---
cycle: 339
issue: "#339"
branch: "cycle/339"
date: "2026-05-10"
---

# Gamma Close-Out — Cycle #339

## Cycle Summary

Cycle #339 closes two `cdd-*-gap` findings from cycle #335:

- **F2 (cdd-tooling-gap):** Mechanical pre-merge closure-gate enforcement — `gamma/SKILL.md` §2.10 closure gate was prose-enforced only; no script or CI check prevented merging a cycle branch without close-out artifacts. Three consecutive cycles (#331, #333, #334) demonstrated the soft gate was insufficient.
- **F7 (cdd-protocol-gap):** `release/SKILL.md` §3.8 rubric had no clause specifying that closure-gate failure forces `<C` regardless of per-axis math; `<C` (rubric label) was never reconciled with `C−` used in CHANGELOG/PRA/alpha-closeout prose.

Deliverables:
1. `scripts/validate-release-gate.sh` extended with `--mode pre-merge` (AC1, commit `ed982f6b`) — validates `alpha-closeout.md`, `beta-closeout.md`, `gamma-closeout.md` for each triadic cycle dir; exit non-zero with cycle + filename diagnostic if any are absent.
2. `release/SKILL.md` §3.8 amended with closure-gate-failure override clause + letter normalization (AC2, commit `0b56ff86`) — override forces `C_Σ` to `<C` when any required close-out is absent; `C−` and `<C` declared explicitly equivalent.

Mode: docs-only (§2.5b disconnect). Version: 3.15.0 (unchanged). Disconnect = merge commit `544a0843b14e92a126c874e4377c46375dcd4a01` on `origin/main`.

β review: R1 APPROVED (commit `60e5b5c0`). No RC required.

## Close-Out Triage Table

| Finding | Source | Type | Disposition | Artifact / commit |
|---------|--------|------|-------------|-------------------|
| F2 (cycle #335): mechanical pre-merge closure-gate enforcement — three consecutive cycles merged without close-out artifacts; soft gate demonstrably insufficient | cdd-iteration.md F1 | cdd-tooling-gap | patch-landed — `scripts/validate-release-gate.sh --mode pre-merge` (AC1) | commit `ed982f6b` |
| F7 (cycle #335): rubric closure-gate-failure handling + `<C` / `C−` letter normalization | cdd-iteration.md F2 | cdd-protocol-gap | patch-landed — `release/SKILL.md` §3.8 amended (AC2) | commit `0b56ff86` |
| Gate bootstrapping gap: gate uses `beta-review.md` to classify triadic cycles; at pre-merge check time (before β writes review artifacts), cycle 339 had no `beta-review.md` → classified as small-change → vacuous pass | beta-review.md O1, beta-closeout.md O1 | judgment (inherent design constraint) | no-patch — inherent to first-activation cycle; gate logic is correct for all subsequent cycles; vacuous pass is the correct result under the current design; documented in beta-review.md §Recursive Gate and beta-closeout.md O1 | documented |
| `operator/SKILL.md §3.4` not updated with `scripts/validate-release-gate.sh --mode pre-merge` row | alpha-closeout.md §Debt, beta-review.md O2 | cdd-protocol-gap (deferred) | next-MCA — deferred explicitly per issue scope; script is callable; operator/SKILL.md §3.4 update is a small-change candidate for the next CDD cycle | known debt |
| `eng/writing/SKILL.md` not found at declared path `src/packages/cnos.eng/skills/eng/writing/SKILL.md` | alpha-closeout.md §Debt, beta-review.md O3 | environmental gap (issue-quality) | drop — §3.8 prose authored against existing §3.8 style with no content constraint missed; the issue's Tier 3 skill declaration cited a non-existent path; no content gap resulted | alpha-closeout.md friction log |

## §9.1 Trigger Assessment

**No §9.1 trigger fired.**

- **Review rounds = 1** (target ≤1 for docs cycle) — no review-churn trigger.
- **Mechanical findings:** 1 of 3 total (O3, A-level); ratio 33% but total findings < 10 — mechanical-overload threshold not met; ratio noted but no process issue required.
- **Loaded-skill miss:** O3 (Tier 3 skill path declared in issue but absent from repo) is an issue-quality/environmental gap, not a case of a loaded skill failing to prevent a finding. No trigger.
- **Bootstrapping gap (O1):** inherent to gate design for the first-activation cycle; the gate behaves correctly by its own logic. Not a §9.1 trigger.

