Rule-Based Reasoning
Layer 2: Thinking
Purpose
Section titled “Purpose”- Enforces explicit rules
[R#]that govern reasoning, keeping outputs aligned with policies, regulations, or domain constraints - Creates traceability by requiring references to rules when making claims
When to Use
Section titled “When to Use”- Finance, security, compliance, medical, or legal work with hard guardrails
- Anytime you need deterministic decision logic or auditability
- When coordinating multiple personas who must obey the same rule set
Structure / Template
Section titled “Structure / Template”[RULES][R1] ...[R2] ...[R3] ...
[ANALYSIS]- Reference rules explicitly (e.g., "Per [R2] we must…").- Note conflicts between rules and how they are resolved.
[DECISION / OUTPUT]- Summarize conclusions while citing relevant rules.- Flag any rule that could not be satisfied and propose mitigations.Examples
Section titled “Examples”Financial (portfolio rebalancing)
Section titled “Financial (portfolio rebalancing)”[R1] Max single-position = 10%.[R2] Must maintain ≥30% fixed income.[R3] New positions require downside stress test.
Analysis: Proposed NVDA increase violates [R1]; alternative is ETF exposure.
Decision: Keep NVDA at 9%, add SOXX per [R2]; run Clara stress test for [R3].Security (access control)
Section titled “Security (access control)”[R1] Prod secrets only in HashiCorp Vault.[R2] MFA required for admin roles.[R3] All changes logged to SIEM within 5m.
Analysis: New Jenkins pipeline currently stores secrets in repo; violates [R1].
Decision: Block deployment until Vault integration complete; document timeline for [R3] logging tests.Combination Guidance
Section titled “Combination Guidance”| Pair With | When |
|---|---|
| Chain of Thought | Each stage cites specific rules |
| Meta Rules | Stylistic or tone requirements exist |
| Clara, Kestra, Ada personas | Compliance and rigor dominate |