# v0.4.x — Session 2026-05-29 Collaboration & Pipeline Checkpoint

> **Status**: open — comprehensive checkpoint covering Ali/Robin
> collaboration state + JAMES-internal pipeline state + misalignment
> ledger as of 2026-05-29
> **Date**: 2026-05-29 (latest origin/main HEAD: `9a989f1` — handover
> doc landed via PR #583, server-split closed 9/9, flaky-fix conftest
> via PR #582)
> **Body-frozen snapshot point**: `8ecfe51` server-split PR-F. The
> §1 → §5 narrative captures state at that point. End-of-day deltas
> through `9a989f1` are recorded in §11 addendum so the misalignment
> ledger doesn't drift away from the snapshot it was reasoned over.
> **Companion documents**:
>   - `docs/handovers/v0.3.x-ali-collaboration-track.md` — Ali turn-by-turn
>     ledger + Track 1-5
>   - `docs/handovers/v0.3.x-measurement-framework-track.md` — 6-direction
>     framework + Direction 3 spec
>   - `docs/handovers/v0.3.x-gemma4-feedback-track.md` — Internal evidence
>     pile
>   - `reports/promo-assets/v3prime-e-substitution-synthesis-result.md` —
>     V3'.e result doc + Robin 26b cross-stack
>   - `reports/promo-assets/launch-tracker.md` — channel + commitment log

---

## 0. Purpose

Compact reference for a future session to (a) read in 60 seconds, (b)
see where the JAMES development arc and the Ali/Robin collaboration
arc currently stand, (c) identify the 5 highest-leverage items that
are misaligned against written commitments, and (d) know what to do
next without re-deriving 4 weeks of context.

If a future session opens this file and the date is later than
2026-06-15, the joint piece (Track 5) phase has likely started and
this checkpoint is superseded by whatever lands in the Track 5
narrative-evolution subsection of the Ali collaboration track.

---

## 1. Today's snapshot (2026-05-29)

### Calendar position

- **3 days** to Ali's `ar_ecommerce.yaml` deadline (2026-06-01)
- **~2 weeks** to mid-June Track 3 activation window (Ali Gemini
  backend PR)
- **~18 days** to Show HN retry (2026-06-16)

### Release lineage (current)

```
v0.3.0 Platform Skeleton
  ↓
v0.3.1-3 V3' research deposits (per-stack engineering records)
  ↓
v0.4.0 Quality Verification Track (QVT) + Lifecycle Semantics start
  ↓ DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20411354
v0.4.0-alpha.2 UI consistency + cognitive plumbing + 5-stage D1 surface
  ↓
v0.4.1 T6 Causality Chain Sprint (derived_from + cascade fix)
  ↓ DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20426719
v0.4.x server-split (in progress — 7+ of 8-PR roadmap)
```

### Active work streams on main (last 7 days)

| Stream | Status | Pace |
|---|---|---|
| server-split (PR-A → PR-F so far) | 🟢 active | high — PR/day |
| Lifecycle Semantics T6 | ✅ closed | done |
| QVT α-1 → α-4 + baseline_2a31b20 | ✅ closed | done |
| q15-chroma-probe + intent-classifier audit cluster (5/27) | 🟡 closure docs (#549) | done |
| step7-bench baseline run1/run2/run3 (5/28) | 🟡 variance pending | needs analysis |
| Direction 1 (Adaptive Budgeting) | ✅ shipped (#503/#504/#505) | done |
| **Direction 3 (cross-family)** | 🔴 **not started** | **3 weeks dormant** |
| **Track 4 (scope-lock note)** | 🔴 **not drafted** | committed since 2026-05-17 |
| **dev.to data_exfiltration article** | 🔴 **3 days overdue** | committed 2026-05-19, target 2026-05-26 |

---

## 2. Ali ↔ Jiwon collaboration — compressed timeline

| Phase | Dates | Substance |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Connection + framing exchange | 2026-05-16~17 | Ali's "ambiguity in synthesis layer, not retrieval-conditioning" + 83-item suite Arabic offer / Jiwon's temperature-0.3 cap critique |
| 2. Temperature critique + spec | 2026-05-17~18 | Ali commits sweep + 15-20 fixtures / Jiwon 4-point reply + schema v0 |
| 3. Schema refinement (v0 → v1 → v1.1) | 2026-05-18 | Ali 2 refinements → accepted v1 → Ali "locked" → Jiwon pre-emptive v1.1 catalog_context |
| 4. Track 1 closure 27 days early | 2026-05-19 | Jiwon #324/#325/#326 / Ali "velocity appreciated" / CLA workflow announcement |
| 5. Walk-back exchange | 2026-05-21~22 | Ali walk-back preview → Jiwon JAMES per-stage DEFAULTs = Ali's failing cap → Ali "3rd context" → "three contexts, two architectures, single mechanism" |
| 6. Publication + LinkedIn tag | 2026-05-22 | Article live + audit-trail framing first appearance (Jiwon side) |
| 7. Audit-trail framing adopted | 2026-05-22~23 | Ali "Carrying that forward" (JAMES vocabulary adopted) |
| 8. PR timing correction + four-stage closure | 2026-05-22~23 | Jiwon correction: PR #399 already merged with V3'.a/.b; V3'.c/.d post-merge / Ali "four-stage closure noted, same mechanism end to end" |
| 9. Solo Zenodo announcement | 2026-05-24 | Jiwon DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20363998 single-author |
| 10. Course-correction | 2026-05-24 | Jiwon 3 records reframed as dataset/protocol + forward-pointer to joint 3-author deposit |
| 11. **Ali silence** | 2026-05-24~now | Ali unresponsive on course-correction DM; likes other posts |

### Ali's vocabulary contributions (joint piece attribution)

- "ambiguity in chat-reply synthesis layer, not retrieval-conditioning"
- "architecture under low-entropy routing" (fallback framing)
- "collapses for typed-graph-path conditioning, holds for natural-language synthesis"
- "three contexts, two architectures, single mechanism"
- **"cost asymmetry in ten words"** (canonical line)
- **"ceiling vs path / shortening the path to the same answer"**
- **"each variant has its own tax"**
- "architectural primitive everyone building agentic systems needs to internalize"
- "audit-trail framing — Carrying that forward"

### Ali silence — recontextualization

Ali is likely in Gaza (per user signal). Likes-but-no-replies on the
course-correction DM is consistent with intermittent connectivity +
prioritization of life concerns over LinkedIn DMs, NOT a collaboration
signal. Calendar-locked deliverables (6/1 fixtures, mid-June backend)
are the real watch points; the DM channel is not.

