutionQuestion({ graph }) {
   const comparability = assessComparability(graph);
   if (comparability.comparabilityStatus === "uncertain") {
+    const deferredRelationship = classifyObservationRelationship(graph);
     return {
       question: buildComparabilityQuestion(graph, comparability),
       reason:
@@ -391,10 +445,11 @@ export function formulateTieResolutionQuestion({ graph }) {
       comparabilityReason: comparability.reason,
       contradictionReasoningAllowed:
         comparability.contradictionReasoningAllowed,
-      relationshipStatus: "insufficient_information",
+      relationshipStatus: deferredRelationship.relationshipStatus,
-      relationshipReason:
+      relationshipReason: deferredRelationship.reason,
-        "Relationship classification is deferred until comparability is established.",
+      relationshipAssessed: deferredRelationship.relationshipAssessed,
       questionRequired: true,
+      reasoningStages: deferredRelationship.reasoningStages,
     };
   }
 
@@ -410,9 +465,11 @@ export function formulateTieResolutionQuestion({ graph }) {
       comparabilityReason: comparability.reason,
       relationshipStatus: relationship.relationshipStatus,
       relationshipReason: relationship.reason,
+      relationshipAssessed: relationship.relationshipAssessed,
       contradictionReasoningAllowed: relationship.contradictionReasoningAllowed,
       questionRequired: relationship.questionRequired,
       questionSuppressedReason: relationship.questionSuppressedReason,
+      reasoningStages: relationship.reasoningStages,
     };
   }
 
@@ -429,8 +486,10 @@ export function formulateTieResolutionQuestion({ graph }) {
       comparabilityReason: comparability.reason,
       relationshipStatus: relationship.relationshipStatus,
       relationshipReason: relationship.reason,
+      relationshipAssessed: relationship.relationshipAssessed,
       contradictionReasoningAllowed: relationship.contradictionReasoningAllowed,
       questionRequired: relationship.questionRequired,
+      reasoningStages: relationship.reasoningStages,
     };
   }
 
@@ -453,8 +512,10 @@ export function formulateTieResolutionQuestion({ graph }) {
     comparabilityReason: comparability.reason,
     relationshipStatus: relationship.relationshipStatus,
     relationshipReason: relationship.reason,
+    relationshipAssessed: relationship.relationshipAssessed,
     contradictionReasoningAllowed: relationship.contradictionReasoningAllowed,
     questionRequired: relationship.questionRequired,
+    reasoningStages: relationship.reasoningStages,
   };
 }
 

tests/graph/comparability-assessment.test.js

@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ describe("comparability assessment", () => {
         scenario: fixture.scenario,
         comparabilityStatus: assessment.comparabilityStatus,
         relationshipStatus: relationship.relationshipStatus,
+        relationshipAssessed: relationship.relationshipAssessed,
         contradictionReasoningAllowed: question.contradictionReasoningAllowed,
         question: question.question,
       };
@@ -49,7 +50,8 @@ describe("comparability assessment", () => {
         scenario:
           "Revenue increased by 18%, but cash in the bank fell over the same period.",
         comparabilityStatus: "uncertain",
-        relationshipStatus: "compatible",
+        relationshipStatus: "insufficient_information",
+        relationshipAssessed: false,
         contradictionReasoningAllowed: false,
         question:
           "Were these figures measured on the same basis and at the same scale?",
@@ -57,7 +59,8 @@ describe("comparability assessment", () => {
       {
         scenario: "Complaints increased. Production increased.",
         comparabilityStatus: "uncertain",
-        relationshipStatus: "compatible",
+        relationshipStatus: "insufficient_information",
+        relationshipAssessed: false,
         contradictionReasoningAllowed: false,
         question:
           "Were these figures measured over the same period and at the same scale?",
@@ -66,7 +69,8 @@ describe("comparability assessment", () => {
         scenario:
           "Average delivery time decreased by 25%, but order cancellations increased.",
         comparabilityStatus: "uncertain",
-        relationshipStatus: "compatible",
+        relationshipStatus: "insufficient_information",
+        relationshipAssessed: false,
         contradictionReasoningAllowed: false,
         question:
           "Were these figures measured over the same period and at the same scale?",
@@ -74,7 +78,8 @@ describe("comparability assessment", () => {
       {
         scenario: "Customer satisfaction increased, but complaints increased.",
         comparabilityStatus: "uncertain",
-        relationshipStatus: "compatible",
+        relationshipStatus: "insufficient_information",
+        relationshipAssessed: false,
         contradictionReasoningAllowed: false,
         question:
           "Were these figures measured over the same period and at the same scale?",
@@ -83,6 +88,7 @@ describe("comparability assessment", () => {
         scenario: "Temperature increased. Ice melted.",
         comparabilityStatus: "confirmed",
         relationshipStatus: "compatible",
+        relationshipAssessed: true,
         contradictionReasoningAllowed: false,
         question: null,
       },
@@ -90,12 +96,38 @@ describe("comparability assessment", () => {
         scenario: "Sales doubled. Sales doubled.",
         comparabilityStatus: "confirmed",
         relationshipStatus: "duplicate",
+        relationshipAssessed: true,
         contradictionReasoningAllowed: false,
         question: null,
       },
     ]);
   });
 
+  it("defers relationship classification while comparability is uncertain", () => {
+    const fixture = comparabilityAssessmentFixtures[0];
+    const relationship = classifyObservationRelationship(fixture.graph);
+
+    expect(relationship).toMatchObject({
+      relationshipStatus: "insufficient_information",
+      relationshipAssessed: false,
+      contradictionReasoningAllowed: false,
+      questionRequired: true,
+    });
+    expect(relationship.reasoningStages).toEqual([
+      {
+        stage: "comparability",
+        status: "uncertain",
+        outcome:
+          "Comparability between the observations is not yet established across period, scale, or measurement basis.",
+      },
+      {
+        stage: "relationship",
+        status: "insufficient_information",
+        outcome: "not assessed until comparability is established",
+      },
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("allows contradiction reasoning only for genuine contradictions", () => {
     const serviceGraph = {
       centralStatement:

tests/graph/orchestrator.test.js

@@ -256,6 +256,8 @@ describe("lib/graph/orchestrator startCase", () => {
         "Were these figures measured on the same basis and at the same scale?",
       tiedCandidateIds: expect.arrayContaining([expect.any(String)]),
       comparabilityStatus: "uncertain",
+      relationshipStatus: "insufficient_information",
+      relationshipAssessed: false,
       contradictionReasoningAllowed: false,
     });
     expect(result.diagnostics.unknownSelectionExplanation).toMatchObject({