PAT-0250
Circular Dependency
A structural condition where two or more elements depend on each other in a closed loop without an independent base condition or declared resolution mechanism.
Primary Lenses
Conflict Lens
Detects mutually incompatible constraints, claims, states, or declarations that cannot be simultaneously satisfied.
Lens Application
The Conflict Lens is a strong inspection mechanism for Circular Dependency because it highlights where each element’s required condition depends on another incompatible or unresolved requirement. It helps reveal whether the loop contains competing declarations, blocked satisfaction paths, or no stated mechanism for breaking the dependency.
Inspect For
- Elements that require each other before either can proceed
- Constraints that cannot be satisfied in the same dependency loop
- Missing base condition or declared resolution mechanism
- Conflicting claims about which element is prior or controlling
Avoid
Treat incompatibility signals as prompts for closer inspection, not a final determination that Circular Dependency has been established.
Propagation Lens
Traces how structural declarations, effects, or state changes propagate across boundaries or stages.
Lens Application
The Propagation Lens is a strong inspection mechanism for Circular Dependency because it follows how dependency signals move across elements, stages, or boundaries and whether they loop back into prior conditions. It helps surface where propagation relies on its own downstream effects rather than a stable base, external constraint, or declared resolution mechanism.
Inspect For
- Effects that return to their own source condition
- Dependency chains with no independent starting point
- State changes that require downstream confirmation to proceed
- Boundary crossings that reintroduce the same requirement
Avoid
Treat loop behavior as an inspection signal, not confirmation that Circular Dependency has been established.
Secondary Lenses
Normalization Lens
Transforms structurally equivalent variants into a canonical form to prevent false divergence.
Lens Application
The Normalization Lens applies indirectly to Circular Dependency by helping collapse equivalent dependency expressions, naming variants, or structural representations into a canonical form. This can make repeated loops, mirrored dependencies, or disguised equivalences easier to notice, while not by itself establishing whether the loop is problematic.
Inspect For
- Equivalent elements represented under different names
- Dependency loops hidden by formatting or terminology differences
- Repeated structures that normalize to the same cycle
- Missing canonical base or resolution marker
Avoid
Treat normalized similarity as an inspection signal, not sufficient evidence that Circular Dependency has been established.
Primary Issue Matches
Agent Cannot Choose Tool Without Tool Result
The agent needs a tool result to choose the right tool, but cannot obtain that result without choosing a tool first.
Approval Depends on Output That Needs Approval
A required approval depends on an AI output or workflow result that itself cannot be produced or trusted until approval is granted.
Policy Decision Depends on Itself
A policy decision requires the outcome of the same policy decision before it can be made.
Routing Path Cycles Back to Start
A routing path sends the case back to the starting point or an earlier step without resolving the condition that caused the route.
Schema Reference Loops Without Base Case
A schema, field, type, object, or structured reference points through a loop without a base case that allows validation or interpretation to resolve.
Workflow Loops Through Review Without Resolution
A workflow repeatedly sends work through review, repair, or escalation without reaching an approved, rejected, or otherwise resolved state.
Workflow Waits on Step That Waits Back
A workflow step waits for another step that also waits on the first step, creating a blocking loop.
Supporting Issue Matches
Agent Never Settles on Final Answer
The agent keeps revising, rechecking, planning, or branching instead of converging on a final answer or completed result.
Fallback Authority Is Missing
The system does not declare who or what has authority when the primary owner, rule, tool, source, or decision path is unavailable or inconclusive.
Review Escalates Without Stop Condition
A review process keeps escalating, re-reviewing, or adding scrutiny without a declared condition for stopping.