scripts/plan_variants.py
#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Generate a budget-aware exploratory variant matrix for isolated runs."""
from __future__ import annotations
import argparse
import itertools
import json
from pathlib import Path
from typing import Any, Dict, List, Sequence
DEFAULT_SELECTION_WEIGHTS = {
"cost": 0.25,
"success_rate": 0.35,
"expected_gain": 0.40,
}
def load_spec(path: Path) -> Dict[str, Any]:
return json.loads(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8-sig"))
def current_research_value(spec: Dict[str, Any]) -> str:
return str(spec.get("current_research") or spec.get("baseline_ref") or "unknown")
def normalize_metric_goal(value: Any) -> str:
text = str(value or "maximize").strip().lower()
if text in {"min", "minimize", "lower", "lower_is_better"}:
return "minimize"
return "maximize"
def safe_float(value: Any) -> float:
if value is None:
return 0.0
if isinstance(value, (int, float)):
return float(value)
try:
return float(str(value))
except ValueError:
return 0.0
def clamp_score(value: float) -> float:
return max(0.0, min(1.0, value))
def can_float(value: Any) -> bool:
try:
float(str(value))
return True
except (TypeError, ValueError):
return False
def unique_preserving_order(values: Sequence[Any]) -> List[Any]:
ordered: List[Any] = []
for item in values:
if item not in ordered:
ordered.append(item)
return ordered
def rank_lookup(values: Sequence[Any]) -> Dict[Any, int]:
ordered_values = unique_preserving_order(values)
if not ordered_values:
return {}
has_none = any(item is None for item in ordered_values)
non_none = [item for item in ordered_values if item is not None]
if non_none and all(can_float(item) for item in non_none):
ordered_non_none = sorted(non_none, key=lambda item: (safe_float(item), str(item)))
else:
ordered_non_none = non_none
ordered = ([None] if has_none else []) + ordered_non_none
return {item: index for index, item in enumerate(ordered)}
def normalized_lookup_score(value: Any, lookup: Dict[Any, int]) -> float:
if not lookup:
return 0.0
index = lookup.get(value, 0)
max_index = max(lookup.values(), default=0)
if max_index <= 0:
return 0.0
return index / max_index
def normalize_weights(spec: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, float]:
raw = dict(DEFAULT_SELECTION_WEIGHTS)
raw.update(spec.get("selection_weights", {}))
total = sum(max(0.0, safe_float(value)) for value in raw.values())
if total <= 0:
return dict(DEFAULT_SELECTION_WEIGHTS)
return {
"cost": max(0.0, safe_float(raw.get("cost"))) / total,
"success_rate": max(0.0, safe_float(raw.get("success_rate"))) / total,
"expected_gain": max(0.0, safe_float(raw.get("expected_gain"))) / total,
}
def axis_aggressiveness_score(axis_values: Dict[str, Any], axes: Dict[str, Sequence[Any]]) -> float:
if not axis_values:
return 0.0
scores: List[float] = []
for key, value in axis_values.items():
options = list(axes.get(key, []))
if not options:
scores.append(0.0)
continue
lookup = {option: index for index, option in enumerate(options)}
max_index = max(len(options) - 1, 1)
scores.append(lookup.get(value, 0) / max_index)
return sum(scores) / len(scores)
def annotate_variant_scores(
raw_variants: List[Dict[str, Any]],
spec: Dict[str, Any],
subset_lookup: Dict[Any, int],
step_lookup: Dict[Any, int],
) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
axes = spec.get("variant_axes", {})
weights = normalize_weights(spec)
annotated: List[Dict[str, Any]] = []
for item in raw_variants:
subset_scale = normalized_lookup_score(item.get("subset_size"), subset_lookup)
step_scale = normalized_lookup_score(item.get("short_run_steps"), step_lookup)
axis_scale = axis_aggressiveness_score(item.get("axes", {}), axes)
raw_cost = 0.50 * step_scale + 0.35 * subset_scale + 0.15 * axis_scale
cost_efficiency_score = clamp_score(1.0 - raw_cost)
predicted_success_score = clamp_score(1.0 - (0.45 * axis_scale + 0.35 * step_scale + 0.20 * subset_scale))
predicted_gain_score = clamp_score(0.50 * axis_scale + 0.30 * step_scale + 0.20 * subset_scale)
total_score = (
weights["cost"] * cost_efficiency_score
+ weights["success_rate"] * predicted_success_score
+ weights["expected_gain"] * predicted_gain_score
)
annotated_item = dict(item)
annotated_item.update(
{
