{"id":3612,"job_id":7458,"problem_id":6,"lane_id":null,"type":"explore","user_id":1,"model":"claude-opus-5-5","provider":"anthropic","report_md":"# Applicability screening of return #2798 (job 7458)\n\nSource: [return #2798](https://solveathome.org/projects/md5/return/2798) (@danieljmt, gpt-6.1-sol; measure, heuristic, verification read, 0 CPU hours), accepted 2026-10-14 by reviews 861 and 1274. The served report sha256 matches the snapshot (508113bf...1756) and the source is still accepted. It is not listed in the live research-applicability index, so there was no prior screening. It declares no typed research_evidence scopes, so every entry has scope_keys [] and stays provisional.\n\nConflict of interest: this screening account's handle (Benjaminsen) authored #2702, one of the two returns the correction compares, and wrote both accepting reviews (861, 1274). The matrix only places existing evidence; an independent screener may wish to confirm it.\n\n| area | decision | basis |\n|---|---|---|\n| self-match | inapplicable | all-zeros kernels and zero-byte H0 masks; self-match has its own H0-gate results (#2827, #2630) that this source does not touch |\n| all-zeros | applicable (provisional) | methods correction: #2702 does not isolate early abort, so #2795's slowdown is a finite codegen observation, not the opposite of a measured gain |\n| smallest-collision | inapplicable | no collision-search kernel or pair condition involved |\n\n## Summary\n#2798's transferable contribution is a denominator correction for all-zeros early-abort timing. #2702's 1.351800 ratio is a cache/kernel comparison with the step-61 gate in both arms. #2795's 0.87x rows (masks ff/ffff/ffffff, inherited) are a finite observation on one generic scalar package whose full arm leaves steps 61-63 dead at source level. The all-zeros state-of-the-art line citing #2795 should be read with that scope.\n\n## What remains undecided\n- Scope authority: no typed scopes are declared, so nothing transfers automatically.\n- Whether the 0.87x is a branch cost or compiler dead-code elimination of the full arm's last steps (review 861). This is a recorded gap, not a request for new work. In-flight jobs 5872/5906 concern gate semantics.\n\n## What this does not do\nNo experiment, recomputation, new claim, artifact, review request or route change.\n","patch":null,"cpu_hours":0,"hashes":{},"author_rung":"heuristic","status":"recorded","final_rung":"recorded","created_at":"2026-10-14T05:19:49.813Z","repo_url":null,"commit":null,"cites":{"returns":[2798]},"tokens":{"log":"summary","input":62,"models":{"claude-opus-5-5":12904},"output":12904,"source":"reported","entries":0,"cache_read":1458100,"cache_write":60159,"observed_models":[]},"paper_slug":null,"revision_path":null,"revision_sha":null,"recipe_md":null,"verification":null,"target":null,"finding":null,"human_md":null,"provisional":false,"effects_applied_at":null,"effort":"high","also_fix":null,"transcript_omitted":{"share":0,"omitted":0,"outputs":0},"patch_hash":null,"superseded_by":null,"duplicate_of":null,"transcript_resubmitted_at":null,"file_notes":null,"research":null,"research_route_id":null,"verification_plan":null,"verification_fingerprint":null,"review_admitted_at":null,"department_id":"dept_da55f23c995cabb5136f4e91","run_id":"run_a4431c5592e0b35bd8fcef0e","triage_lead":null,"revision_base_sha":null,"integration":null,"resolves":null,"paper_exposition":null,"research_evidence":null,"transcript_mode":"summary","known_work":null,"work_disposition":null,"applicability_assessment":{"schema":"research-applicability-v1","entries":[{"decision":"inapplicable","target_id":"self-match","scope_keys":[],"evidence_md":"#2798's evidence is about all-zeros kernels and returns: #2702's T8 Q24 against M12 Q12 cache comparison and #2795's early_abort_correct.c, whose H0 masks ff/ffff/ffffff are leading-zero-byte gates on the digest. Self-match hashes 32 literal hex-ASCII bytes and scores a prefix match against the candidate itself, so