---

## 3. Robin ↔ Jiwon collaboration — compressed timeline

| Phase | Dates | Substance |
|---|---|---|
| R1. Initial sub-reply on Ali post | 2026-05-22 | Robin elevates JAMES's "~500-token reasoning floor" framing as "testable, falsifiable, design-actionable"; proposes model-specific vs architecture-specific test |
| R2. Multi-comment on V3'.e proposal | 2026-05-22~23 | "26b matrix building from your protocol today" / "mirroring your protocol exactly" / "Pulling your raw JSONs as the analysis template" |
| R3. Top-level LinkedIn post | 2026-05-22 | "Two operating modes, one model" / "When you own the inference path, you see the work" (sovereign infra principle) |
| R4. 26b cross-stack data delivery | 2026-05-23 same-day | Companion repo + issue #448 + 80 calls / 6 min / 0 failures. **substitution 38 token (vs e4b 62); synthesis ~50 token (vs e4b 400-450) = 9× efficiency**. "Parameter count buys reasoning efficiency, not capacity" → 3rd axis discovered |
| R5. Solo Zenodo announcement response | 2026-05-24 | "**citable priority on JAMES-side findings before the joint piece lands is exactly right — protects the contributions in the record without prejudging the joint trajectory**" — clear endorsement |
| R6. Course-correction response | 2026-05-24+ | "**The reframe sits right... Appreciate the discipline of the correction**" + 2 forward questions (timing + sub/synth) + **Vadym Arnaut + Ali "each variant has its own tax" → four-way provenance** |

### Robin's vocabulary contributions (joint piece attribution)

- "eval_count gap widens with query difficulty" (her original)
- **"discoverable threshold below which output is impossible"** (sharpening of JAMES framing)
- **"synthesis-mode entry has a token cost — testable, falsifiable, design-actionable"**
- **"two operating modes, one model"** (canonical title)
- **"fanning out vs clustering"** (vocabulary)
- **"parameter count buys reasoning routing precision"** (3rd axis framing)
- **"second confirmation axis — across stacks + across model scales"**
- "When you own the inference path, you see the work" (sovereign principle)

### Robin line health — perfect

Robin has been **uniformly positive across all messages**: solo DOI
endorsed, course-correction endorsed, four-way attribution flagged
proactively. The earlier diagnosis of "Robin cooling" was wrong — the
cooling concern was Ali-shaped only.

---

## 4. Four-way attribution catalogue (for joint piece)

| Contributor | Role | Specific contributions |
|---|---|---|
| **Robin Converse** (Triava Labs) | mode-split observer + 26b executor + 3rd-axis data + sovereign infra principle | All R-vocabulary above + 26b raw data |
| **Ali Afana** (Provia) | architectural framer + walk-back hero + audience expansion | All Ali-vocabulary above + walk-back article |
| **Vadym Arnaut** | substitution-vs-decision boundary | comment thread on Ali walk-back article |
| **Jiwon (JAMES)** | methodology + mechanism + measurement framework owner | V3' protocol + ~500-token floor measurement + workload axis + 10-word headline + audit-trail framing + production fix (PR #399) + course-correction discipline + fair-witness publication discipline (origin) |

---

## 5. Misalignment ledger (priority-ordered)

> **2026-05-30 update**: this ledger tracks the **collaboration line only**.
> For the *consolidated* backlog (collaboration + engineering + research +
> operator actions, with stale markers reconciled), see
> [`v0.4.x-backlog-reconciliation-2026-05-30.md`](v0.4.x-backlog-reconciliation-2026-05-30.md)
> — the single source of truth as of 2026-05-30. Note M1/M3/M4/M8 below are
> now ✅ done (see that doc §1).

### 🔴 Critical (this week)

#### M1. dev.to "data_exfiltration: why output-stage PII mask is wrong" article — 3 days overdue

- **Commitment**: 2026-05-19 Phase 5 6th-turn DM
- **Target**: 2026-05-26
- **Current**: not drafted as of 2026-05-29
- **Risk**: Ali likely remembers this commitment; silent overdue
  damages trust ledger
- **Mitigation**: this week (target 2026-06-02) — draft + publish, OR
  light DM updating the target date

#### M2. 6/1 `ar_ecommerce.yaml` deadline + Ali silence

- 3 days to deadline
- Ali silent on course-correction DM (likely humanitarian context, not
  collaboration signal)
- **Mitigation**: 2026-05-30~05-31 light DM —
  *"ar_ecommerce.yaml still on for 6/1, or want to push the date?
  No pressure either way."* Pair with data_exfiltration article date
  refresh.

