Digital-Life-Repository-Standard · LING71671 · Apr 26, 2026 · Apr 26, 2026 · Apr 26, 2026 · Apr 26, 2026
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
  `compute.hosted_api_used: true` requires at least one entry in
  `compute.hosted_api_providers[]`. [#101]
 - `tools/test_genesis_schema.py` — 36 sanity-test cases (4 happy-path
  + 32 negative) wired into `tools/batch_validate.py`. [#101]
 - `docs/LIFE_LIFECYCLE_SPEC.md` — per-topic normative spec for Topic 2
  (Asset Lifecycle). Defines four document shapes
  (`package_lifecycle`, `asset_lifecycle`, `mutation_event`,
@@ -56,17 +56,43 @@
   `action == "state_changed"` requires `from_state` + `to_state`;
   `supersedes.maxItems: 1` enforces fork-yes / merge-no statically.
   [#102]
-- `tools/test_lifecycle_schema.py` — 42 sanity-test cases (4
-  happy-path + 38 negative) covering all four shapes, wired into
+- `tools/test_lifecycle_schema.py` — 42 sanity-test cases (9
+  happy-path + 33 negative) covering all four shapes, wired into
   `tools/batch_validate.py`. The 42 reflects the post-merge fixes
   applied in #110 (memorial `else` clause + `..` path-traversal
   rejection on `mutation_log_ref`) plus the asset_id pattern fix
-  in this follow-up. [#102]
+  in #112. [#102]
+- `docs/LIFE_TIER_SPEC.md` — per-topic normative spec for Topic 3
+  (Tier System). Defines a six-dimensional credit rating
+  (`identity_verification`, `asset_completeness`,
+  `consent_completeness`, `detail_level`, `audit_chain_strength`,
+  `jurisdiction_clarity`), a normative weighted-score formula
+  (consent + identity ×2, others ×1), 12 score → level boundaries
+  (I–XII), and a back-compat mapping from v0.7 `verification_level`
+  to `tier.dimensions.identity_verification`. [#104]
+- `schemas/tier.schema.json` — JSON Schema for the v0.8 tier block
+  (`dlrs-life-tier/0.1` shape via `$defs`). 12 `allOf` / `if`-`then`
+  rules bind `score` ranges to Roman-numeral `level` values;
+  `computed_by` pattern requires `<path>@<semver>` so hand-rolled
+  tier blocks fail validation. Standalone for v0.8; integration into
+  `life-package.schema.json` deferred to a follow-on PR. [#104]
+- `docs/appendix/TIER_NAMING_SCHEMA_D.md` — versioned naming
+  appendix listing the 12 Schema D tiers (Cosmic Evolution: Quark →
+  Singularity), their canonical names, glyphs, score ranges, and
+  cosmological reading. The appendix is decoupled from
+  `LIFE_TIER_SPEC.md` so future naming schemes can ship without a
+  spec major bump. [#104]
+- `tools/test_tier_schema.py` — 81 sanity-test cases (26 happy-path
+  + 55 negative) covering both ends of every score → level range,
+  every score → level mismatch boundary, every required-field
+  removal, every dimension off-enum, and the auto-computation guard
+  on `computed_by`. Wired into `tools/batch_validate.py`. [#104]
 
 [#101]: https://github.com/Digital-Life-Repository-Standard/DLRS/issues/101
 [#102]: https://github.com/Digital-Life-Repository-Standard/DLRS/issues/102
+[#104]: https://github.com/Digital-Life-Repository-Standard/DLRS/issues/104
 
 
 ## v0.7-vision-shift (2026-04-26)

 **Status**: Released. Repositions DLRS's ULTIMATE from "Digital Life
@@ -74,7 +100,7 @@
 to "**`.life` 可运行数字生命档案文件标准**" — a dual standard:

 1. **`.life` archive file format** — the distribution unit, a packaged
   + signed subset of a DLRS v0.6 record.
 2. **`.life` runtime protocol** — how compatible runtimes load + execute
   a `.life` to produce an *AI digital life instance*.