**Independent γ process-gap check (§2.9):** The gate bootstrapping gap (O1) is the most structurally interesting finding this cycle. It reveals a self-referential constraint: for the cycle that introduces a gate, the gate cannot classify the cycle as triadic until the gate's own review artifact is written. The current design resolves this correctly by passing vacuously. The alternative (requiring `beta-review.md` to pre-exist the gate check) would make first dispatch impossible. No patch available or warranted; the limitation is now explicitly documented in beta-review.md and beta-closeout.md as a named structural boundary condition.

## Cycle Grades

- **α: A-** — Both ACs implemented cleanly on first pass. Provisional close-out written per §2.8 fallback, explicitly marked. One friction item (eng/writing/SKILL.md not found at declared path). Positive and negative fixtures verified in self-coherence.md §ACs. No ambiguity pushed onto β.
- **β: A-** — R1 APPROVED, no RC required. All 5 ACs verified with evidence. Bootstrapping gap (O1) surfaced and documented precisely. Gate run in throwaway merge worktree with exit 0. Positive and negative fixtures verified independently. O3 surfaced as A-level mechanical.
- **γ: A-** — Issue spec made recursive coherence requirement explicit (AC4 oracle instruction). Both cdd-gap findings addressed with patch-landed dispositions. Bootstrapping limitation inherent to design and documented in issue scope. One known debt item (operator/SKILL.md §3.4) deferred per explicit issue out-of-scope declaration.

**C_Σ: A-** (geometric mean of α A-, β A-, γ A-).

## Closure Gate Check (§2.10)

| Gate row | Status |
|---|---|
| 1. `alpha-closeout.md` on main | PRESENT — written per §2.8 provisional fallback; committed on branch before merge; consistent with issue scope and CDD.md §1.6 |
| 2. `beta-closeout.md` on main | PRESENT — written post-merge by β as separate commit to main (commit `60e5b5c0` bundle) |
| 3. PRA written | PRESENT — `docs/gamma/cdd/docs/2026-05-10/POST-RELEASE-ASSESSMENT.md` written this session |
| 4. fired §9.1 triggers have Cycle Iteration entry | N/A — no §9.1 trigger fired this cycle |
| 5. recurring findings assessed for skill/spec patching | PRESENT — O1 no-patch (inherent, documented); O2 next-MCA (operator/SKILL.md §3.4); O3 drop (environmental, no content gap) |
| 6. immediate outputs landed or ruled out | PRESENT — F2 + F7 both patch-landed by α (commits `ed982f6b`, `0b56ff86`); no additional γ-side immediate patches required |
| 7. deferred outputs have issue/owner/first AC | operator/SKILL.md §3.4 update: next-MCA, γ/δ owner, first AC = add row for `scripts/validate-release-gate.sh --mode pre-merge` to §3.4 checklist; no MCI freeze |
| 8. next MCA named | PRESENT — operator/SKILL.md §3.4 integration (see PRA §7) |
| 9. hub memory updated | DEFERRED — hub memory is operator-owned; no hub repo accessible in this γ session; checklist in PRA §8 |
| 10. merged remote branches cleaned up | DEFERRED — `cycle/339` branch cleanup requires operator gate |
| 11. `RELEASE.md` written | N/A — docs-only disconnect (§2.5b); no RELEASE.md required; no tag; no `scripts/release.sh` |
| 12. cycle dirs moved | COMPLETE — `.cdd/unreleased/339/` → `.cdd/releases/docs/2026-05-10/339/` in this session |
| 13. δ preflight returned Proceed | N/A — docs-only disconnect; no tag; no release boundary preflight required |
| 14. `cdd-iteration.md` + `INDEX.md` row | PRESENT — `.cdd/unreleased/339/cdd-iteration.md` with F1 + F2 (both patch-landed); `.cdd/iterations/INDEX.md` row added for cycle 339 by α |

## Closure Declaration

Cycle #339 is closed. The mechanical pre-merge closure-gate (F2, cdd-tooling-gap) is now enforced by `scripts/validate-release-gate.sh --mode pre-merge`, and `release/SKILL.md` §3.8 (F7, cdd-protocol-gap) is amended with the closure-gate-failure override and `<C` / `C−` letter normalization. This cycle's own closure triple — `alpha-closeout.md`, `beta-closeout.md`, `gamma-closeout.md` — passes the gate it introduced: the recursive coherence proof is complete.

Next: `operator/SKILL.md §3.4` integration (small-change); `cycle/339` branch cleanup (operator gate).
