phase-gate

The orchestrator owns gates; this skill is the checklist and the mechanical checker.

Mechanical check

python3 skills/phase-gate/scripts/gate_check.py --project . --phase P6
python3 skills/phase-gate/scripts/gate_check.py --project . --phase P7 --paper paper/
python3 skills/phase-gate/scripts/gate_check.py --selftest

It fails on: unticked gate items (waivers need WAIVED: <reason> (DECISIONS D-<n>)), open claims from P6 on, survived/weakened claims without EVIDENCE refs or falsifier evidence, paper numbers (×, %, ms, bits, 2^k …) without a matching EVIDENCE row from P7 on (escape hatch: % no-evidence: <reason> on the line, e.g. a number quoted from a cited paper), and a missing/stale/unclean bib-verify report at P8.

Gate checklists (copy into STATE.md under ## Gate P<k>)

P0 Scoping — [ ] one-paragraph problem statement with a measurable target · [ ] target venue(s) + deadline · [ ] scope: in/out list · [ ] resources (machines, libraries, time budget) · [ ] kill criteria written.

P1 Literature — [ ] related-work matrix with ≥ the 2–4 true competitors in bold · [ ] novelty check logged (≤30 days, verdict not taken) · [ ] refs.bib passes bib-verify · [ ] reading notes for every competitor · [ ] baseline candidates listed with code availability.

P2 Ideation — [ ] ≥1 idea with pre-gate sentence (security-bearing vs substrate) · [ ] Gate A (freed parameter) and Gate B (anomaly) recorded, or honest negative · [ ] every idea's core claims entered in CLAIMS.md as falsifiable rows (status open) · [ ] novelty re-check for the chosen idea.

P3 Theory — [ ] each theorem stated with all hypotheses · [ ] numerically checked (Sage/Python) on small cases · [ ] load-bearing lemmas formalised or independently re-derived · [ ] parameter/security estimate reproduced with an estimator, cost model stated · [ ] lower bound or explicit "no bound known".

P4 Baselines — [ ] each competitor pinned (url, commit/tag, build recipe) in baselines/MANIFEST.md · [ ] baseline reproduces its paper's headline number within tolerance, or the discrepancy is documented · [ ] build flags identical between baseline and ours.

P5 Experiments — [ ] bench protocol (machine, threads, pinning, warm-up, interleaving, repeats) fixed before running · [ ] every result in EVIDENCE.md with command/log/commit/machine/date/runs · [ ] control candidate measured · [ ] component and end-to-end, absolute and relative.

P6 Falsification — [ ] falsifier ruled on every claim (no open) · [ ] refuted claims removed or reworded; weakened claims restated with their new scope · [ ] cost/price of each gain stated · [ ] PI decision in DECISIONS.md.

P7 Writing + figures — [ ] every paper number has an EVIDENCE row · [ ] every claim in the paper maps to a survived/weakened CLAIMS row · [ ] figures regenerated from logged data by script · [ ] related work written from the matrix · [ ] notation consistent.

P8 Review → submit → rebuttal → camera-ready — [ ] ≥1 venue-calibrated mock review, all major points answered · [ ] bib-verify clean on the final bib · [ ] anonymisation and page limits checked · [ ] artifact builds from a clean checkout · [ ] final novelty re-check (≤7 days before submission).

Loops

P6 may send work back to P2 (idea refuted), P3 (proof gap), or P5 (measurement gap). P8 may send back to P7 or P5. Every backward transition is a DECISIONS.md entry with the triggering claim/review id.