feat: decompose composite unknowns before questioning

2026-08-03 06:32:12 +01:00
parent 0723c2f49a
commit d52690cf2b
8 changed files with 874 additions and 131 deletions
@@ -602,6 +602,145 @@ function buildDecompositionContext(graph) {
    centralStatement: stripTrailingPunctuation(graph.centralStatement),
    firstConcept: firstConcept || "the first signal",
    secondConcept: secondConcept || "the second signal",
+    firstObservationLabel: stripTrailingPunctuation(
+      firstObservation?.label || "",
+    ),
+    secondObservationLabel: stripTrailingPunctuation(
+      secondObservation?.label || "",
+    ),
+  };
+}
+
+export const MAX_DECOMPOSITION_DEPTH = 2;
+
+function splitSemanticTokens(value) {
+  return normaliseText(value)
+    .split(" ")
+    .filter((token) => token.length > 2);
+}
+
+function buildSemanticSignature(node) {
+  return normaliseText(`${node?.label || ""} ${node?.description || ""}`);
+}
+
+function calculateTokenOverlapRatio(aTokens, bTokens) {
+  const a = new Set(aTokens);
+  const b = new Set(bTokens);
+  const intersection = [...a].filter((token) => b.has(token)).length;
+  const largest = Math.max(a.size, b.size, 1);
+  return intersection / largest;
+}
+
+function detectCompoundSignals(text) {
+  const signals = [];
+
+  if (/\b(and|or)\b/.test(text)) {
+    if (
+      /\b(timing|measurement|basis|cost|costs|debt|stock|tax|capital|mix|segment)\b[^.]{0,30}\b(and|or)\b[^.]{0,30}\b(timing|measurement|basis|cost|costs|debt|stock|tax|capital|mix|segment)\b/.test(
+        text,
+      )
+    ) {
+      signals.push("conjoined_distinct_concepts");
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (/\b[a-z]+\s*\/\s*[a-z]+\b/.test(text)) {
+    signals.push("slash_separated_categories");
+  }
+
+  if (/,[^,]{0,20},/.test(text) || /,\s*[^,]+\s+or\s+[^,]+/.test(text)) {
+    signals.push("comma_separated_category_list");
+  }
+
+  if (/\btiming or measurement basis\b/.test(text)) {
+    signals.push("timing_or_measurement_basis");
+  }
+
+  return [...new Set(signals)];
+}
+
+function isDirectlyAnswerableChildText(text) {
+  return !/\b(explanation for why|possible causes|possible reasons|what changed|difference between|divergence|moved differently|factors behind|factors affecting)\b/.test(
+    text,
+  );
+}
+
+function buildRejectedChildRecord(childNode, reasons, compoundSignals) {
+  return {
+    nodeId: childNode.id,
+    label: childNode.label,
+    reasons,
+    compoundSignals,
+  };
+}
+
+function mergeUniqueRecords(existing = [], incoming = [], key = "nodeId") {
+  const merged = new Map((existing || []).map((item) => [item[key], item]));
+  for (const item of incoming || []) {
+    merged.set(item[key], item);
+  }
+  return [...merged.values()];
+}
+
+function cloneNode(node) {
+  return JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(node));
+}
+
+export function assessChildUnknownQuality({
+  parentNode,
+  childNode,
+  siblingNodes,
+  graph,
+}) {
+  const parentSignature = buildSemanticSignature(parentNode);
+  const childSignature = buildSemanticSignature(childNode);
+  const parentTokens = splitSemanticTokens(parentSignature);
+  const childTokens = splitSemanticTokens(childSignature);
+  const compoundSignals = detectCompoundSignals(childSignature);
+  const duplicateSiblingIds = (siblingNodes || [])
+    .filter((sibling) => sibling.id !== childNode.id)
+    .filter((sibling) => buildSemanticSignature(sibling) === childSignature)
+    .map((sibling) => sibling.id);
+  const reasons = [];
+
+  const narrowerThanParent =
+    childSignature !== parentSignature &&
+    (childTokens.length < parentTokens.length ||
+      calculateTokenOverlapRatio(parentTokens, childTokens) < 0.8);
+
+  const directlyAnswerable =
+    isDirectlyAnswerableChildText(childSignature) &&
+    compoundSignals.length === 0;
+
+  const independent =
+    duplicateSiblingIds.length === 0 && compoundSignals.length === 0;
+  const atomic = narrowerThanParent && directlyAnswerable && independent;
+
+  if (!narrowerThanParent) {
+    reasons.push("not_narrower_than_parent");
+  }
+  if (!directlyAnswerable) {
+    reasons.push("not_directly_answerable");
+  }
+  if (compoundSignals.length > 0) {
+    reasons.push("compound_child");
+  }
+  if (duplicateSiblingIds.length > 0) {
+    reasons.push("duplicate_sibling");
+  }
+  if ((graph?.resolvedNodeIds || []).includes(childNode.id)) {
+    reasons.push("already_resolved");
+  }
+
+  return {
+    valid: reasons.length === 0,
+    atomic,
+    directlyAnswerable,
+    independent,
+    narrowerThanParent,
+    compoundSignals,
+    duplicateSiblingIds,
+    reasons,
  };
 }