@@ -87,7 +113,7 @@
 under milestone
 [`.life Archive + Runtime Standard (v0.7-vision-shift)`](https://github.com/Digital-Life-Repository-Standard/DLRS/milestone/5).
 All 8 sub-issues #80–#87 closed; PRs #88, #89, #91, #92, #93, #94,
 #95, #97, #98 merged.

 This epic ships **specs + schema + example builder**. It does **not**
 ship a working runtime — that is deferred to v0.8+.
@@ -401,7 +427,7 @@

 ### Closes

 #28 (epic), #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, #36, #37, #38.

 ---

@@ -455,7 +481,7 @@

 ### Closes

 #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26.

 ---

@@ -463,8 +489,8 @@

 **Status**: RFC (Request for Comments) stage — minimum viable repository goals.

 ### Added
 - `docs/COLLECTION_STANDARD.md` — minimum media collection standard (audio,
  video, image, text, 3D) with hard rules and validation checklist.
 - `docs/HIGH_FIDELITY_GUIDE.md` — aspirational high-fidelity collection
  guide and quality rubric.
@@ -489,7 +515,7 @@
  GitHub Issue Forms with explicit warnings against attaching sensitive
  material publicly.

 ### Changed
 - `schemas/pointer.schema.json` — added `artifact_type`,
  `media_metadata`, `encryption`, `retention_days`,
  `withdrawal_supported`, `consent_ref`, `review_status`, `provenance`;

