API and Kernel Boundary

This page clarifies where public API responsibilities end and internal kernel responsibilities begin.

Boundary Contract

• API layer (src/api) validates input text/file paths, configures parser options, and orchestrates execution.
• Kernel layer (src/kernel) computes canonical ordering and symbol renaming to stabilize output.
• Node manager (src/node) is the bridge used by both layers to access and update DAG assertions.

Execution Path

SMTStabilizer::apply_file or SMTStabilizer::apply_text -> SMTStabilizer::run_pipeline -> NodeManager::simplify_assertions -> Kernel::apply -> NodeManager::to_string

Why This Separation Exists

• API remains stable for external integrations.
• Kernel can evolve internal heuristics without breaking API signatures.
• Debugging is easier because the transition point is explicit at run_pipeline.