@@ -642,62 +781,127 @@ function findEquivalentDecompositionChild(
  });
 }

-function buildCompositeUnknownChildren(parentNode, graph) {
-  const context = buildDecompositionContext(graph);
-  const templates = [
-    {
-      label: "Timing or measurement basis",
-      description: `Need evidence about whether a timing or measurement-basis difference could explain ${context.centralStatement}, because that would change how the observations should be interpreted.`,
-    },
-    {
-      label: `Change affecting ${context.firstConcept} more than ${context.secondConcept}`,
-      description: `Need to know whether something changed that affected ${context.firstConcept} more than ${context.secondConcept}, because that could explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
-    },
-    {
-      label: `Change affecting ${context.secondConcept} more than ${context.firstConcept}`,
-      description: `Need to know whether something changed that affected ${context.secondConcept} more than ${context.firstConcept}, because that could explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
-    },
-    {
-      label: "Mix or segment shift",
-      description: `Need to know whether the mix of customers, products, orders, or cases changed, because that could explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
-    },
-    {
-      label: "One-off event during the period",
-      description: `Need to know whether a one-off event or unusual change happened during the period, because that could explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
-    },
-  ];
+function describeObservationFocus(context, which) {
+  const concept =
+    which === "first" ? context.firstConcept : context.secondConcept;
+  const label =
+    which === "first"
+      ? context.firstObservationLabel
+      : context.secondObservationLabel;

+  if (concept && !concept.startsWith("the ")) return concept;
+  if (label) return label.toLowerCase();
+  return which === "first" ? "the first observation" : "the second observation";
+}
+
+function buildDecompositionTemplates(parentNode, graph, depth = 0) {
+  const context = buildDecompositionContext(graph);
+  const firstFocus = describeObservationFocus(context, "first");
+  const secondFocus = describeObservationFocus(context, "second");
+
+  if (/\btiming or measurement basis\b/i.test(parentNode.label)) {
+    return [
+      {
+        label: "Whether the two observations reflect different timing",
+        description: `Need to know whether the two observations reflect different timing, because that would help resolve ${context.centralStatement}.`,
+      },
+      {
+        label: "How the two observations were measured",
+        description: `Need evidence about the measure used for each observation, because that would help resolve ${context.centralStatement}.`,
+      },
+    ];
+  }
+
+  return [
+    {
+      label: "Whether the two observations reflect different timing",
+      description: `Need to know whether the two observations reflect different timing, because that could help explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
+    },
+    {
+      label: "How the two observations were measured",
+      description: `Need evidence about the measure used for each observation, because that could help explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
+    },
+    {
+      label: `Change mainly affecting ${firstFocus}`,
+      description: `Need to know whether a change mainly affected ${firstFocus}, because that could help explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
+    },
+    {
+      label: `Change mainly affecting ${secondFocus}`,
+      description: `Need to know whether a change mainly affected ${secondFocus}, because that could help explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
+    },
+    depth === 0
+      ? {
+          label: "One-off event during the period",
+          description: `Need to know whether a one-off event happened during the period, because that could help explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
+        }
+      : {
+          label: "Mix shift during the period",
+          description: `Need to know whether the mix of cases, customers, or items shifted during the period, because that could help explain ${context.centralStatement}.`,
+        },
+  ];
+}
+
+function buildCompositeUnknownChildren(parentNode, graph, depth = 0) {
+  const templates = buildDecompositionTemplates(parentNode, graph, depth);
+
+  const candidateNodes = templates.map(
+    (template) =>
+      findEquivalentDecompositionChild(
+        graph,
+        parentNode.id,
+        template.label,
+        template.description,
+      ) || {
+        id: buildDecompositionChildId(parentNode.id, template.label),
+        label: template.label,
+        description: template.description,
+        kind: "unknown",
+        status: "unknown",
+        confidence: "medium",
+        value: null,
+        unit: null,
+        evidenceIds: [],
+        dependsOn: [],
+        affects: [],
+        parentId: parentNode.id,
+        childIds: [],
+      },
+  );
  const childNodes = [];
  const childEdges = [];
  const childNodeIds = [];
-  let createdCount = 0;
+  const rejectedChildren = [];
+  const childQualitySummary = [];