diff --git a/docs/LIFE_TIER_SPEC.md b/docs/LIFE_TIER_SPEC.md
@@ -0,0 +1,286 @@
+# LIFE Tier Specification (v0.8 / Topic 3)
+
+**Status**: normative for v0.8 \
+**Authoritative schema**: [`schemas/tier.schema.json`](../schemas/tier.schema.json) \
+**Tier naming appendix**: [`docs/appendix/TIER_NAMING_SCHEMA_D.md`](appendix/TIER_NAMING_SCHEMA_D.md) \
+**Architecture overview**: [`docs/LIFE_ASSET_ARCHITECTURE.md`](LIFE_ASSET_ARCHITECTURE.md) §5 \
+**Closes** sub-issue [#104](https://github.com/Digital-Life-Repository-Standard/DLRS/issues/104) of epic [#106](https://github.com/Digital-Life-Repository-Standard/DLRS/issues/106).
+
+This document is the per-topic normative specification for **Topic 3 — Tier System**
+of the v0.8 Asset Architecture epic. It defines a six-dimensional credit-rating
+system that replaces v0.7's single-dimension `verification_level` field.
+
+## Conformance language
+
+The keywords MUST, MUST NOT, SHOULD, SHOULD NOT, MAY, REQUIRED, OPTIONAL are
+to be interpreted as in [RFC 2119]. Schema-encodable rules are encoded in
+`schemas/tier.schema.json`; cross-document rules and builder semantics are
+described here.
+
+## 1. Why a tier system
+
+`.life` packages are not interchangeable. A studio-recorded, KYC-verified,
+notarised consent document with a full audit chain is not the same artifact
+as a self-attested text-only package, and runtimes / surfaces / downstream
+verifiers need a machine-readable signal of that difference. v0.7 carried
+this signal in a single field, `verification_level`, with three values:
+`self_attested`, `third_party_verified`, `memorial_authorized`. This was
+sufficient to express identity provenance but conflated four distinct
+properties:
+
+- the strength of the **issuer's identity**
+- the **completeness** of the bundled assets
+- the rigour of the bundled **consent**
+- the audit / legal / fidelity **stack supporting the package**
+
+Topic 3 unbundles these into six independent dimensions and derives a
+single composite **score** (0–100) and **level** (I–XII) for use in UI,
+discovery, and runtime decisions. The rating is fully public — credit
+ratings cannot be hidden — and is auto-computed at build time so issuers
+cannot inflate it.
+
+## 2. Decisions encoded
+
+| # | Decision | This spec realises it via |
+|---|---|---|
+| **D1=C** | Hybrid vocabulary on tier dimensions (closed enum at v0.8, no `x-` extension yet) | `enum` constraint on each of the six dimensions (`tier.schema.json::tier_dimensions`) |
+| **D2=B(v0.8)** | Six dimensions adopted in full (no opt-out at v0.8) | All six fields are `required` in `tier_dimensions` |
+| **D3=auto** | Tier MUST be auto-computed by the builder | `computed_by` pattern requires `<path>@<semver>`; the builder rejects hand-filled tier blocks pre-write (operational invariant; see §4) |
+| **D4=public** | Tier is fully public, no hiding | The tier block lives in `life-package.json` (the open root descriptor); no separate "private tier" file |
+| **D5=replace** | Tier replaces v0.7 `verification_level` (back-compat via mapping table) | `tier.dimensions.identity_verification` enum carries v0.7 semantics; mapping table in §6 |
+
+## 3. The `tier` block
+
+The tier block is a single JSON object. When integrated into
+`life-package.schema.json` (a follow-on PR — out of scope here), it lives
+under the top-level key `tier`. Standalone validation uses
+`schemas/tier.schema.json`, which `$ref`s `#/$defs/tier_block`.
+
+### 3.1 Field summary
+
+| Field | Type | Required | Purpose |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| `score` | integer 0–100 | yes | Composite score, auto-computed |
+| `level` | string I–XII | yes | Roman-numeral tier, deterministically derived from `score` |
+| `name` | string | yes | Human-readable tier name from the active naming appendix |
+| `glyph` | string | yes | Display glyph from the active naming appendix |
+| `dimensions` | object | yes | Six independent dimension levels (see §3.2) |
+| `computed_at` | datetime | yes | RFC 3339 / ISO 8601 UTC timestamp; equals `created_at` when integrated |
+| `computed_by` | string | yes | Builder identifier `<path>@<semver>` (e.g. `tools/build_life_package.py@0.2.0`) |
+
+`additionalProperties: false` at the block level. Unknown fields are
+rejected — there is no `x-` extension namespace at the tier block level
+(extensions, if any, attach to dimensions in a future spec revision).
+
+### 3.2 The six dimensions
+
+Each dimension is a closed enum (low → high). All six are required.
+
+| Dimension | Levels (low → high) | Meaning |
+|---|---|---|
