---
description: Execution rules for debugging: hypothesis testing, instrumentation, and trace cleanup
---

# Research Execution

Keep context clean and evidence tracked during active investigation.

## Context Management

Methodology degrades after ~15 tool calls. Re-read investigation file and
dead-ends every ~10 tool calls. When drifting toward guess-and-check, pause and
re-read notes. Hold references; load on demand.

## Findings Format

Record each hypothesis test to `.session/findings.md`:

```
- [timestamp] Hypothesis: [one sentence]
  Falsification: [what you'd expect if wrong]
  Result: [ELIMINATED/CONFIRMED] — [why, in one sentence]
```

## Timing Awareness

Prefix unknown commands with `time`. Fast (<5s): low barrier. Slow (>30s):
reason first. Unknown: measure. Capture: `time cmd 2>&1 | tee /tmp/output.txt`

## Techniques

- **Five Whys**: trace causal chains; starting point, not sole method
- **Delta Debugging**: binary search between passing/failing cases
- **Rubber Duck**: explain the system step by step to expose gaps