-  for (const template of templates) {
-    const existingNode = findEquivalentDecompositionChild(
+  for (const childNode of candidateNodes) {
+    const quality = assessChildUnknownQuality({
+      parentNode,
+      childNode,
+      siblingNodes: candidateNodes,
      graph,
-      parentNode.id,
-      template.label,
-      template.description,
-    );
-    const childNode = existingNode || {
-      id: buildDecompositionChildId(parentNode.id, template.label),
-      label: template.label,
-      description: template.description,
-      kind: "unknown",
-      status: "unknown",
-      confidence: "medium",
-      value: null,
-      unit: null,
-      evidenceIds: [],
-      dependsOn: [],
-      affects: [],
-      parentId: parentNode.id,
-      childIds: [],
-    };
+    });
+    childQualitySummary.push({
+      nodeId: childNode.id,
+      label: childNode.label,
+      valid: quality.valid,
+      atomic: quality.atomic,
+      reasons: quality.reasons,
+    });
+
+    if (!quality.valid) {
+      rejectedChildren.push(
+        buildRejectedChildRecord(
+          childNode,
+          quality.reasons,
+          quality.compoundSignals,
+        ),
+      );
+      continue;
+    }

    childNodeIds.push(childNode.id);

-    if (existingNode) {
+    if ((graph.nodes || []).some((node) => node.id === childNode.id)) {
      continue;
    }

@@ -711,21 +915,197 @@ function buildCompositeUnknownChildren(parentNode, graph) {
      description:
        "This child unknown must be investigated before the broader parent explanation can be resolved.",
    });
-    createdCount += 1;
+  }
+
+  const acceptedChildCount = childNodeIds.length;
+  const proposedChildCount = candidateNodes.length;
+
+  if (acceptedChildCount < 2) {
+    return {
+      accepted: false,
+      childNodes: [],
+      childEdges: [],
+      childNodeIds: [],
+      proposedChildCount,
+      acceptedChildCount,
+      rejectedChildren,
+      childQualitySummary,
+      reason:
+        acceptedChildCount === 0
+          ? "Decomposition stopped because all proposed children failed quality checks."
+          : "Decomposition stopped because fewer than two valid child unknowns remained after quality checks.",
+    };
  }

  return {
+    accepted: true,
    childNodes,
    childEdges,
    childNodeIds,
-    createdCount,
+    proposedChildCount,
+    acceptedChildCount,
+    rejectedChildren,
+    childQualitySummary,
    reason:
-      createdCount > 0
+      childNodes.length > 0
        ? "Decomposed a composite unknown into smaller broad candidate dimensions before asking the next question."
        : "Reused existing decomposition children for the composite unknown before asking the next question.",
  };
 }