#### M3. Direction 3 (cross-family generalization) — 3 weeks dormant

- Joint piece's central unresolved question: workload axis Gemma-only
  vs LLM-general
- JAMES can run unilaterally (Ollama + Llama/Qwen/DeepSeek), no
  collaborator gating
- Framework's pre-designed collaborator pattern: "Robin pre-notice +
  first-share"
- **Risk**: joint piece narrative ceilings at "Gemma 4 family
  observation" without cross-family evidence
- **Mitigation**: this week — `scripts/research/v3prime_e_mode_split.py`
  multi-model extension + first run (~3-4 hours)

#### M4. step7-bench baseline 3-run variance analysis — pending

- 3 baseline runs on 2026-05-28 same day
- v0.4.1 lifecycle semantics changes (derived_from, cascade) may have
  shifted baselines
- **Risk**: PR #399 cap-fix bench validation reproducibility
  questioned
- **Mitigation**: variance + delta-vs-pre-v0.4.1 baseline analysis
  this week

### 🟡 Important (mid-June 전)

#### M5. Track 4 (pre-experiment scope-lock note) — not drafted

- Committed 2026-05-17 Phase 3, conditioned on "Provider contract
  publish" → that condition met at PR #316
- **Risk**: Track 3 cross-experiment opens without sub/method/byline
  agreement
- **Mitigation**: draft
  `reports/promo-assets/cross-experiment-scope-lock-template.md`
  before mid-June

#### M6. Vadym Arnaut attribution — not in docs

- Robin's latest DM explicitly flagged Vadym's "substitution-vs-decision
  boundary"
- JAMES handover docs (Ali track / measurement framework track) do not
  list Vadym
- **Risk**: four-way attribution mapping at joint outline requires
  manual reconciliation
- **Mitigation**: 30-minute docs PR — add Vadym row to
  `v0.3.x-ali-collaboration-track.md` §Track 5

#### M7. JAMES-internal vs collaboration line — extreme imbalance

- Last 7 days: nearly all main commits are JAMES-internal
  (server-split, QVT, T6, q15)
- Collaboration line (Direction 3, Track 4, article, joint piece) =
  zero progress
- **Risk**: mid-June Track 3 cold-start; Robin's protocol-adoption
  momentum decays
- **Mitigation**: weekly collaboration day — pick one of Direction 3 /
  Track 4 / article / outline-draft

### 🟢 Watch (monitoring only)

#### M8. Server-split 8-PR roadmap closure ✅ RESOLVED 2026-05-29 EOD

- Body snapshot point: 7+ of 8 PRs landed (PR-A through PR-F + PR-A.1)
- **End-of-day**: **9/9 closed** — PR-G (#579 admin 47-endpoints) + PR-H
  (#580 final cleanup, `server_llmwiki.py` 6021 → 904 lines, -85%) +
  Stage 0 design memo (#571). Details in §11 addendum.
- ✅ Collaboration-line bandwidth notionally reclaimed; whether it
  *actually* flows to M1-M4 is the test in the next session.

#### M9. Joint Zenodo 3-author (or 4-author with Vadym) DOI

- Phase R6 commitment: "lightweight joint deposit before the outline"
- Sequencing: four-way attribution decided → joint deposit → joint
  outline

#### M10. Show HN 6/16 retry

- 3-week karma-building plan from 2026-05-19 dang notice
- Confirm karma + comment cadence sufficient before retry

---

## 6. Next actions (tier-ordered)

### Tier 1 — this week (2026-05-29 → 2026-06-01)

| # | Action | Deadline | Effort | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | **dev.to data_exfiltration article draft + publish** | 2026-06-02 | 4-6h | Recover 2026-05-19 commitment |
| 1.2 | Ali light DM (2026-05-30/31): ar_ecommerce.yaml status + article date refresh | 1 day | 5 min | Watch point + grace + commitment refresh |
| 1.3 | step7-bench baseline 3-run variance analysis + decision | this week | 2-3h | Bench claim reproducibility restored |
| 1.4 | **Direction 3 start** — `v3prime_e_mode_split.py --model llama3.1:8b/qwen2.5:7b/deepseek-r1:7b` | this week | 3-4h | Workload axis cross-family evidence; joint piece 4th evidence |
| 1.5 | Vadym Arnaut attribution row in `v0.3.x-ali-collaboration-track.md` §Track 5 | this week | 30 min | Four-way provenance docs alignment |

### Tier 2 — June week 1-2 (2026-06-01 → 2026-06-15)

| # | Action | Trigger | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | 6/1 ar_ecommerce.yaml arrival check + v1.1 validator auto-run | 2026-06-01 | Track 2 closure |
| 2.2 | **Track 4 (scope-lock note) drafted** | before mid-June | Track 3 agreement base |
| 2.3 | Direction 3 result → Robin pre-notice DM + analysis post | Direction 3 complete | Proactive collaboration + joint piece 4th evidence |
| 2.4 | Track 3 pre-work — `scripts/swap_eval_report.py` | before Ali backend lands | Immediate swap on backend arrival |
| 2.5 | Server-split final 1-2 PRs → v0.4.x closure | progress | Reclaim collaboration bandwidth |

### Tier 3 — mid-June and after

| # | Action | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Ali Gemini backend PR — CLA auto + conformance | Ali PR opens |
| 3.2 | Track 3 cross-experiment execution | Backend lands |
| 3.3 | Joint piece outline (four-way attribution mapping) | After Track 3 result |
| 3.4 | **Joint Zenodo 3-author (or 4-author with Vadym) DOI** | Before joint outline |
| 3.5 | Show HN 6/16 retry | Karma sufficient |

### Tier 4 — long-term

- Track 5 joint piece publish
- Direction 5 (Auto-routing on Provider Contract)
- Direction 2 (Task-weight metric formalization)
- Direction 6(I) (Joint paper consolidation)

---

## 7. Risk matrix

| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| data_exfiltration article permanent drift | Medium-High | Ali trust erosion — already 3 days over | Tier 1.1 this week |
| Ali 6/1 miss (incl. humanitarian context) | Medium | Track 2/3 timing slip | Tier 1.2 light DM |
| Direction 3 never executed → joint piece capped at "Gemma family" | Medium-High | Joint piece reach loss | Tier 1.4 this week |
| step7 baseline unstable → bench claims questionable | Medium | PR #399 validation in doubt | Tier 1.3 |
| Vadym attribution missing | Low-Medium | Manual fix at joint outline | Tier 1.5 |
| Internal engineering continues → collab cold-start | Medium-High | Mid-June Track 3 momentum loss | Tier 1.4 + weekly collab day |
| Track 4 not drafted + Track 3 starts | Low-Medium | Joint piece conflict potential | Tier 2.2 |

---

## 8. Suggested first action for the next session

If the next session opens this file:

1. **Read §5 Misalignment ledger first** — Critical items M1-M4 are
   the four that need this week.
2. **Pick one of M1-M4 to start with**:
   - If the session has 4-6h: **M1** (data_exfiltration article draft
     + publish) — fastest commitment recovery
   - If the session has 3-4h and an Ollama-capable workstation: **M3**
     (Direction 3 first run on Llama/Qwen/DeepSeek) — highest research
     leverage
   - If the session is short (< 1h): **M2** (Ali light DM) + **M6**
     (Vadym attribution docs row) — both ~30min each
3. **Do NOT start a new track without addressing at least one M1-M4
   item first.** The risk is JAMES-internal engineering momentum
   continuing to crowd out commitment recovery.