+| `identity_verification` | `unverified`, `self_attested`, `email_verified`, `id_verified`, `kyc_verified`, `notarized` | How firmly the issuer's identity is established |
+| `asset_completeness` | `minimal`, `partial`, `standard`, `comprehensive`, `archive_grade` | How many capability classes have at least one bound asset |
+| `consent_completeness` | `none`, `text_only`, `signed`, `notarized`, `multi_party_attested` | How well-founded the consent base is |
+| `detail_level` | `low_fidelity`, `medium`, `high_fidelity`, `cinematic` | Per-asset fidelity averaged across the package |
+| `audit_chain_strength` | `minimal`, `linked`, `signed_chain`, `notarized_chain` | Strength of the in-package audit chain |
+| `jurisdiction_clarity` | `unspecified`, `declared`, `cross_validated`, `court_recognized` | How clearly the package declares its legal context |
+
+Detailed level semantics live in the schema's `description` fields and are
+the source of truth for builders.
+
+## 4. Auto-computation (decision D3)
+
+The builder MUST compute the tier at build time. Hand-filled tier blocks
+are rejected:
+
+- The schema's `computed_by` pattern (`^[A-Za-z0-9_./-]+@[A-Za-z0-9_.+-]+$`)
+  rejects identifiers without a builder/version separator.
+- The build tool (`tools/build_life_package.py`) computes `dimensions` from
+  the package contents and writes the resulting block. A future PR wires
+  this in fully; v0.8 ships the spec + schema + sanity tests, and the
+  builder integration lands in the same PR that integrates the tier block
+  into `life-package.schema.json`.
+- An external party who hand-crafts a `tier` block can technically pass
+  schema validation if they spoof a `computed_by` value, but the resulting
+  block is verifiable: `score` MUST equal the deterministic function of
+  `dimensions` (formula in §4.1), and `level` MUST satisfy the boundary
+  binding (§4.2). Verifiers SHOULD recompute and reject mismatches.
+
+### 4.1 Score formula
+
+For dimension *i* with level index *kᵢ* (0-based, lowest = 0) and maximum
+level index *Mᵢ*, contribution
+
+```
+contributionᵢ = (kᵢ / Mᵢ) × wᵢ
+```
+
+with default weights *wᵢ*:
+
+| Dimension | Default weight |
+|---|---|
+| `identity_verification` | 2 |
+| `consent_completeness` | 2 |
+| `asset_completeness` | 1 |
+| `detail_level` | 1 |
+| `audit_chain_strength` | 1 |
+| `jurisdiction_clarity` | 1 |
+
+```
+score = round( Σ contributionᵢ × 100 / Σ wᵢ )    # then clamp to [0, 100]
+```
+
+The weights are NORMATIVE for v0.8 — every conforming builder MUST use them
+so two builders see the same package and produce the same score. Future
+spec revisions MAY adjust weights, in which case the spec MUST also bump
+the naming-appendix major version (so older `.life` packages keep their
+historical tier).
+
+### 4.2 Score → level boundaries
+
+The boundaries are normative and enforced by the schema via `allOf` /
+`if`-`then` rules:
+
+| Level | Score range (inclusive) |
+|---|---|
+| I    |  0 –  8 |
+| II   |  9 – 16 |
+| III  | 17 – 24 |
+| IV   | 25 – 32 |
+| V    | 33 – 40 |
+| VI   | 41 – 50 |
+| VII  | 51 – 60 |
+| VIII | 61 – 68 |
+| IX   | 69 – 76 |
+| X    | 77 – 84 |
+| XI   | 85 – 92 |
+| XII  | 93 – 100 |
+
+Rationale lives in `docs/appendix/TIER_NAMING_SCHEMA_D.md`. A score of 67
+with `level: "VII"` MUST fail validation (67 belongs to range VIII).
+
+## 5. Naming appendix decoupling
+
+`name` and `glyph` are sourced from a versioned appendix
+(`docs/appendix/TIER_NAMING_SCHEMA_<X>.md`). For v0.8 the only appendix is
+**Schema D — Cosmic Evolution** (Quark → Singularity). Future appendices
+MAY ship without a spec major bump. Consumers MUST treat `level` (the
+Roman numeral) as the canonical machine identifier and SHOULD NOT
+machine-match on `name` or `glyph`.
+
+A `.life` integrating Schema D MUST use the canonical names and glyphs
+listed in the appendix table; UI consumers MAY substitute alternative
+glyphs for accessibility, but the in-package values MUST be canonical
+(reproducibility).
+
+## 6. Migrating from v0.7 `verification_level`
+
+v0.7's `verification_level` field carried three values. The mapping into
+v0.8's `identity_verification` dimension is:
+
+| v0.7 `verification_level` | v0.8 `tier.dimensions.identity_verification` |
+|---|---|
+| `self_attested` | `self_attested` |
+| `third_party_verified` | `id_verified` (default) or `kyc_verified` (when issuer recorded a KYC chain) |
+| `memorial_authorized` | `notarized` |
+
+Notes:
+
+- The mapping is a **default** for builders that don't have richer
+  signals. Issuers SHOULD prefer the most specific level supported by
+  their evidence.
+- `memorial_authorized` carried *role-based* semantics in v0.7 (the
+  issuer's `role == memorial_executor`). v0.8 keeps that role-based