+function findNodeById(graph, nodeId) {
+  return (graph.nodes || []).find((node) => node.id === nodeId) || null;
+}
+
+function runDeterministicDecomposition({
+  graphSnapshot,
+  proposalSnapshot,
+  updatedSituationGraph,
+  reasoningResolution,
+  deterministicSelection,
+}) {
+  let workingGraph = updatedSituationGraph;
+  let workingSelection = deterministicSelection;
+  let workingProposal = proposalSnapshot;
+  let nextReasoningState = workingGraph.reasoningState;
+  let lastAtomicityAssessment = null;
+  let rootAtomicityAssessment = null;
+  let decompositionDepth = 0;
+  let decompositionAttempted = false;
+  let decompositionAccepted = false;
+  let proposedChildCount = 0;
+  let acceptedChildCount = 0;
+  let selectedChildNodeId = null;
+  let decompositionStoppedReason = null;
+  let rejectedChildren = [];
+  let childQualitySummary = [];
+
+  while (workingSelection?.status === "selected" && workingSelection?.nodeId) {
+    const selectedNode = findNodeById(workingGraph, workingSelection.nodeId);
+    if (!selectedNode) {
+      decompositionStoppedReason =
+        "Selected node was not present in the updated graph.";
+      break;
+    }
+
+    const atomicityAssessment = assessUnknownAtomicity({
+      node: selectedNode,
+      graph: workingGraph,
+    });
+    lastAtomicityAssessment = atomicityAssessment;
+    if (!rootAtomicityAssessment) {
+      rootAtomicityAssessment = atomicityAssessment;
+    }
+
+    if (atomicityAssessment.atomicity === "atomic") {
+      selectedChildNodeId = decompositionDepth > 0 ? selectedNode.id : null;
+      decompositionStoppedReason =
+        decompositionDepth > 0
+          ? "Selected child is atomic and directly answerable."
+          : "Selected unknown is already atomic.";
+      break;
+    }
+
+    if (decompositionDepth >= MAX_DECOMPOSITION_DEPTH) {
+      decompositionStoppedReason =
+        "Maximum decomposition depth reached before finding a smaller atomic child.";
+      break;
+    }
+
+    decompositionAttempted = true;
+    const decomposition = buildCompositeUnknownChildren(
+      selectedNode,
+      workingGraph,
+      decompositionDepth,
+    );
+
+    proposedChildCount = decomposition.proposedChildCount;
+    acceptedChildCount = decomposition.acceptedChildCount;
+    rejectedChildren = mergeUniqueRecords(
+      rejectedChildren,
+      decomposition.rejectedChildren,
+    );
+    childQualitySummary = mergeUniqueRecords(
+      childQualitySummary,
+      decomposition.childQualitySummary,
+    );
+
+    if (!decomposition.accepted) {
+      decompositionStoppedReason = decomposition.reason;
+      break;
+    }
+
+    const previousGraph = cloneJsonSafe(workingGraph);
+    const previousProposal = cloneJsonSafe(workingProposal);
+    const previousReasoningState = cloneJsonSafe(nextReasoningState);
+
+    workingProposal.addedNodes.push(...decomposition.childNodes.map(cloneNode));
+    workingProposal.addedEdges.push(...decomposition.childEdges.map(cloneNode));
+
+    const applied = applyGraphUpdate(graphSnapshot, workingProposal);
+    if (!applied.success) {
+      return {
+        success: false,
+        stage: "application",
+        errors: applied.errors,
+      };
+    }
+
+    workingGraph = {
+      ...graphSnapshot,
+      nodes: applied.nodes,
+      edges: applied.edges,
+      resolvedNodeIds: applied.resolvedNodeIds,
+    };
+    nextReasoningState = buildReasoningState(
+      workingGraph,
+      reasoningResolution.reasoningStateOverride,
+    );
+    workingGraph.reasoningState = nextReasoningState;
+    workingSelection = selectActiveUnknownCandidate(
+      workingGraph,
+      workingGraph.resolvedNodeIds,
+    );
+
+    if (workingSelection?.status !== "selected") {
+      workingGraph = previousGraph;
+      workingProposal = previousProposal;
+      nextReasoningState = previousReasoningState;
+      workingSelection = selectActiveUnknownCandidate(
+        workingGraph,
+        workingGraph.resolvedNodeIds,
+      );
+      decompositionStoppedReason =
+        workingSelection?.status === "ambiguous"
+          ? "Decomposition produced multiple equally valid children with no justified distinction."
+          : "No unresolved child remained selectable after decomposition.";
+      break;
+    }
+
+    decompositionAccepted = true;
+    decompositionDepth += 1;
+  }
+
+  return {
+    success: true,
+    updatedSituationGraph: workingGraph,
+    proposalSnapshot: workingProposal,
+    reasoningState: nextReasoningState,
+    deterministicSelection: workingSelection,
+    atomicityAssessment:
+      rootAtomicityAssessment ?? lastAtomicityAssessment ?? null,
+    decompositionDepth,
+    decompositionAttempted,
+    decompositionAccepted,
+    decompositionStoppedReason,
+    proposedChildCount,
+    acceptedChildCount,
+    rejectedChildren,
+    childQualitySummary,
+    selectedChildNodeId,
+  };
+}
+
 function isComparabilityQuestion(question) {
  const text = String(question || "").toLowerCase();
  return (
@@ -1027,71 +1407,44 @@ export function applyValidatedProposal({
    updatedSituationGraph.resolvedNodeIds,
  );