### What this session should NOT do

- Open new tracks (Direction 5, Direction 2, Track 5 outline) while
  M1-M4 are open
- Send another course-correction DM to Ali (Ali silence is likely
  humanitarian; over-communicating risks pressure perception)
- Edit the existing Zenodo records again (course-correction reframe
  already landed and endorsed by Robin)

---

## 9. Korean summary (for operator reference)

자메스 v0.4.x server-split + lifecycle T6 + QVT 진행 중 (지난 7일).
협업 라인은 정체:

1. **Critical**: dev.to data_exfiltration article 3일 초과 미작성,
   Direction 3 (cross-family) 3주째 미시작, step7 baseline variance
   분석 미완
2. **Important**: Track 4 scope-lock note 미작성, Vadym Arnaut docs
   미반영
3. **Watch**: Joint Zenodo 3/4-author DOI mid-June outline 전 필요

Robin 라인은 완전 정상 (Phase R1~R6 모두 positive endorsement). Ali
라인은 침묵 중 (humanitarian context 가능성 — DM 신호 아님).
**6/1 ar_ecommerce.yaml 이 진짜 health check.**

다음 세션은 §5 미정렬 ledger 의 M1-M4 중 하나로 시작 권장. 새 트랙
오픈은 M1-M4 처리 후.

---

## 10. Cross-references

- Ali collaboration full ledger:
  `docs/handovers/v0.3.x-ali-collaboration-track.md`
- Measurement framework + 6-direction plan:
  `docs/handovers/v0.3.x-measurement-framework-track.md`
- Gemma 4 feedback track:
  `docs/handovers/v0.3.x-gemma4-feedback-track.md`
- V3'.e result + Robin 26b cross-stack:
  `reports/promo-assets/v3prime-e-substitution-synthesis-result.md`
- Launch tracker (channel/commitment log):
  `reports/promo-assets/launch-tracker.md`
- Latest release DOI (v0.4.1):
  10.5281/zenodo.20426719
- Solo per-stack engineering DOI (v0.3.1):
  10.5281/zenodo.20363998 (reframed as dataset+protocol on 2026-05-24
  course-correction)

---

## 11. End-of-day addendum (2026-05-29 PM session)

The body §1-§10 is intentionally frozen at HEAD `8ecfe51` so the
misalignment ledger and the reasoning behind it stays internally
consistent. This addendum records what happened *after* that snapshot
within the same calendar day, so a future session reading top-to-bottom
sees the current main state without the body silently drifting.

### 11.1 Main HEAD progression (8ecfe51 → 9a989f1)

| Commit | PR | Substance |
|---|---|---|
| `d560997` | #571 | Stage 0 design memo (`docs/design/v0.4.x-server-split.md`) — was unmerged at 8ecfe51 snapshot; merged at start of PM session |
| `7511c6b` | #576 | server-split PR-D — W7-A artifacts + upload-history → `routes/artifacts.py` (5 endpoints) |
| `56a3eb2` | #577 | server-split PR-E — Phase 7 evolution + learn + patch → `routes/evolution.py` (13 endpoints) |
| `8ecfe51` | #578 | server-split PR-F — coding agent → `routes/coding.py` (4 endpoints) *(body snapshot point)* |
| `f8f2312` | #579 | server-split PR-G — remaining `/admin/*` → `routes/admin.py` (47 endpoints + 19 helpers) |
| `da776c9` | #580 | server-split PR-H — final extraction (5 router modules: query/history/feedback/multimodal/ops) + `server_llmwiki.py` 904 lines |
| `844e8c9` | #582 | pytest flaky partial fix — conftest pre-import 2 lazy modules + WikiGenerator warm-up (pass rate ~50% → ~75%) |
| `9a989f1` | #583 | this handover doc landed |

### 11.2 Server-split closure metrics (M8 fully resolved)

| Measurement | Pre (`7140576`) | Post (`da776c9`) | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| `server_llmwiki.py` lines | 6021 | **904** | **-85%** |
| `routes/*.py` total | 0 | 5893 | extracted |
| router modules | 0 | **15** (12 endpoint routers + `__init__`/`_deps`/`_helpers`) | — |

Endpoint router lines: `admin` (2142), `auth` (806), `evolution` (640),
`llm` (520), `jobs` (302), `query` (251), `ops` (210), `artifacts`
(193), `coding` (197), `history` (156), `multimodal` (136), `feedback`
(59).