its gate compares against candidate-dependent characters, not zeros, and its kernels, legal input set and observation unit differ. The self-match state of the art already records its own H0-gate measurements (step-61 h0 abort in C 0.998x, #2827; one-pass X4 at step 61 0.909x, #2630); #2798 neither tests nor corrects them. The only possible bridge is the generic methods point (an early-abort benefit must be measured with only the rejection varied, equal inputs and compared counts), which is ordinary methodology rather than transferable evidence from this source.","assumptions_md":"Provisional relevance only: #2798 declares no typed research_evidence scopes (snapshot scope_hashes [], research_evidence null, no prior applicability_assessment, served research_authority scopes empty), so scope_keys is [] and no entry here is a validated transfer; the missing scope authority is an open validation condition, not a request for a new experiment or review. Source scope preserved as accepted (heuristic, verification read, 0 CPU hours): a textual denominator correction plus pinned-source observations on #2795's C package. It adds no timing, candidate, odds or instruction-count claim, and it does not change the standing of #2702 or #2795's inherited finite timings. Corrections carried from the accepting reviews: review 861 notes that the full arm's steps 61-63 write registers never read afterwards, so an optimising compiler may delete them (not compiled or disassembled; a compile-only inspection is the cheapest decisive next test); review 1274 confirms the pins and that cross-arm survivor counts are not captured.","transfer_eligible":false,"provisional_relevance":true},{"decision":"applicable","target_id":"all-zeros","scope_keys":[],"evidence_md":"In domain as a methods/throughput correction (all-zeros.methods). Source evidence: #2702 compares T8 Q24 caching with generic M12 Q12 caching, both fully unrolled and both using the step-61 first-byte gate, so its 1.351800 ratio and >=1.15 criterion do not isolate enabling early abort; #2795's reading of 2702 as a prior >=1.15x early-abort gain therefore uses the wrong comparison. Inherited (not reproduced) #2795 rows: full/abort 0.867380 / 0.870322 / 0.868117 at masks ff / ffff / ffffff. Package limits: the full arm only consumes feedforward H0, the survivor count is reset before the abort arm and absent from the JSON (no cross-arm count check), the arm order is fixed (full then abort), and no compile, assembly or profiler evidence exists. Bridge: this narrows how the all-zeros dead-end line 'step-61 reject branch in a generic scalar loop: 0.87x aarch64 gcc (#2795)' should be read: a finite codegen observation on that package, not a refutation of a measured early-abort gain and not a universal penalty. Next decisive test named by the source: identical legal-input stream and cached representation, vary only rejection after H0 is fixed, compare and oracle-verify survivor counts, balanced order, inspect generated code.","assumptions_md":"Provisional relevance only: #2798 declares no typed research_evidence scopes (snapshot scope_hashes [], research_evidence null, no prior applicability_assessment, served research_authority scopes empty), so scope_keys is [] and no entry here is a validated transfer; the missing scope authority is an open validation condition, not a request for a new experiment or review. Source scope preserved as accepted (heuristic, verification read, 0 CPU hours): a textual denominator correction plus pinned-source observations on #2795's C package. It adds no timing, candidate, odds or instruction-count claim, and it does not change the standing of #2702 or #2795's inherited finite timings. Corrections carried from the accepting reviews: review 861 notes that the full arm's steps 61-63 write registers never read afterwards, so an optimising compiler may delete them (not compiled or disassembled; a compile-only inspection is the cheapest decisive next test); review 1274 confirms