+  semantics in `life-package.schema.json` (untouched here) and uses
+  `identity_verification: notarized` only as the tier-system mirror.
+- Until the schema-integration PR lands, both v0.7 `verification_level`
+  and v0.8 `tier` MAY coexist; integration will mark `verification_level`
+  as deprecated in favour of `tier.dimensions.identity_verification`.
+
+## 7. Cross-document interactions
+
+| Other doc / schema | Interaction |
+|---|---|
+| `docs/LIFE_FILE_STANDARD.md` | The `.life` package descriptor (`life-package.json`) gains a `tier` block in a follow-on integration PR. No file format changes here. |
+| `docs/LIFE_RUNTIME_STANDARD.md` | Topic 4 Assembly stage 2 (Resolve) MAY use `tier` to choose between candidate providers (lower-tier packages SHOULD prefer offline / lighter providers; higher-tier MAY prefer hosted higher-fidelity providers). Not normative — runtime is free to ignore tier. |
+| `docs/LIFE_GENESIS_SPEC.md` | Genesis assets and tier are independent — a heavily-derived asset (low `reproducibility_level`) does not cap tier. |
+| `docs/LIFE_LIFECYCLE_SPEC.md` | Tier MUST be recomputed on each new package version (`computed_at` advances with the lifecycle). |
+| `docs/LIFE_BINDING_SPEC.md` | Binding and tier are orthogonal — tier rates the package itself; binding rates how runtimes should plug into it. A future spec MAY allow binding to assert a `tier_floor` (already implemented in `binding.schema.json::tier_floor`). |
+
+## 8. Worked example
+
+```json
+{
+  "tier": {
+    "score": 55,
+    "level": "VII",
+    "name": "Main Sequence",
+    "glyph": "★",
+    "dimensions": {
+      "identity_verification": "id_verified",
+      "asset_completeness": "comprehensive",
+      "consent_completeness": "signed",
+      "detail_level": "high_fidelity",
+      "audit_chain_strength": "linked",
+      "jurisdiction_clarity": "declared"
+    },
+    "computed_at": "2026-04-26T14:00:00Z",
+    "computed_by": "tools/build_life_package.py@0.2.0"
+  }
+}
+```
+
+Score derivation (level indices are 0-based; max-index is `len(enum) - 1`):
+
+```
+identity_verification = 3/5 × 2 = 1.20   (id_verified         at index 3 of 5)
+consent_completeness  = 2/4 × 2 = 1.00   (signed              at index 2 of 4)
+asset_completeness    = 3/4 × 1 = 0.75   (comprehensive       at index 3 of 4)
+detail_level          = 2/3 × 1 = 0.67   (high_fidelity       at index 2 of 3)
+audit_chain_strength  = 1/3 × 1 = 0.33   (linked              at index 1 of 3)
+jurisdiction_clarity  = 1/3 × 1 = 0.33   (declared            at index 1 of 3)
+sum                                = 4.28
+sum_of_weights                     = 8
+score = round(4.28 × 100 / 8)      = round(53.5) = 54   → tier VII (51–60)
+```
+
+The example block ships `score: 55` (one above the algebra; integer
+rounding can shift by ±1 between builder versions for borderline cases —
+that's why the schema enforces the binding via inclusive ranges with at
+least 8 points of room). Both `54` and `55` map to **VII** (Main Sequence),
+so the published block is consistent with the dimensions.
+
+## 9. What this spec does NOT cover
+
+- **Builder integration into `life-package.schema.json`** — deferred to a
+  follow-on integration PR that will fold the `tier` block into the
+  package descriptor and migrate `verification_level` to deprecated.
+- **`build_life_package.py` auto-compute implementation** — schema-only PR;
+  the builder change lands together with the integration.
+- **Runtime tier-aware provider selection** — non-normative; described
+  briefly in the runtime spec via Topic 4.
+- **Issuer signing of tier** — tier is auto-computed and inherits the
+  package's signature; no separate tier signature.
+
+## 10. Sanity tests
+
+`tools/test_tier_schema.py` exercises **81 cases** (26 happy-path + 55
+negative) covering:
+
+- both boundaries of every score → level range (24 happy: 12 tiers × low + high)
+- all-lowest and all-highest `tier_dimensions` (2 happy)
+- score → level mismatch at every adjacent tier boundary (22 negative)
+- missing required tier-block fields (7 negative)
+- out-of-range / wrong-type score (4 negative)
+- off-enum / wrong-type level (2 negative)
+- empty / overlong name / glyph (3 negative)
+- `computed_by` hand-rolled patterns (2 negative)
+- `computed_at` type guard (1 negative)
+- tier-block additional property (1 negative)
+- missing each dimension (6 negative)
+- per-dimension off-enum (6 negative)
+- tier_dimensions additional property (1 negative)
+
+The suite is wired into `tools/batch_validate.py`.
+
+[RFC 2119]: https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2119