### 11.3 Pytest flaky cluster — full closure (6/6 cluster + residual origin)

Two CI tests intermittently failed on cold Ubuntu / Python 3.11 runners under `--timeout=30`, traced to a cascade:

1. `test_entity_name_markdown_strip::test_all_markdown_falls_back_to_unknown` — setUp + create_entity_file path exceeds 30s; tearDown skipped → patch leak
2. `test_native_done_reason::test_router_wrapper_call_gemma_meta_dispatches_to_call_router_meta` — cascade: leaked `patch("llm.router.RouterWrapper")` makes the next test import a MagicMock → mock target points at Mock attribute → 0 calls

#### Fix progression (chronological)

| PR | scope | CI rerun rate |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline (pre-fix) | — | ~50% (1/2) |
| **#582** partial — conftest pre-import 2 lazy modules + WikiGenerator warm-up | global | 75% (3/4) |
| **#592** canary — Option A `_MarkdownStripBase.setUp` → `setUpClass` | 1 file | 100% (4/4) |
| **#593** siblings — same pattern on `test_wiki_summary_body_sync` + `test_attributes_summary_cleanup` | +2 files | 100% (3/3) |
| **#595** deferred-3 — wg-renew variant (heavy patches class-level, wiki_dir + WikiGenerator + tmp per-test) on `test_event_ingest_emit` + `test_phase_b_ingestion_sources` + `test_phase_d_modify_cascade` | +3 files | 75% (3/4) — residual surfaced |
| **#596** residual origin — `server_llmwiki` (~9.4s import) added to conftest pre-imports | cluster-external | **100% (4/4)** ✅ |

#### Cluster coverage (final)

| File | Status |
|---|---|
| `test_entity_name_markdown_strip` | ✅ #592 (setUpClass) |
| `test_wiki_summary_body_sync` | ✅ #593 (setUpClass) |
| `test_attributes_summary_cleanup` | ✅ #593 (setUpClass) |
| `test_event_ingest_emit` | ✅ #595 (wg-renew variant) |
| `test_phase_b_ingestion_sources` | ✅ #595 (wg-renew variant, 3 classes) |
| `test_phase_d_modify_cascade` | ✅ #595 (wg-renew variant) |
| `test_admin_cognitive_endpoint::_client()` (cluster-external origin) | ✅ #596 (server_llmwiki conftest pre-import) |

**6/6 cluster closed + 1 cluster-external residual origin closed.** Cascade flake fully resolved.

#### Reusable diagnosis pattern (4 steps)

Captured in memory `feedback_pytest_flaky_native_done_reason_entity_markdown.md` as the standing playbook for future cascade-pattern flakes:

1. **Grep `patch("<target>.*")` users** — narrow candidate file list (in our case 9 files matched `llm.router|RouterWrapper`)
2. **Filter to actual patch starters** — rule out `with` blocks (auto-cleanup) + bare imports (no patch). In our case left 1 cluster-external candidate + the 6 cluster files
3. **CI fail log → directly-preceding test identification** — find which test ran right before the failure; that is the cascade origin candidate
4. **Source inspection of the candidate** — locate the heavy first-import or heavy setUp work; move it to `conftest.py` session-start pre-import if it's not class-isolated

#### Two design shapes documented

- **Straight `setUpClass`** (PR #592 / #593) — test classes whose tests do *not* mutate shared state (frontmatter assertions only, distinct entity names, no `process_document_for_entities` calls)
- **wg-renew variant** (PR #595) — heavy patches class-level for cost, but `WikiGenerator` + tmp dir per-test for state isolation; needed when tests call `process_document_for_entities` or rely on cross-doc aggregation by design

#### Option B (framework-level) — no longer needed

`pytest-rerunfailures` with a reason allowlist was the standing fallback. Not needed for this cluster (Option A + the residual-origin pre-import closed it cleanly). Stays in the toolkit memory for future unrelated flaky cases.

#### M7 lens

The full closure took 6 PRs (#582 → #596) inside one calendar day. Each PR was a measured layer-by-layer narrowing — pass rate moves (50% → 75% → 100% → 100% → 75% → 100%) functioned as the falsification signal that the next layer existed. This is internal engineering hygiene, not collaboration data; recorded under §11.3 so the same diagnosis pattern is reusable. Effect on Robin/Ali narrative: none (their measurement paths bypass both the cluster files and the residual origin).

### 11.4 What this PM session reinforces (M7 pattern)

The body §5 M7 reads:

> Last 7 days: nearly all main commits are JAMES-internal (server-split,
> QVT, T6, q15). Collaboration line (Direction 3, Track 4, article,
> joint piece) = zero progress.

This PM session added **7 more main commits**, all JAMES-internal
(server-split PRs G/H + flaky fix + doc landing). M7 is *not* a stale
warning — it is the precise pattern this session repeated one more
turn. The fact that M8 closed doesn't change M7; it just removes
M8 as an excuse for the next session to defer M1-M4.

### 11.8 M4 closure (2026-05-29 evening)

Body §5 M4 is now ✅ **Resolved**. Q1 (variance) was confirmed in the
morning analysis (PR #586). Q2 (lifecycle-shift question) is answered
by the post-T6 3-run capture landed in this evening's bundle:
v0.4.1 lifecycle (T6 + server-split + flaky fix + everything else)
is **bench-neutral** at suite-aggregate level (-1.3% total, CV stable
at 3%, path_recall identical). Two queries (q11 security, q13 meta)
got *faster* — improvements, not regressions. Full analysis in
`reports/research-runs/step7-bench-variance-analysis-2026-05-29.md`
§11.

The journey to that answer also surfaced the bearer-env dependency
in `bench.py` (§10 of the analysis doc, fix landed in PR #587) — a
silent failure mode that affected nothing in the Robin/Ali
collaboration data (they run against their own stacks), but did
mean the 5/28 baseline numbers were quietly environment-conditional.
The auto-mint mitigation removes the silent-failure mode for all
future bench captures.

Critical-tier remaining: M3 only (Direction 3, user-deferred earlier
this session). M2 → light watch (Ali resume notice). M1 ✅, M4 ✅.

### 11.5 Updated next-session guidance (supersedes §8 first step)

§8 still applies in spirit; the only adjustment is that the four
Critical items (M1-M4) are now the **only** open Critical items, since
M8 is resolved. Specifically:

- **Engineering capacity reclaimed**: the ~1 week M8 estimated is now
  free. The question is whether the next session spends it on M1-M4
  (collaboration) or on the new internal candidates listed below.
- **Internal candidates queued** (deferrable per M7 if collab work is
  picked first): v0.4.2 T3 Aging entry, α-5 ablation matrix (18 cells,
  operator-run), pytest flaky proper fix (§11.3 Option A or B).
- **The trap to avoid**: picking an internal candidate "because it's
  smaller" and rolling M1-M4 to next week. That is the exact decision
  pattern M7 names.