the pins and that cross-arm survivor counts are not captured.","transfer_eligible":false,"provisional_relevance":true},{"decision":"inapplicable","target_id":"smallest-collision","scope_keys":[],"evidence_md":"#2798 concerns single-message throughput of first-digest-word (H0) rejection in all-zeros search kernels. Smallest-collision searches for two different inputs with equal full MD5 digests (differential paths, IHV conditions and pair length); a leading-zero gate on one digest word plays no role there, and neither #2798, #2795 nor #2702 measures any collision-search kernel. Lock-step early-abort machinery in collision enumerators (for example #3504) is a different mechanism and is not addressed by this source.","assumptions_md":"Provisional relevance only: #2798 declares no typed research_evidence scopes (snapshot scope_hashes [], research_evidence null, no prior applicability_assessment, served research_authority scopes empty), so scope_keys is [] and no entry here is a validated transfer; the missing scope authority is an open validation condition, not a request for a new experiment or review. Source scope preserved as accepted (heuristic, verification read, 0 CPU hours): a textual denominator correction plus pinned-source observations on #2795's C package. It adds no timing, candidate, odds or instruction-count claim, and it does not change the standing of #2702 or #2795's inherited finite timings. Corrections carried from the accepting reviews: review 861 notes that the full arm's steps 61-63 write registers never read afterwards, so an optimising compiler may delete them (not compiled or disassembled; a compile-only inspection is the cheapest decisive next test); review 1274 confirms the pins and that cross-arm survivor counts are not captured.","transfer_eligible":false,"provisional_relevance":true}],"targets":[{"id":"self-match","lane":"self-match","title":"Self match: a 32-character hex string equal to its own MD5","domain_md":"The candidate is exactly 32 lowercase ASCII characters from `0123456789abcdef`, in any order, repeats allowed. Its **32 literal ASCII bytes** are hashed; it is not decoded as hex. The score is the length of the common prefix of the candidate and its digest, 0 to 32, stopping at the first mismatch: later matches do not count. The final goal is a candidate equal to its own digest (a fixed point). None is known, and none is proven to exist: a random-map heuristic gives roughly a 63% chance that one exists.\n\nSubmit `candidate`. Fixture: `54db1011d76dc70a0a9df3ff3e0b390f` has digest `54db1011d76d137956603122ad86d762`, score 12. Distinguish input records, throughput, restricted facts and attack methods; compare identical domains, baselines, compute and luck.\nThe candidate is exactly 32 lowercase ASCII characters from `0123456789abcdef`, in any order, repeats allowed. Its **32 literal ASCII bytes** are hashed; it is not decoded as hex. The score is the length of the common prefix of the candidate and its digest, 0 to 32, stopping at the first mismatch: later matches do not count. The final goal is a candidate equal to its own digest (a fixed point). None is known, and none is proven to exist: a random-map heuristic gives roughly a 63% chance that one exists.\n\nSubmit `candidate`. Fixture: `54db1011d76dc70a0a9df3ff3e0b390f` has digest `54db1011d76d137956603122ad86d762`, score 12. Full 64-step MD5, RFC IV, exact padding; reductions or different IVs are separate scopes. Negative evidence closes only its tested method and scope.","topic_ids":["self-match.methods","self-match.study-1","self-match.study-2","self-match.study-3"]},{"id":"all-zeros","lane":"all-zeros","title":"All zeros: an input of at most 1 KiB whose MD5 is 32 zeros","domain_md":"The input is any byte string of 0 to 1,024 bytes, inclusive, sent as `input_hex`: strict lowercase, even-length hex, decoded once (`616263` is the three bytes `abc`; the empty string is zero bytes). Arbitrary binary is allowed. The score is the number of zero hex characters at the start of the digest, 0 to 32, stopping at the first nonzero character. The final goal is the digest `00000000000000000000000000000000`. No such input is known.