# γ close-out — cycle #400

**Author:** γ (collapsed on δ)
**Date:** 2026-05-21
**Issue:** cnos#400 — Phase 5 of cnos#366 (γ shrink)
**Branch:** cycle/400 (merged to main; SHA in cdd-iteration.md)

## Cycle summary

Phase 5 of the cnos#366 surface-split: `gamma/SKILL.md` reduced from 748 → 499 lines (33.3% reduction; target ≤523 = 70%). γ-role doctrine restructured to coordination + closure + triage; runtime-supervision mechanics cross-reference `harness/SKILL.md` (Phase 4b, cnos#398) and `release-effector/SKILL.md` (Phase 4c, cnos#399). The cnos#393 `## Implementation contract` block (7 axes + 4-surface mesh + cnos#389/#391/#392 empirical anchor) stays verbatim per the issue non-goal.

F1 + F2 from cnos#398's `cdd-iteration.md` absorbed:
- F1: `delta/SKILL.md` stale Phase 4b forward-refs rewritten to past-tense citing cnos#398 (Phase 4b) and cnos#399 (Phase 4c); added "Phase 5 — γ shrink (landed)" entry.
- F2: `delta/SKILL.md` frontmatter `requires.1` YAML mapping → flat string; `tools/validate-skill-frontmatter.sh` reports 0 findings on `cdd/delta/SKILL.md`.

Managerial-residue sweep (per `COHERENCE-CELL.md §γ and δ Managerial-Residue Sweep`) executed and documented in `.cdd/unreleased/400/self-coherence.md §"Managerial-residue sweep"`: 28 γ verbs classified KEEP (22) / MOVE (5) / DROP (2). DROP entries: **"tracks"** and **"orchestrates dispatch"**, both managerial-residue verbs without artifact / receipt / decision output. β-rigor requirement (≥1 DROP) satisfied.

## Close-out triage

| Finding | Source | Type | Disposition | Artifact / commit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| γ-doctrine has managerial-residue verbs (track, orchestrate) | sweep (this cycle) | skill | immediate MCA — landed | gamma/SKILL.md §2.11 + §3.9 (rule made binding) |
| γ-doctrine repeated polling-shell mechanics already in harness | inventory (this cycle) | skill | immediate MCA — landed | gamma/SKILL.md §2.5 polling cross-ref |
| γ-doctrine repeated branch-preflight bash already in CDD §4.3 | inventory (this cycle) | skill | immediate MCA — landed | gamma/SKILL.md §2.5 Step 3a compressed |
| γ-doctrine repeated dispatch-flow narration already in operator/harness | inventory (this cycle) | skill | immediate MCA — landed | gamma/SKILL.md §2.5 dispatch flow compressed |
| F1 delta stale Phase 4b refs (cnos#398) | cnos#398 cdd-iteration | skill | immediate MCA — landed | delta/SKILL.md L59, L81, L173, L316, L337, L340 past-tense rewrites |
| F2 delta frontmatter type mismatch (cnos#398) | cnos#398 cdd-iteration | tooling | immediate MCA — landed | delta/SKILL.md L30 flat-string fix |

All findings disposed; no silent next-cycle work.

## §9.1 trigger assessment

| Trigger | Fire condition | Status | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Review churn | rounds > 2 | not fired (1 round, β-collapsed self-review APPROVED) | n/a |
| Mechanical overload | mechanical ratio > 20% AND total findings ≥ 10 | not fired (6 findings, all from inventory/sweep, not mechanical) | n/a |
| Avoidable tooling / environment failure | environment blocked the cycle | not fired | n/a |
| Loaded-skill miss | loaded skill should have prevented a finding | not fired | n/a |

## Cycle Iteration

No formal §9.1 trigger fired. Independent process-gap check (§2.9): the cycle revealed that the managerial-residue sweep — added as a binding §3.9 rule in this cycle — is the kind of patch that, prior to `COHERENCE-CELL.md`'s sweep doctrine, would have been silently absent. The sweep doctrine landed cnos#383 (`COHERENCE-CELL.md`); this cycle is the first γ-role-skill cycle that operationalizes it as a binding γ-side rule. Future γ skill patches (e.g. potential next ε or ω relocations) inherit the rule by reference.

No further process patch required this cycle; the sweep rule itself is the patch.

## Skill-gap candidate dispositions

None new beyond the close-out triage table above. F1/F2 from cnos#398 absorbed.

## Deferred outputs

None. All issue ACs satisfied this cycle.

## Hub memory evidence

This cycle is the third in the Phase 4/5 sequence (cnos#397 → cnos#398 → cnos#399 → cnos#400). The δ-role boundary + harness substrate + release-effector + γ shrink quartet implements the structural prediction in `COHERENCE-CELL.md §Structural Prediction: Roles, Runtime, Validation, Release`: role doctrine, runtime substrate, and boundary effector are now separate surfaces. Phase 7 (CDD.md rewrite) is unblocked.

## Next MCA

Phase 7 of cnos#366: rewrite `CDD.md` to reflect the post-Phase-4/5 structural state (separate role / substrate / effector surfaces; managerial-residue sweep is binding; γ doctrine is coordination + closure + triage). The first AC: `wc -l src/packages/cnos.cdd/skills/cdd/CDD.md` reduces by ≥10% with no doctrine loss (every CDD §X.Y still resolvable; the cuts are operational restatements that now live in the substrate surfaces).

## Closure declaration

**Cycle #400 closed. Next: Phase 7 of cnos#366 — CDD.md rewrite.**
