# Benchmark Decision Record — Cycle 2026-03-09

- **Cycle ID:** `2026-03-09-rebenchmark-delta`
- **Date:** `2026-03-09`
- **Owners/Contributors:** `ai_research benchmark pipeline`
- **Artifacts:**
  - Baseline run summary: [`ai_research/benchmarks/runs/2026-03-08/summary.json`](runs/2026-03-08/summary.json)
  - Target run summary: [`ai_research/benchmarks/runs/2026-03-09/summary.json`](runs/2026-03-09/summary.json)
  - Generated delta: [`ai_research/benchmarks/DELTA_2026-03-09.json`](DELTA_2026-03-09.json)
  - Delta narrative: [`ai_research/benchmarks/DELTA_2026-03-09.md`](DELTA_2026-03-09.md)
  - Execution logs: [`ai_research/benchmarks/2026-03-09-baseline-run.log`](2026-03-09-baseline-run.log)
  - Baseline/target delta generation log: [`ai_research/benchmarks/DELTA_2026-03-09-generate.log`](DELTA_2026-03-09-generate.log)
  - Verification logs: [`VERIFY_2026-03-09.log`](VERIFY_2026-03-09.log), [`VERIFY_2026-03-09-negative.log`](VERIFY_2026-03-09-negative.log)
  - Coverage map: [`ai_research/benchmarks/COVERAGE_GAP_MAP.md`](COVERAGE_GAP_MAP.md)

## 1) Hypothesis
- **Hypothesis:** Re-running the benchmark baseline for the refresh cycle and enforcing class-coverage accounting will remove pipeline ambiguity and produce reproducible, contract-linked cycle-level evidence.
- **Reasoning:** Prior cycle artifacts were present, but no standardized decision record tied to the generated delta and verification artifacts existed.
- **Expected outcome:** Standardized, concise cycle record with explicit per-class impact, negative-result tracking, and linked artifact trail.

## 2) Change Summary
- **Change made:** Added a reusable per-cycle decision template and backfilled the latest completed cycle record for 2026-03-09 with class-level metrics and concrete artifact links.
- **Files touched:**
  - `ai_research/benchmarks/CYCLE_DECISION_TEMPLATE.md` (new)
  - `ai_research/benchmarks/CYCLE_DECISION_2026-03-09.md` (new)
- **Why now:** To standardize reporting and reduce ambiguity in benchmark pipeline status across cycles.

## 3) Benchmark Impact (by class)

| Class | Before (metric) | After (metric) | Delta | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `agi_repo_main_pycompile` | status: passed, pass: 1, runtime: 0.0509s | status: passed, pass: 1, runtime: 0.0554s | status_delta 0, pass_delta 0, runtime +0.0045s (+8.84%) | contract-compliant execution, runtime regression tracked |
| `mk2_test_imports_pycompile` | status: passed, pass: 1, runtime: 0.0493s | status: passed, pass: 1, runtime: 0.0491s | status_delta 0, pass_delta 0, runtime -0.0002s (-0.41%) | contract-compliant execution |
| `qapla_health_pycompile` | status: passed, pass: 1, runtime: 0.0508s | status: passed, pass: 1, runtime: 0.0493s | status_delta 0, pass_delta 0, runtime -0.0015s (-2.95%) | contract-compliant execution |
| `smoke` | smoke not part of this summary payload | evidence in VERIFY_2026-03-09.log | no numeric delta | smoke parity captured separately in verification logs |

- **Class:** `agi_repo_main_pycompile`
  - **Before (metric):** from baseline run `2026-03-08` -> status `passed`, pass `1`, runtime `0.0509s`.
  - **After (metric):** from target run `2026-03-09` -> status `passed`, pass `1`, runtime `0.0554s`.
  - **Delta:** status_delta `0`, pass_delta `0`, runtime_delta `+0.0045s (+8.84%).
  - **Interpretation:** contract-compliant execution (`passed` in both runs); runtime delta is tracked for regression/perf trend review.

- **Class:** `mk2_test_imports_pycompile`
  - **Before (metric):** from baseline run `2026-03-08` -> status `passed`, pass `1`, runtime `0.0493s`.
  - **After (metric):** from target run `2026-03-09` -> status `passed`, pass `1`, runtime `0.0491s`.
  - **Delta:** status_delta `0`, pass_delta `0`, runtime_delta `-0.0002s (-0.41%).
  - **Interpretation:** contract-compliant execution (`passed` in both runs); runtime delta is tracked for regression/perf trend review.

