antithesis-research

What this skill does

# Antithesis Research

## Purpose and Goal

Research a target system and produce scratchbook artifacts that unblock the rest of the workflow. Success means:

- `antithesis/scratchbook/sut-analysis.md` captures architecture, state, concurrency, and failure-prone areas
- `antithesis/scratchbook/property-catalog.md` lists concrete, testable properties with priorities
- `antithesis/scratchbook/deployment-topology.md` describes the minimal useful container topology
- `antithesis/scratchbook/properties/{slug}.md` captures per-property evidence trails and context
- `antithesis/scratchbook/property-relationships.md` maps suspected clusters and connections between properties
- `antithesis/scratchbook/evaluation/synthesis.md` records categorized evaluation findings and actions taken

## Prerequisites and Scoping

At the start of every research run, ask the user about external references:

> Before I start, are there docs, design notes, related repos, issue trackers, or anything else outside this directory tree that I should also consult? "Just this directory" is fine.

Capture the answer verbatim. Each external reference becomes a `path` (or URL) plus a brief `why` note. The orchestrator (this skill) holds the answer for the full duration of the run and threads it as input to every reference workflow that produces a top-level artifact: `sut-discovery.md`, `sut-analysis.md`, `property-discovery.md`, `deployment-topology.md`, `property-evaluation.md`. Each of those references' agent-instruction sections accepts the list as input. The list is also recorded in the provenance frontmatter of every top-level artifact (see `references/scratchbook-setup.md`).

Beyond the scope question, ask only for blockers or scoping decisions you cannot infer safely:

- The repo or codebase location, if it is not already clear
- Which subsystem or component matters most, if the work is narrower than the whole repo
- Known incidents, closed bugs, or specific failure modes worth targeting

If scratchbook artifacts already exist, treat them as inputs and extend them instead of rewriting them unless the user asks for a fresh pass.

## Definitions and Concepts

- **SUT:** System under test.
- **Workload:** A synthetic workload designed to exercise the target system
- **Safety property (correctness):** A bad thing never happens
- **Liveness property (progress):** A good thing eventually happens
- **Reachability property:** A code path or behavior is reachable or unreachable
- **Test Template:** A directory of test commands located at `/opt/antithesis/test/v1/{name}/`. There may be more than one test template. Each timeline executes commands from a single test template. Files or subdirectories prefixed with `helper_` are ignored by Antithesis.
- **Test Command:** An executable file in a Test Template with a valid prefix. Valid prefixes: `parallel_driver_`, `singleton_driver_`, `serial_driver_`, `first_`, `eventually_`, `finally_`, `anytime_`
- **Timeline:** A single linear execution of the target system and workload. Antithesis runs many timelines in parallel and branches them to search for interesting behaviors.

## Documentation Grounding

Use the `antithesis-documentation` skill to ground Antithesis-specific terminology and implementation advice.

- Properties and assertions: `https://antithesis.com/docs/properties_assertions/assertions.md`
- Sometimes assertions: `https://antithesis.com/docs/best_practices/sometimes_assertions/`
- Define test properties: `https://antithesis.com/docs/using_antithesis/sdk/define_test_properties/`
- SDK runtime modes and production behavior: `https://antithesis.com/docs/using_antithesis/sdk/`
- Optimize for testing: `https://antithesis.com/docs/best_practices/optimizing.md`

## Reference Files

| Reference                           | When to read                                        |
| ----------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| `references/scratchbook-setup.md`      | Always — read first to initialize the workspace     |
| `references/sut-discovery.md`       | Discovering system characteristics through structured attention focuses |
| `references/sut-analysis.md`        | General methodology for analyzing the codebase and understanding components |
| `references/property-discovery.md`  | Discovering properties through structured attention focuses |
| `references/property-catalog.md`    | Format and methodology for documenting properties   |
| `references/faults.md`              | Understanding fault types, quiet periods, and process fault availability |
| `references/deployment-topology.md` | Designing the container topology for Antithesis     |
| `references/property-evaluation.md` | Evaluating the property catalog as a portfolio       |

## Recommended Workflows

### Full research pass (new project)

1. Read `references/scratchbook-setup.md`
2. Read `references/sut-discovery.md` and `references/sut-analysis.md`
3. Analyze the system using the ensemble or single-agent workflow from `references/sut-discovery.md`
4. Scan the codebase for existing Antithesis SDK assertions. Search for imports
   of the Antithesis SDK and calls to assertion functions (`assert_always!`,
   `assert_sometimes!`, `assert_reachable!`, `assert_unreachable!`, or their
   non-macro equivalents). For each assertion found, record the file path, line
   number, assertion type, and message string. Write the results to
   `antithesis/scratchbook/existing-assertions.md`. Begin the file with
   provenance frontmatter per `references/scratchbook-setup.md`. If no
   assertions are found, write the file with a note confirming the codebase has
   no existing instrumentation.
5. Read `references/property-discovery.md` and `references/property-catalog.md`
6. Discover properties using the ensemble or single-agent workflow from `references/property-discovery.md`
7. Read `references/deployment-topology.md`
8. Design the deployment topology and write it to `antithesis/scratchbook/deployment-topology.md`
9. Read `references/property-evaluation.md`
10. Evaluate the property catalog using the ensemble or single-agent workflow from `references/property-evaluation.md`
11. Address evaluation findings: apply refinements, fill gaps, escalate biases to the user
12. Write or update all remaining findings in the scratchbook under `antithesis/scratchbook/`

### Targeted property research

1. Read `references/sut-discovery.md` and `references/sut-analysis.md` if the system model is missing or stale
2. Read `references/property-discovery.md` and `references/property-catalog.md`
3. Discover properties using the ensemble or single-agent workflow from `references/property-discovery.md`
4. Turn claimed guarantees, incidents, and bug reports into explicit properties, and choose the Antithesis assertion type that matches each one
5. Update `antithesis/scratchbook/property-catalog.md` and record assumptions or open questions
6. Write evidence files for new properties to `antithesis/scratchbook/properties/{slug}.md`
7. Update `antithesis/scratchbook/property-relationships.md` with any new clusters or connections
8. Read `references/property-evaluation.md`
9. Evaluate the updated property catalog using the ensemble or single-agent workflow from `references/property-evaluation.md`
10. Address evaluation findings: apply refinements, fill gaps, escalate biases to the user

### Property expansion (after triage)

1. Read `references/property-discovery.md` and `references/property-catalog.md`
2. Review triage findings from the `antithesis-triage` skill
3. Use the attention focuses from `references/property-discovery.md` to look for new properties inspired by triage findings
4. Update the relevant files in the scratchbook
5. Write evidence files for new properties to `antithesis/scratchbook/properties/{slug}.md`
6. Update `antithesis/scratchbook/property-relationships.md` with any new clusters or connections
7. If the expansion is substantial (a new category of properties