-  let atomicityAssessment = null;
-  let decompositionPerformed = false;
-  let decompositionChildNodeIds = [];
-  let decompositionReason = null;
+  const decompositionResult = runDeterministicDecomposition({
+    graphSnapshot,
+    proposalSnapshot,
+    updatedSituationGraph,
+    reasoningResolution,
+    deterministicSelection,
+  });

-  const initiallySelectedNode =
-    deterministicSelection?.status === "selected" &&
-    deterministicSelection?.nodeId
-      ? updatedSituationGraph.nodes.find(
-          (node) => node.id === deterministicSelection.nodeId,
-        )
-      : null;
-
-  if (initiallySelectedNode) {
-    atomicityAssessment = assessUnknownAtomicity({
-      node: initiallySelectedNode,
-      graph: updatedSituationGraph,
-    });
-
-    if (atomicityAssessment.atomicity === "composite") {
-      const decomposition = buildCompositeUnknownChildren(
-        initiallySelectedNode,
-        updatedSituationGraph,
-      );
-      decompositionPerformed = true;
-      decompositionChildNodeIds = decomposition.childNodeIds;
-      decompositionReason =
-        decomposition.reason || atomicityAssessment.reason || null;
-
-      if (
-        decomposition.childNodes.length > 0 ||
-        decomposition.childEdges.length > 0
-      ) {
-        proposalSnapshot.addedNodes.push(...decomposition.childNodes);
-        proposalSnapshot.addedEdges.push(...decomposition.childEdges);
-
-        applied = applyGraphUpdate(graphSnapshot, proposalSnapshot);
-        if (!applied.success) {
-          return {
-            success: false,
-            stage: "application",
-            errors: applied.errors,
-          };
-        }
-
-        updatedSituationGraph = {
-          ...graphSnapshot,
-          nodes: applied.nodes,
-          edges: applied.edges,
-          resolvedNodeIds: applied.resolvedNodeIds,
-        };
-        nextReasoningState = buildReasoningState(
-          updatedSituationGraph,
-          reasoningResolution.reasoningStateOverride,
-        );
-        updatedSituationGraph.reasoningState = nextReasoningState;
-      }
-
-      deterministicSelection = selectActiveUnknownCandidate(
-        updatedSituationGraph,
-        updatedSituationGraph.resolvedNodeIds,
-      );
-    }
+  if (!decompositionResult.success) {
+    return decompositionResult;
  }