"cost_score": round(raw_cost, 4),
"cost_efficiency_score": round(cost_efficiency_score, 4),
"predicted_success_score": round(predicted_success_score, 4),
"predicted_gain_score": round(predicted_gain_score, 4),
"total_score": round(total_score, 4),
"estimated_runtime_units": round(1.0 + 3.0 * step_scale + 2.0 * subset_scale + axis_scale, 4),
"feasibility_annotations": [],
}
)
annotated.append(annotated_item)
return annotated
def build_raw_variants(spec: Dict[str, Any]) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
axes = {
key: list(value) if isinstance(value, (list, tuple)) else [value]
for key, value in (spec.get("variant_axes") or {}).items()
}
keys = sorted(axes)
values = [axes[key] for key in keys]
subset_sizes = spec.get("subset_sizes") or [None]
short_run_steps = spec.get("short_run_steps") or [None]
current_research = current_research_value(spec)
subset_rank = rank_lookup(subset_sizes)
step_rank = rank_lookup(short_run_steps)
variants: List[Dict[str, Any]] = []
index = 1
for combo in itertools.product(*values):
axis_values = dict(zip(keys, combo))
axis_position_penalty = sum(axes[key].index(axis_values[key]) for key in keys)
for subset_size in subset_sizes:
for step_limit in short_run_steps:
subset_position = subset_rank.get(subset_size, 0)
step_position = step_rank.get(step_limit, 0)
variants.append(
{
"id": f"variant-{index:03d}",
"axes": axis_values,
"subset_size": subset_size,
"short_run_steps": step_limit,
"current_research": current_research,
"baseline_ref": spec.get("baseline_ref", current_research),
"base_command": spec.get("base_command"),
"axis_position_penalty": axis_position_penalty,
"subset_rank": subset_position,
"step_rank": step_position,
}
)
index += 1
return annotate_variant_scores(variants, spec, subset_rank, step_rank)
def prune_variants(raw_variants: List[Dict[str, Any]], spec: Dict[str, Any]) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
max_variants = int(spec.get("max_variants") or 0)
max_short_cycle_runs = int(spec.get("max_short_cycle_runs") or 0)
ordered = sorted(
raw_variants,
key=lambda item: (
-item.get("total_score", 0.0),
-item.get("predicted_gain_score", 0.0),
-item.get("predicted_success_score", 0.0),
-item.get("cost_efficiency_score", 0.0),
item.get("cost_score", 0.0),
item.get("id", ""),
),
)
selected: List[Dict[str, Any]] = []
short_cycle_count = 0
for item in ordered:
is_short_cycle = item.get("short_run_steps") is not None
if max_short_cycle_runs > 0 and is_short_cycle and short_cycle_count >= max_short_cycle_runs:
continue
selected.append(item)
if is_short_cycle:
short_cycle_count += 1
if max_variants > 0 and len(selected) >= max_variants:
break
return selected
def build_variants(spec: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
current_research = current_research_value(spec)
raw_variants = build_raw_variants(spec)
variants = prune_variants(raw_variants, spec)
raw_variant_count = len(raw_variants)
variant_count = len(variants)
return {
"schema_version": "1.0",
"current_research": current_research,
"baseline_ref": spec.get("baseline_ref", current_research),
"base_command": spec.get("base_command"),
"raw_variant_count": raw_variant_count,
"variant_count": variant_count,
"pruned_variant_count": raw_variant_count - variant_count,
"variant_budget": {
"max_variants": int(spec.get("max_variants") or 0),
"max_short_cycle_runs": int(spec.get("max_short_cycle_runs") or 0),
},
"selection_policy": {
"factors": ["cost", "success_rate", "expected_gain"],
"weights": normalize_weights(spec),
"scores": {
"cost_score": "Lower is cheaper; derived from steps, subset size, and axis aggressiveness.",
"cost_efficiency_score": "Higher is cheaper after inverting cost_score.",
"predicted_success_score": "Higher means the candidate is more likely to run cleanly.",
"predicted_gain_score": "Higher means the candidate is more likely to produce a measurable improvement.",
"total_score": "Weighted composite used for pre-execution candidate ranking.",
},
},
"metric_policy": {
"primary_metric": spec.get("primary_metric"),
"metric_goal": normalize_metric_goal(spec.get("metric_goal")),
},
"variants": variants,
}
def main() -> int:
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Build a budget-aware exploratory variant matrix.")