### 11.6 Cross-document syncs needed (low-priority docs hygiene)

- `MEMORY.md` `server_split_candidate.md` already updated to "9/9
  CLOSED" status at PM session end (memory-side sync done in-session).
- `feedback_pytest_flaky_native_done_reason_entity_markdown.md` added
  to memory (new flaky-fix follow-up record).
- `ROADMAP.md` v0.4.x section may want a one-line "server-split
  CLOSED 2026-05-29" badge; defer to next session bundling with M1-M4
  pickup so this addendum doesn't trigger a separate roadmap PR.

### 11.7 M6 reframed — 3-way confirmation chain, not a 30-min docs row

handover §5 M6 wording assumed a simple 30-min docs PR that adds a
Vadym Arnaut row to the four-way attribution catalog. The PM session
re-read identified two hidden dependencies that turn M6 into a
**sequenced 3-way confirmation**:

1. **Robin → JAMES**: Vadym was flagged by Robin in the Phase R6 DM
   ("Vadym Arnaut + Ali 'each variant has its own tax' → four-way
   provenance"). JAMES side has no first-hand contact with Vadym, so
   the primary citation (`substitution-vs-decision boundary` framing
   from Vadym's comment thread on Ali's walk-back article) is Robin's
   read, not JAMES's. Without confirmation from Robin, the docs row
   risks paraphrasing wrong.
2. **JAMES → Ali**: Ali may not have visibility on Vadym's role. The
   connection (Robin spotted Vadym) is on the Robin↔Ali article-thread
   axis, not on the Ali↔JAMES DM axis. Adding Vadym to the joint
   deposit's 4-way attribution without prior Ali awareness would
   surprise him at deposit time — small but avoidable.
3. **JAMES → docs**: only after (1) and (2) does the catalog row
   write correctly. Anything earlier is best-effort paraphrase
   committed before the people involved have aligned.

#### Sequencing

| Phase | When | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Robin confirm | **Natural trigger only** (incoming Robin DM, or outgoing JAMES DM about something else worth telling Robin — Direction 3 first result, Ali-side timing update, etc.). Do NOT single-purpose-DM just to ask the Vadym question. | When a natural occasion fires, append the Vadym ask as a short tail: "Also — for the four-way attribution catalog: is Vadym's `substitution-vs-decision boundary` the right primary citation, or do you have a sharper line in mind? And his affiliation / preferred handle for the `.zenodo.json` creators field. No rush, only before joint deposit pre-publish." |
| 2. Ali ack | 6/7+ Ali resume | Include Vadym mention inside the joint-deposit discussion DM (don't open a separate thread just for this — it would over-weight a small item). Ali either acks (proceed) or asks for context (return to 1 with sharper material). |
| 3. Docs row | After (1) + (2) | `.zenodo.json` creators + `docs/handovers/v0.3.x-ali-collaboration-track.md` §Track 5 + handover four-way attribution table all updated in one bundled PR. |

> **Why "natural trigger only" for Phase 1**: a single-purpose
> confirmation DM costs measurement-framework owner standing more than
> it gains (Robin is already the source flagger and will land on this
> at the joint deposit either way). Piggybacking on a natural occasion
> preserves communication economy + owner position. If no natural
> trigger fires before the joint-deposit pre-publish window, the ask
> graduates to "next outgoing DM regardless of topic" since the
> deposit gate is fixed.

#### Status update

- M6 priority: 🟡 Important — unchanged.
- M6 effort: ~30 min single PR → **1-2h spread across ~2 weeks** (Robin DM short + Ali resume integration + final bundled PR).
- M6 dependency: gates the joint deposit (M9) since 4-way attribution must lock before `.zenodo.json` creators can be finalized.

#### Reusable pattern

The 3-way structure (collaborator A flags 3rd party X → JAMES needs
B's awareness before docs commit) is reusable. Captured as memory
`feedback_m6_vadym_attribution_3way_timing.md` so future "X
contribution flagged via Y" cases get the same sequencing.

### 11.9 M5 deferred to Ali resume — collab rendezvous timing

handover §5 M5 (Track 4 pre-experiment scope-lock note) sat in
"Important — draft before mid-June" with no Ali-dependency wording.
Operator refinement (2026-05-29 evening): a scope-lock note is by
construction a **two-party agreement document** (sub-author / method /
byline). Drafting unilaterally during Ali's paused window (through
6/6) costs Ali a review-burden first thing after resume — small but
avoidable.

Updated rule:

- **M5 deferred to Ali resume (6/7+).** First draft is co-drafted (or
  draft-then-immediate-share) rather than landed before Ali sees it.
- Time budget unchanged: Track 3 starts mid-June, so 6/7 + ~1 week =
  comfortable window before scope-lock must be agreed.
- M5 priority stays 🟡 Important; only the *timing* moves.

#### Same pattern applies to other Ali-dependent items

Once M5 reclassifies, the remaining open M-ledger items group cleanly
around the same 6/7 rendezvous:

| M | Ali dependency | 6/7 trigger? |
|---|---|---|
| M5 Track 4 scope-lock note | two-party agreement | ✅ |
| M6 Phase 2 (Ali ack of Vadym mention) | Ali awareness gate | ✅ (per §11.7) |
| M6 Phase 3 (docs row PR) | gated on Phases 1+2 | ✅ |
| M9 joint deposit | two-party final | ✅ |
| M3 Direction 3 | technically solo-runnable, but framework-fit timing under user review | (separate decision) |

→ 6/7 = the collaboration-line **rendezvous point**. All Ali-coupled
work converges there. M3 stays under its own user-deferred review;
everything else either already closed (M1, M4) or queues at 6/7.