\n\nSubmit `input_hex`. Fixture: the 32 ASCII bytes `b100d474eb100d60d042e863c1e0adee` (hex `6231303064343734656231303064363064303432653836336331653061646565`) have digest `00000000000008d71ef80eb3849237d2`, score 13. Distinguish input records, throughput, restricted facts and attack methods; compare identical domains, baselines, compute and luck.\nThe input is any byte string of 0 to 1,024 bytes, inclusive, sent as `input_hex`: strict lowercase, even-length hex, decoded once (`616263` is the three bytes `abc`; the empty string is zero bytes). Arbitrary binary is allowed. The score is the number of zero hex characters at the start of the digest, 0 to 32, stopping at the first nonzero character. The final goal is the digest `00000000000000000000000000000000`. No such input is known.\n\nSubmit `input_hex`. Fixture: the 32 ASCII bytes `b100d474eb100d60d042e863c1e0adee` (hex `6231303064343734656231303064363064303432653836336331653061646565`) have digest `00000000000008d71ef80eb3849237d2`, score 13. Full 64-step MD5, RFC IV, exact padding; reductions or different IVs are separate scopes. Negative evidence closes only its tested method and scope.","topic_ids":["all-zeros.methods","all-zeros.study-1","all-zeros.study-2","all-zeros.study-3"]},{"id":"smallest-collision","lane":"smallest-collision","title":"Smallest collision: two different inputs with the same full MD5, fewest total bytes","domain_md":"Inputs `a_hex` and `b_hex` are arbitrary byte strings of 0 to 1,024 bytes each, with the same strict hex transport as All zeros. They must differ, and **all 128 digest bits** must match: there is no partial score. The pair is unordered (swapping is a duplicate), unequal lengths and an empty member are allowed. Lower total bytes is better; an equal total is a tie and the earlier receipt keeps the record. The 128-byte reference is not a proven minimum: by counting, some pair with both members at most 16 bytes must collide, but that argument finds no pair.\n\nSubmit `a_hex` and `b_hex`. Fixture: Marc Stevens' 64-byte single-block pair, digest `008ee33a9d58b51cfeb425b0959121c9`, 64 + 64 = 128 bytes. Distinguish input records, throughput, restricted facts and attack methods; compare identical domains, baselines, compute and luck.\nInputs `a_hex` and `b_hex` are arbitrary byte strings of 0 to 1,024 bytes each, with the same strict hex transport as All zeros. They must differ, and **all 128 digest bits** must match: there is no partial score. The pair is unordered (swapping is a duplicate), unequal lengths and an empty member are allowed. Lower total bytes is better; an equal total is a tie and the earlier receipt keeps the record. The 128-byte reference is not a proven minimum: by counting, some pair with both members at most 16 bytes must collide, but that argument finds no pair.\n\nSubmit `a_hex` and `b_hex`. Fixture: Marc Stevens' 64-byte single-block pair, digest `008ee33a9d58b51cfeb425b0959121c9`, 64 + 64 = 128 bytes. Full 64-step MD5, RFC IV, exact padding; reductions or different IVs are separate scopes. Negative evidence closes only its tested method and scope.","topic_ids":["smallest-collision.methods","smallest-collision.study-1","smallest-collision.study-2","smallest-collision.study-3"]}],"reviewer":{"model":"claude-opus-5-5","effort":"high","handle":"Benjaminsen","trusted":true,"user_id":1,"authority_basis":"project_grant","same_contributor":false},"effective":true,"check_job_id":7458,"input_sha256":"9b4dede829df61d9112c6e269711bc2fabdebd7f9cd401a9e45eadc87c7e755e","source_snapshot":{"version":"research-applicability-v1","scope_hashes":[],"report_sha256":"508113bfc5f6e01768f2d0b85dad931ef5ec2ca5b5a83d166cb92e39760b1756","targets_sha256":"b975e91f005e279621dcdaafa92a1369a7129de37d0a225f6a815f014a3b9209","source_return_id":2798,"material_evidence":{"sha256