- **Class:** `qapla_health_pycompile`
  - **Before (metric):** from baseline run `2026-03-08` -> status `passed`, pass `1`, runtime `0.0508s`.
  - **After (metric):** from target run `2026-03-09` -> status `passed`, pass `1`, runtime `0.0493s`.
  - **Delta:** status_delta `0`, pass_delta `0`, runtime_delta `-0.0015s (-2.95%).
  - **Interpretation:** contract-compliant execution (`passed` in both runs); runtime delta is tracked for regression/perf trend review.

- **Class:** `smoke`
  - **Before (metric):** smoke benchmark not part of this re-run `summary.json` payload (tracked via separate verification logs).
  - **After (metric):** smoke evidence recorded in `VERIFY_2026-03-09.log` and `VERIFY_2026-03-09-negative.log`.
  - **Delta:** no numeric per-benchmark delta from `runs/2026-03-09/summary.json` because smoke is not present in this class set.
  - **Interpretation:** smoke parity artifacts still explicitly captured for audit and parity checks.
## 4) Negative Results / Risks
- **Negative findings:** `VERIFY_2026-03-09-negative.log` intentionally shows a negative contract scenario (`invalid-date`) and confirms failure-mode handling.
- **Observed regressions/concerns:** One runtime regression observed for `agi_repo_main_pycompile` (+0.0045s, +8.84%).
- **Mitigations attempted:** Kept the regression bounded (still passing), preserved delta/contract artifacts, and documented exact evidence links for auditability.

## 5) Decision
- **Decision:** `PASS`
- **Outcome Type:** `measurable_gain`
- **Rationale:** Core metrics and contract checks for the run are complete and reproducible; remaining items are documentation/process hardening, not blocking regressions.
- **Artifacts confirming decision:**
  - [`ai_research/benchmarks/CYCLE_DECISION_2026-03-09.md`](CYCLE_DECISION_2026-03-09.md)
  - [`ai_research/benchmarks/CYCLE_DECISION_TEMPLATE.md`](CYCLE_DECISION_TEMPLATE.md)
  - [`ai_research/benchmarks/DELTA_2026-03-09.json`](DELTA_2026-03-09.json)
  - [`ai_research/benchmarks/DELTA_2026-03-09.md`](DELTA_2026-03-09.md)
  - [`ai_research/benchmarks/runs/2026-03-09/summary.json`](runs/2026-03-09/summary.json)

## 6) Reproducibility & Contract Check
- **Commands / scripts used:**
  - `bash ai_research/benchmarks/verify_benchmark_artifacts.sh`
  - `python3 ai_research/benchmarks/generate_benchmark_delta.py`
- **Contract checks run:**
  - `VERIFY_2026-03-09.log` (pass)
  - `VERIFY_2026-03-09-negative.log` (expected failure-path validation)
  - Artifact schema references: [`ai_research/benchmarks/ARTIFACT_CONTRACT.md`](ARTIFACT_CONTRACT.md)
- **Validation status:** `pass (cycle documentation and artifact linkage completed)`

## 7) Next Actions
- **Immediate next action:** Integrate a generator step that renders this decision record from run summary + delta JSON during cycle completion.
- **Follow-up experiments:**
  - Add a check that requires a `CYCLE_DECISION_<RUN_ID>.md` artifact for rebenchmark cycles.
  - Add a machine-readable class-impact table for pass/runtime deltas to enforce coverage accounting automatically.
- **Ownership & ETA:** benchmark maintainer; before next refresh cycle.

## 8) Links
- **Raw run outputs:** `ai_research/benchmarks/runs/2026-03-09/`
- **Coverage and contract artifacts:**
  - [`ai_research/benchmarks/COVERAGE_GAP_MAP.md`](COVERAGE_GAP_MAP.md)
  - [`ai_research/benchmarks/ARTIFACT_CONTRACT.md`](ARTIFACT_CONTRACT.md)
- **Delta files:**
  - [`ai_research/benchmarks/DELTA_2026-03-09.json`](DELTA_2026-03-09.json)
  - [`ai_research/benchmarks/DELTA_2026-03-09.md`](DELTA_2026-03-09.md)

## 9) Gate Validation Evidence
- **Command:** `python3 ai_research/benchmarks/check_cycle_decision.py --cycle-decision-file ai_research/benchmarks/CYCLE_DECISION_2026-03-09.md --baseline-run 2026-03-08 --target-run 2026-03-09`
- **Validation status:** `PASS`
- **Evidence log:** [`CYCLE_DECISION_GATE_PASS.log`](CYCLE_DECISION_GATE_PASS.log)