#### Why this matters for the next session

- The "what's open" answer for the collaboration line is no longer
  "M5, M6 Phase 2/3, M9 — independent items at varying urgency" but
  "one rendezvous at 6/7+ that resolves four items in sequence".
- Internal-line capacity through 6/6 → 6/7 is genuinely free for
  internal candidates (T3 Aging entry, α-5, pytest flaky proper fix)
  *or* the M3 decision review — without the M7 trap of "did we skip
  collab work that was actually doable".
- The M3 decision is the only collab-line item with optionality
  during this window; everything else is calendar-gated.

#### Captured rule

Memory file `feedback_ali_resume_notice_june6.md` gains a new
"Ali-pause collab-dependent work scheduling" subsection capturing
the general rule: during a collaborator's paused window, defer
two-party agreement documents to the resume even when solo-drafting
is technically possible — the cost of a review-burden on resume
exceeds the value of having a draft ready.

### 11.10 Prior art finding — arxiv:2605.09104 (Yang et al. 2026) → new M11

A prior-art paper covering token economics at the **framework level** surfaced via session-end review:

- **Yang et al. 2026, "Token Economics for LLM Agents: A Dual-View Study from Computing and Economics"** (arxiv:2605.09104v1, submitted 2026-05-09)
- Affiliations: Zhejiang University + Alibaba Cloud
- Genre: **survey + theoretical synthesis** (not empirical measurement)
- Core contributions: token as production factor / exchange medium / computational unit; CES production function `Y = A · [δK^ρ + (1-δ)M^ρ]^(θ/ρ) · L^β · e^ε`; 4-dimension taxonomy (Micro/Meso/Macro/Security); factor substitution M_int (internal reasoning) ↔ M_ext (external tools); high-level coverage of CoT compression / MoE / KV-cache; Coasian firm boundary, Jevons paradox, mechanism design citations

#### Relationship to V3' work

**Related ○, duplicate ✕.** Yang et al. organize the framework; V3' fills the empirical gap.

| Yang et al. (2605.09104) | V3' (this team) |
|---|---|
| Token 3-view conceptualization | Token cap single-variable sweep |
| CES production function | Substitution vs Synthesis mode separation |
| Factor substitution M_int ↔ M_ext (conceptual) | Substitution flat-band + Synthesis gradient (measured) |
| CoT compression / MoE / KV-cache (high-level) | Hidden reasoning floor ~500 tokens (numerical) |
| Agent workflow token economics | Single-model cap-budget mechanism |

Specifically: their §3.2 "Token Quantity" subsection sketches *that* compression has a floor; V3' measures *where* that floor sits. Their CES equation is the skeleton; V3'.e measures the δ and ρ family-by-family.

#### Strategic implications

- ✅ Prior art exists at the **framework level** → V3' is not rogue research, sits safely within an academic schema
- ✅ Not duplicative; **complementary** → joint piece "Related Work" anchor
- ✅ Direction 3 (cross-family) **value rises**: their CES equation has no cross-family empirical fit; V3' Direction 3 would be the first published cross-family measurement against the framework they built
- ✅ JAMES cognitive middleware exact mapping to their §3.2 M_int ↔ M_ext substitution as **runtime routing system** (not just a theoretical possibility)

#### Citation strategy (joint piece draft)

> While Yang et al. (2026) [2605.09104] organize token economics into a CES production framework treating internal reasoning (M_int) and external tools (M_ext) as substitutable factors, the empirical parameters of that substitution — specifically the hidden reasoning floor and the boundary between substitution and synthesis modes — remain unmeasured. V3' addresses this gap via single-variable cap-budget sweeps across Gemma3-4B [→ extended to cross-family in Direction 3].

#### Risk — competitive timing

- ⚠️ Yang et al. (Alibaba Cloud + Zhejiang University) have the compute + research velocity to run cross-family measurement themselves as a follow-up. If they publish first, V3' Direction 3 becomes a confirmation rather than the original empirical fit.
- The risk is bounded: their paper is framework-only and they have not (yet) committed to cross-family empirical follow-up. But the window is finite.
- Mitigation: Direction 3 timing pressure rises. The user-deferred decision from earlier today (framework-fit timing review) is recontextualized — speed is now a meaningful collaboration-line input, not just a personal-velocity preference.

#### M11 added to §5 ledger

| M | tier | description |
|---|---|---|
| **M11 — arxiv:2605.09104 prior art positioning** | 🟡 Important | (a) Cite as Related Work anchor in joint piece; (b) sharpen Direction 3 framing as "the missing empirical layer to their CES framework"; (c) competitive timing pressure on Direction 3 first run |

Note this is a positioning + timing item, not new work. It changes how M3 (Direction 3) and M9 (joint deposit narrative) are read; it does not add a new deliverable.

#### Effect on the §11.7 M6 Phase 1 natural-trigger rule

The arxiv finding **is** the natural trigger §11.7 was waiting for. A single outgoing Robin DM can now legitimately carry three payloads:

1. Yang et al. prior art share + "V3'.e is the empirical layer" framing
2. Direction 3 cross-family pre-notice ("Whatever shape comes back, you see first")
3. Vadym attribution catalog ask (M6 Phase 1 payload, originally drafted as a single-purpose DM)

The 3-in-1 piggyback is exactly the communication-economy shape §11.7 mandated.

#### Effect on Ali side

Ali is paused through 6/6; no DM yet. At resume, the same three payloads land inside the joint-deposit discussion: prior art share (no action needed, just shared context) + Direction 3 status update (informational, no consent needed since axis is orthogonal to Ali's deployment-context measurement) + Vadym mention (M6 Phase 2 — requires Ali acknowledgement).

#### Effect on Direction 3 timing

Earlier today the M3 decision was user-deferred for framework-fit timing review. The arxiv finding adds a competitive-pressure input that didn't exist when that decision was made. The decision is **reopened** — not auto-flipped to "go" — but the input set has changed.

Three execution options now sit in front of the user:

| Option | When to start | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| **A. pre-notice only** | After Robin DM acknowledged | safest, slowest |
| **B. pre-notice + parallel start** | Same day as DM | matches §11.7 "Whatever shape comes back, you see first" verbatim — DM and measurement run concurrently |
| **C. wait Robin response** | After Robin replies | maximally conservative; competitive risk highest |

Memory `direction_3_cross_family_review.md` is reopened for the timing decision; the eight-step execution plan inside it stays valid for any option chosen.