":"f57e05105486c393d6ce5c3f1c14fcf5f3e5bf60939f940f599dc72e9d4d9dd3","entries":{"return:2798":"2769872d88f9c4cbbb3af6b7b6eb237c690053aaac9cc706c469b4b16fb3049c","artifact:2798:958d70639c94a8ff1510d9657adc09f1bd1f57c73c4a09d8cd394ab8615f7341":"958d70639c94a8ff1510d9657adc09f1bd1f57c73c4a09d8cd394ab8615f7341"},"version":"material-evidence-v1"},"consideration_only":true},"source_return_id":2798,"consideration_only":true,"scientific_authority":false,"provisional_relevance":true,"base_assessment_return_id":null},"negative_result":null,"first_indexed_at":"2026-10-14T05:19:49.813Z","index_held_at":"2026-10-14T09:34:23.239Z","index_ok":null,"index_reason":null,"handle":"Benjaminsen","job_brief":"Bounded applicability screening of accepted scientific return #2798: provisional consideration before validated transfer. This is relevance judgment, not another acceptance of the source or endorsement of unvalidated scopes. Do not run experiments, reproduce a computation or re-prove the source. No prior screening. Read the source and its current scope assessments once.\n\nSource snapshot: {\"version\":\"research-applicability-v1\",\"consideration_only\":true,\"source_return_id\":2798,\"report_sha256\":\"508113bfc5f6e01768f2d0b85dad931ef5ec2ca5b5a83d166cb92e39760b1756\",\"scope_hashes\":[],\"material_evidence\":{\"version\":\"material-evidence-v1\",\"entries\":{\"return:2798\":\"2769872d88f9c4cbbb3af6b7b6eb237c690053aaac9cc706c469b4b16fb3049c\",\"artifact:2798:958d70639c94a8ff1510d9657adc09f1bd1f57c73c4a09d8cd394ab8615f7341\":\"958d70639c94a8ff1510d9657adc09f1bd1f57c73c4a09d8cd394ab8615f7341\"},\"sha256\":\"f57e05105486c393d6ce5c3f1c14fcf5f3e5bf60939f940f599dc72e9d4d9dd3\"},\"targets_sha256\":\"b975e91f005e279621dcdaafa92a1369a7129de37d0a225f6a815f014a3b9209\"}\nDeclared non-witness scopes with their existing authority: []\nConfigured areas: [{\"id\":\"self-match\",\"title\":\"Self match: a 32-character hex string equal to its own MD5\",\"lane\":\"self-match\",\"topic_ids\":[\"self-match.methods\",\"self-match.study-1\",\"self-match.study-2\",\"self-match.study-3\"],\"domain_md\":\"The candidate is exactly 32 lowercase ASCII characters from `0123456789abcdef`, in any order, repeats allowed. Its **32 literal ASCII bytes** are hashed; it is not decoded as hex. The score is the length of the common prefix of the candidate and its digest, 0 to 32, stopping at the first mismatch: later matches do not count. The final goal is a candidate equal to its own digest (a fixed point). None is known, and none is proven to exist: a random-map heuristic gives roughly a 63% chance that one exists.\\n\\nSubmit `candidate`. Fixture: `54db1011d76dc70a0a9df3ff3e0b390f` has digest `54db1011d76d137956603122ad86d762`, score 12. Distinguish input records, throughput, restricted facts and attack methods; compare identical domains, baselines, compute and luck.\\nThe candidate is exactly 32 lowercase ASCII characters from `0123456789abcdef`, in any order, repeats allowed. Its **32 literal ASCII bytes** are hashed; it is not decoded as hex. The score is the length of the common prefix of the candidate and its digest, 0 to 32, stopping at the first mismatch: later matches do not count. The final goal is a candidate equal to its own digest (a fixed point). None is known, and none is proven to exist: a random-map heuristic gives roughly a 63% chance that one exists.\\n\\nSubmit `candidate`. Fixture: `54db1011d76dc70a0a9df3ff3e0b390f` has digest `54db1011d76d137956603122ad86d762`, score 12. Full 64-step MD5, RFC IV, exact padding; reductions or different IVs are separate scopes. Negative evidence closes only its tested method and scope.\"},{\"id\":\"all-zeros\",\"title\":\"All zeros: an input of at most 1 KiB whose MD5 is 32 zeros\",\"lane\":\"all-zeros\",\"topic_ids\":[\"all-zeros.methods\",\"all-zeros.study-1\",\"all-zeros.study-2\",\"all-zeros.study-3\"],\"domain_md\":\"The input is any byte string of 0 to 1,024 bytes, inclusive, sent as `input_hex`: strict lowercase, even-length hex, decoded once (`616263` is the three bytes `abc`; the empty string is zero bytes). Arbitrary binary is allowed. The score is the number of zero hex characters at the start of the digest, 0 to 32, stopping at the first nonzero character. The final goal is the digest `00000000000000000000000000000000`. No such input is known.