+  updatedSituationGraph = decompositionResult.updatedSituationGraph;
+  nextReasoningState = decompositionResult.reasoningState;
+  deterministicSelection = decompositionResult.deterministicSelection;
+
+  const atomicityAssessment = decompositionResult.atomicityAssessment;
+  const decompositionDepth = decompositionResult.decompositionDepth;
+  const decompositionAttempted = decompositionResult.decompositionAttempted;
+  const decompositionAccepted = decompositionResult.decompositionAccepted;
+  const decompositionStoppedReason =
+    decompositionResult.decompositionStoppedReason;
+  const proposedChildCount = decompositionResult.proposedChildCount;
+  const acceptedChildCount = decompositionResult.acceptedChildCount;
+  const rejectedChildren = decompositionResult.rejectedChildren;
+  const childQualitySummary = decompositionResult.childQualitySummary;
+  const selectedChildNodeId = decompositionResult.selectedChildNodeId;
+  const decompositionPerformed =
+    decompositionAttempted && decompositionAccepted;
+  const decompositionChildNodeIds = [
+    ...new Set(
+      decompositionResult.proposalSnapshot.addedNodes
+        .filter((node) => node.kind === "unknown" && node.parentId != null)
+        .map((node) => node.id),
+    ),
+  ];
+  const decompositionReason = decompositionStoppedReason;
+
  if (
    deterministicSelection?.status === "selected" &&
    deterministicSelection?.nodeId
@@ -1197,6 +1550,16 @@ export function applyValidatedProposal({
    emergentReasoningNodeId: emergentReasoningUnknown?.node?.id ?? null,
    emergentReasoningNodeReason: emergentReasoningUnknown?.reason ?? null,
    atomicityAssessment: atomicityAssessment?.atomicity ?? null,
+    atomicityDecisionReason: atomicityAssessment?.reason ?? null,
+    decompositionDepth,
+    decompositionAttempted,
+    decompositionAccepted,
+    decompositionStoppedReason,
+    proposedChildCount,
+    acceptedChildCount,
+    rejectedChildren,
+    selectedChildNodeId,
+    childQualitySummary,
    decompositionPerformed,
    childUnknownCount: decompositionChildNodeIds.length,
    childNodeIds: decompositionChildNodeIds,
@@ -93,6 +93,16 @@ function buildUpdateDiagnostics({
  emergentReasoningNodeId,
  emergentReasoningNodeReason,
  atomicityAssessment,
+  atomicityDecisionReason,
+  decompositionDepth,
+  decompositionAttempted,
+  decompositionAccepted,
+  decompositionStoppedReason,
+  proposedChildCount,
+  acceptedChildCount,
+  rejectedChildren,
+  selectedChildNodeId,
+  childQualitySummary,
  decompositionPerformed,
  childUnknownCount,
  childNodeIds,
@@ -126,6 +136,16 @@ function buildUpdateDiagnostics({
    emergentReasoningNodeId: emergentReasoningNodeId ?? null,
    emergentReasoningNodeReason: emergentReasoningNodeReason ?? null,
    atomicityAssessment: atomicityAssessment ?? null,
+    atomicityDecisionReason: atomicityDecisionReason ?? null,
+    decompositionDepth: decompositionDepth ?? 0,
+    decompositionAttempted: decompositionAttempted ?? false,
+    decompositionAccepted: decompositionAccepted ?? false,
+    decompositionStoppedReason: decompositionStoppedReason ?? null,
+    proposedChildCount: proposedChildCount ?? 0,
+    acceptedChildCount: acceptedChildCount ?? 0,
+    rejectedChildren: rejectedChildren ?? [],
+    selectedChildNodeId: selectedChildNodeId ?? null,
+    childQualitySummary: childQualitySummary ?? [],
    decompositionPerformed: decompositionPerformed ?? false,
    childUnknownCount: childUnknownCount ?? 0,
    childNodeIds: childNodeIds ?? [],
@@ -383,6 +403,16 @@ async function updateCaseWithDependencies(body, dependencies = {}) {
            emergentReasoningNodeId: null,
            emergentReasoningNodeReason: null,
            atomicityAssessment: null,
+            atomicityDecisionReason: null,
+            decompositionDepth: 0,
+            decompositionAttempted: false,
+            decompositionAccepted: false,
+            decompositionStoppedReason: null,
+            proposedChildCount: 0,
+            acceptedChildCount: 0,
+            rejectedChildren: [],
+            selectedChildNodeId: null,
+            childQualitySummary: [],
            decompositionPerformed: false,
            childUnknownCount: 0,
            childNodeIds: [],
@@ -430,6 +460,17 @@ async function updateCaseWithDependencies(body, dependencies = {}) {
        emergentReasoningNodeReason:
          applicationResult.emergentReasoningNodeReason,
        atomicityAssessment: applicationResult.atomicityAssessment,
+        atomicityDecisionReason: applicationResult.atomicityDecisionReason,
+        decompositionDepth: applicationResult.decompositionDepth,
+        decompositionAttempted: applicationResult.decompositionAttempted,
+        decompositionAccepted: applicationResult.decompositionAccepted,
+        decompositionStoppedReason:
+          applicationResult.decompositionStoppedReason,
+        proposedChildCount: applicationResult.proposedChildCount,
+        acceptedChildCount: applicationResult.acceptedChildCount,
+        rejectedChildren: applicationResult.rejectedChildren,
+        selectedChildNodeId: applicationResult.selectedChildNodeId,
+        childQualitySummary: applicationResult.childQualitySummary,
        decompositionPerformed: applicationResult.decompositionPerformed,
        childUnknownCount: applicationResult.childUnknownCount,
        childNodeIds: applicationResult.childNodeIds,
@@ -462,6 +503,16 @@ async function updateCaseWithDependencies(body, dependencies = {}) {
      emergentReasoningNodeId: null,
      emergentReasoningNodeReason: null,
      atomicityAssessment: null,
+      atomicityDecisionReason: null,
+      decompositionDepth: 0,
+      decompositionAttempted: false,
+      decompositionAccepted: false,
+      decompositionStoppedReason: null,
+      proposedChildCount: 0,
+      acceptedChildCount: 0,
+      rejectedChildren: [],
+      selectedChildNodeId: null,
+      childQualitySummary: [],
      decompositionPerformed: false,
      childUnknownCount: 0,
      childNodeIds: [],
@@ -514,17 +514,45 @@ function isBroadCompositeUnknownText(text) {
  );
 }

