node modes

Full, partial and light describe participation in a graph network: retained state, validation duties and the source of trusted tips. The former cell mode is named partial. Domain roles and cyb architecture define neuron as the subject, prog as executable work and GraphSession as a multi-neuron local graph host. Mode selection is independent of the number of attached neurons or progs.

This document specifies target network profiles. The current local native adapter supplies durable endpoint acceptance and authenticated submission when enabled; its local height, mirrored history and HTTP receipts alone do not satisfy the finality or folded-tip requirements below. Implementations advertise only profiles supported end to end. See specs/node-product.

Money requirements: specs/money-loop; folded-tip detail: specs/light-money.

1. modes

The target cyb default combines partial state with a verified light tip: local notes and relevant graph updates, plus clock-C trust. Storage scales with the chosen slice; pure light minimizes retained graph state. Observation-only attachments require public references and verified observations. Control uses explicit ward grants and vault custody; a mode label grants neither.

2. required capabilities

2.1 full node

A full implementation MUST:

• retain or recompute state sufficient to serve BBG openings and history;
• verify every accepted signal and required proof under its network profile;
• maintain nullifier consistency with foculus ordering and conflict rules;
• compute or verify φ* domain finality as required by its role;
• serve authenticated Lens openings and required completeness evidence;
• produce accumulator contributions when its consensus/settlement role requires them.

Archival pruning MAY remove data only while the declared opening, history and accumulator availability contract remains satisfied. Local execution of all received data establishes network trust only when join, coverage and consensus verification also satisfy the selected profile.

2.2 partial node

A partial implementation MUST:

• retain the selected slice and identify its coverage relative to authenticated tips;
• retain owned notes and recovery state for subjects it controls;
• obtain grade-4 tip trust through fold or the specified continuous completeness and validated-history equivalent;
• apply or open every relevant credit, debit and spent-status change for its selected subjects, including any hidden-note discovery required by the profile;
• prepare/prove sends through current subject/network authority and verify peers' openings against the trusted tip;
• emit subject- and network-bound observations to sense/sigma;
• grant money-grade labels and respend only after the required finality grade.

Multi-device state synchronization SHOULD preserve notes, observations and continuations with the supported merge policy. A CRDT merge transports data; dispatch requires the current writer fence, binding and grant. A second device cannot infer signing permission or an additional effect attempt from synchronized state alone.

2.3 light client

A light implementation MUST:

• join clock C through an authenticated checkpoint and valid decide(folding_acc);
• verify and fold each new tip update under the declared constant-work profile;
• verify balance, receive and spent-status openings against that tip;
• verify its own send proof before broadcast and finality evidence before respend;
• retain local custody and private recovery state according to its attachment mode;
• keep money-grade operations unavailable while grade-4 trust is missing.

Full history replay and full tri-kernel computation are optional additions to this mode. Cached headers, openings and push hints are useful inputs whose verification duties remain unchanged.

3. money loop by mode

4. promotion and demotion

Changing mode preserves NeuronId, prog/invocation identities, pending author and network, nonce claims and budgets. Losing clock-C trust drops money views to explicit unverified/read-only observations until trust is restored. Detachment, device movement and mode changes preserve history and unknown outcomes.

5. conformance

• Light join verifies without downloading history, using accumulator, decide and opens.
• Partial send/receive verifies its embedded tip and complete relevant slice.
• Full nodes serve the openings and availability promised to thinner clients.
• All modes reject wrong-network proofs, stale/nullified spends and incomplete coverage.
• Promotion/demotion preserve notes, subject bindings and unresolved work across restart.
• Diagnostics report actual mode, proof profile, trusted-tip state and supported capabilities separately.

See specs/light-money, structural sync and specs/domain-ladder.

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