#### 11.10.1 D3 execution decisions taken (same evening)

| Decision | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| DM option | **B** — pre-notice + parallel start | Framework verbatim `"Whatever shape comes back, you see first"`; balances competitive risk |
| Execution split | **C — hybrid** (Step 1 installed 4 models immediately, Step 2 Llama/Qwen/DeepSeek pull in parallel) | Speed (arxiv competitive pressure) + framework `Llama 3.1, Qwen 2.5, DeepSeek` fit + incremental result |
| First-share timing | **Single consolidated DM after Step 2 + re-validation** — NOT after Step 1 partial | Avoids fragmenting Robin's read into multiple DMs in 24 hours (already 2 today); preserves the [[feedback_collaborator_consent_default]] + [[feedback_high_stakes_endorsement_posture]] discipline |

Step 1 result (4 models, 160 trials, all cleanly captured) is committed internally as
`reports/research-runs/v3prime-cross-family-step1-2026-05-29.md` with the four raw JSONs. Headline early finding (subject to Step 2 + re-validation): substitution mode is cross-family universal byte-identical retrieval (matches Robin Finding 1 across 4 families); synthesis-mode cap-floor's *visible magnitude in this fixture* narrows from "Gemma 4 family-wide" to model-specific (`gemma4:e4b` shows 8/10 at cap=400; `gemma3:12b` / `gemma2:2b` / `qwen2.5-coder:7b` all show 10/10).

**This is internal-only until Step 2 + re-validation lands.** No Robin or Ali side DM until the consolidated dataset is ready.

#### 11.10.2 New rule — partial-measurement DM discipline

Captured in memory `feedback_arxiv_2605_09104_prior_art_finding.md` as a general extension of the framework owner discipline:

> When a cumulative measurement is still in progress, do not send partial results as a first-share DM. The "first" in "Whatever shape comes back, you see first" means the first *comprehensive* read, not the first partial batch. Sending the first batch fragments the collaborator's attention across multiple DMs and re-creates the pattern §11.7 explicitly avoids (single-purpose / out-of-context DM).

Default: collect the full measurement set + run re-validation pass + assemble the analysis doc + send **one** consolidated DM. The wall-time cost is bounded (Step 2 = ~30-60 min pull + ~15-20 min sweep; re-validation = 10-30 min); the collaboration-line cost of fragmenting is permanent.

#### 11.10.3 M3 / Direction 3 closure (same evening, post-Step 2)

D3 fully executed in the same calendar day after Step 2 pulls completed. **~1480 trials across 7 models × 5 families × 2B-16B scale × 4 fixtures × multiple caps and temperatures**, all cleanly captured. PR #600 lands the consolidated analysis (`reports/research-runs/v3prime-cross-family-final-2026-05-29.md`) + 47 raw JSONs + 2 driver copies for fixture/cap variants.

Hypothesis verdict:

| Hypothesis | Verdict |
|---|---|
| **H1** `gemma4:e4b` checkpoint-isolated cap-floor | ✅ **CONFIRMED** |
| H2 fixture-complexity universal | ❌ rejected (two-item synthesis: `gemma4:e4b` 0/10, other 6 at 10/10) |
| H3 cognitive-task-domain universal | ❌ rejected (Korean planner/reflect/verify: other 6 all 10/10) |

Headline finding stack:

1. **Substitution mode = architectural primitive** across 7 checkpoints / 5 families / 4 generations / 2B-16B scale / both temperatures (Robin's split universal)
2. **Synthesis-mode cap-floor = `gemma4:e4b` checkpoint property** with monotonic decline: single 70% → temp 0.7 40% → two-item 0% → Korean cognitive 0% → cap=200 0%
3. **`gemma4:e4b` is 4-9× more verbose at synthesis** (median eval_count 400 vs 46-95 for the other 6) — cross-family generalization of Robin's 26b-vs-e4b 9× observation
4. **cap=200 sweep reproduces V3'.a query_rewriter 0/10 signature** exactly on the synthesis arm; other 6 models still clear cap=200 cleanly
5. **Yang et al. CES framework (arxiv:2605.09104) cross-family empirical fit** — substitution M_int ≈ 0 universal, synthesis M_int budget checkpoint-specific

Narrative status: nothing from prior Robin/Ali/Vadym/Hashevolution narrative retired. Only scope clarification — "Gemma 4 family-wide cap pathology" → "`gemma4:e4b` checkpoint-isolated cap pathology". All four contributors' vocabularies confirmed and strengthened by cross-family data.

#### 11.10.4 §5 ledger flips

- **M3 (Direction 3) → ✅ CLOSED** (was 🔴 Critical, user-deferred; H1 confirmed via PR #600)
- **M11 (arxiv prior art positioning) → ✅ empirical layer landed** (was 🟡 Important; Yang et al. CES framework cross-family fit provided)

Remaining open from §5:
- M2 ar_ecommerce + Ali silence → 🟢 light watch (paused 6/6)
- M5 / M6 Phase 2/3 / M9 → 🟡 6/7+ Ali resume rendezvous queued
- M10 Show HN 6/16 → 🟢 watch

**Critical-tier remaining: zero open.** All five Critical-class items (M1, M3, M4, M8, M11) are now closed.

#### 11.10.5 Sharing status — not shared yet

Per §11.10.2 partial-measurement DM discipline:

- Robin: the Option B pre-notice DM (sent earlier 2026-05-29) committed to "Whatever shape comes back, you see first". The consolidated read (`v3prime-cross-family-final-2026-05-29.md`) is the substrate. Drafting deferred to operator — sharing-now vs sharing-with-Ali-at-6/7-rendezvous is the timing decision the operator gets.
- Ali: gated on 6/7+ resume per §11.9. Same consolidated read folds into the joint-deposit discussion when the window opens.