+function hasCompoundAbstractSignals(text) {
+  return (
+    /\b(timing|measurement|basis|cost|costs|debt|stock|tax|capital spending|mix|segment)\s+(and|or)\s+\b/.test(
+      text,
+    ) ||
+    /\b[a-z]+\/[a-z]+\b/.test(text) ||
+    /,\s*[a-z]+,\s*[a-z]+/.test(text)
+  );
+}
+
 function isFocusedAtomicUnknownText(text) {
  return /\b(define|definition|meaning|term|threshold|criterion|criteria|baseline|evidence|measure|metric|denominator|rate|date|period|budget|constraint|customer|actor|owner)\b/.test(
    text,
  );
 }

+function isDirectlyAnswerableObservationChildText(text) {
+  return /\b(whether the two observations reflect different timing|how the two observations were measured|change mainly affecting|one off event during the period|mix shift during the period)\b/.test(
+    text,
+  );
+}
+
 export function assessUnknownAtomicity({ node, graph }) {
  const nodeText = normaliseText(
    `${node?.label || ""} ${node?.description || ""}`,
  );

+  if (
+    isDirectlyAnswerableObservationChildText(nodeText) &&
+    !hasCompoundAbstractSignals(nodeText)
+  ) {
+    return {
+      atomicity: "atomic",
+      reason:
+        "This unknown isolates one specific line of enquiry and can be investigated directly.",
+      decompositionKind: null,
+    };
+  }
+
  if (isRelationshipExplanationUnknown(node, graph)) {
    return {
      atomicity: "composite",
@@ -534,6 +562,15 @@ export function assessUnknownAtomicity({ node, graph }) {
    };
  }

+  if (hasCompoundAbstractSignals(nodeText)) {
+    return {
+      atomicity: "composite",
+      reason:
+        "This unknown still bundles multiple abstract uncertainties together, so it should be decomposed before asking it directly.",
+      decompositionKind: "compound_child",
+    };
+  }
+
  if (
    isFocusedAtomicUnknownText(nodeText) &&
    !isBroadCompositeUnknownText(nodeText)