parser.add_argument("--spec-json", required=True, help="Path to the exploration spec JSON file.")
parser.add_argument("--output-json", help="Optional output path for the generated matrix.")
parser.add_argument("--json", action="store_true", help="Emit the matrix to stdout.")
args = parser.parse_args()
payload = build_variants(load_spec(Path(args.spec_json).resolve()))
if args.output_json:
Path(args.output_json).write_text(json.dumps(payload, indent=2, ensure_ascii=False), encoding="utf-8")
if args.json or not args.output_json:
print(json.dumps(payload, indent=2, ensure_ascii=False))
return 0
if __name__ == "__main__":
raise SystemExit(main())
SKILL.md
---
name: explore-run
description: Rigor Improve / Rigor Explore run leaf skill for bounded exploratory evidence in deep learning research repositories. Use when the researcher explicitly authorizes exploratory runs such as small-subset validation, short-cycle guess-and-check, batch sweeps, idle-GPU search, or quick transfer-learning trials, with fair-comparison caveats and no-overclaim summaries in `explore_outputs/`. Do not use for end-to-end exploration orchestration on top of `current_research`, trusted baseline execution, conservative training verification, default routing, verified SOTA claims, or implicit experimentation.
---
# explore-run
Use this as the Rigor Improve / Rigor Explore run leaf skill. The installed slug
remains `explore-run` for compatibility.
Use the shared operating principles in
`../ai-research-reproduction/references/agent-operating-principles.md`; this skill should guide
candidate run planning while preserving model judgment about the active repo.
## When to apply
- When the researcher explicitly authorizes exploratory runs.
- When the task is a small-subset validation, short-cycle training probe, batch sweep, idle-GPU search, or quick transfer-learning trial.
- When the output should rank candidate runs rather than certify trusted success.
## When not to apply
- When the user wants trusted training execution or conservative verification.
- When there is no explicit exploratory authorization.
- When the task is repository setup, intake, or debugging.
## Clear boundaries
- This skill owns exploratory execution planning and summary only.
- Use `ai-research-explore` instead when the task spans both current_research coordination and exploratory code changes.
- It may hand off actual command execution to `minimal-run-and-audit` or `run-train`.
- It should keep experiment state isolated from the trusted baseline.
- It should prefer small-subset and short-cycle checks before heavier exploratory runs.
- It should label run results as bounded evidence and explain when a comparison
is not directly fair.
## Ranking Semantics
- Pre-execution candidate selection uses three factors: `cost`, `success_rate`, and `expected_gain`.
- Default weights should stay conservative unless the researcher explicitly provides `selection_weights`.
- Budget pruning still applies after scoring through `max_variants` and `max_short_cycle_runs`.
- If runs are executed later, downstream ranking should switch to real execution evidence, not stay purely heuristic.
## Variant Spec Hints
- Use `variant_axes` to define the candidate dimension grid.
- Use `subset_sizes` and `short_run_steps` to express exploratory run scale.
- Use `selection_weights` to rebalance `cost`, `success_rate`, and `expected_gain`.
- Use `primary_metric` and `metric_goal` so downstream ranking can order executed candidates consistently.
## Output expectations
- `explore_outputs/CHANGESET.md`
- `explore_outputs/SCIENTIFIC_CHANGELOG.md`
- `explore_outputs/COMPARABILITY_REPORT.md`
- `explore_outputs/TOP_RUNS.md`
- `explore_outputs/status.json`
## Notes
Use `references/execution-policy.md`, `../ai-research-reproduction/references/explore-variant-spec.md`, `../ai-research-reproduction/references/deep-learning-experiment-principles.md`, `scripts/plan_variants.py`, and `scripts/write_outputs.py`.