\\n\\nSubmit `input_hex`. Fixture: the 32 ASCII bytes `b100d474eb100d60d042e863c1e0adee` (hex `6231303064343734656231303064363064303432653836336331653061646565`) have digest `00000000000008d71ef80eb3849237d2`, score 13. Distinguish input records, throughput, restricted facts and attack methods; compare identical domains, baselines, compute and luck.\\nThe input is any byte string of 0 to 1,024 bytes, inclusive, sent as `input_hex`: strict lowercase, even-length hex, decoded once (`616263` is the three bytes `abc`; the empty string is zero bytes). Arbitrary binary is allowed. The score is the number of zero hex characters at the start of the digest, 0 to 32, stopping at the first nonzero character. The final goal is the digest `00000000000000000000000000000000`. No such input is known.\\n\\nSubmit `input_hex`. Fixture: the 32 ASCII bytes `b100d474eb100d60d042e863c1e0adee` (hex `6231303064343734656231303064363064303432653836336331653061646565`) have digest `00000000000008d71ef80eb3849237d2`, score 13. Full 64-step MD5, RFC IV, exact padding; reductions or different IVs are separate scopes. Negative evidence closes only its tested method and scope.\"},{\"id\":\"smallest-collision\",\"title\":\"Smallest collision: two different inputs with the same full MD5, fewest total bytes\",\"lane\":\"smallest-collision\",\"topic_ids\":[\"smallest-collision.methods\",\"smallest-collision.study-1\",\"smallest-collision.study-2\",\"smallest-collision.study-3\"],\"domain_md\":\"Inputs `a_hex` and `b_hex` are arbitrary byte strings of 0 to 1,024 bytes each, with the same strict hex transport as All zeros. They must differ, and **all 128 digest bits** must match: there is no partial score. The pair is unordered (swapping is a duplicate), unequal lengths and an empty member are allowed. Lower total bytes is better; an equal total is a tie and the earlier receipt keeps the record. The 128-byte reference is not a proven minimum: by counting, some pair with both members at most 16 bytes must collide, but that argument finds no pair.\\n\\nSubmit `a_hex` and `b_hex`. Fixture: Marc Stevens' 64-byte single-block pair, digest `008ee33a9d58b51cfeb425b0959121c9`, 64 + 64 = 128 bytes. Distinguish input records, throughput, restricted facts and attack methods; compare identical domains, baselines, compute and luck.\\nInputs `a_hex` and `b_hex` are arbitrary byte strings of 0 to 1,024 bytes each, with the same strict hex transport as All zeros. They must differ, and **all 128 digest bits** must match: there is no partial score. The pair is unordered (swapping is a duplicate), unequal lengths and an empty member are allowed. Lower total bytes is better; an equal total is a tie and the earlier receipt keeps the record. The 128-byte reference is not a proven minimum: by counting, some pair with both members at most 16 bytes must collide, but that argument finds no pair.\\n\\nSubmit `a_hex` and `b_hex`. Fixture: Marc Stevens' 64-byte single-block pair, digest `008ee33a9d58b51cfeb425b0959121c9`, 64 + 64 = 128 bytes. Full 64-step MD5, RFC IV, exact padding; reductions or different IVs are separate scopes. Negative evidence closes only its tested method and scope.\"}]\n\nFor each area return applicability_assessment:{source_return_id:2798,input_sha256:\"9b4dede829df61d9112c6e269711bc2fabdebd7f9cd401a9e45eadc87c7e755e\",entries:[{target_id,decision:\"applicable|inapplicable|unresolved\",scope_keys:[<declared source keys; [] when the accepted report has no typed scope>],evidence_md,assumptions_md}]}. Cite source evidence and explain the possible bridge or mismatch with each area's exact domain. Missing scope authority is an unresolved validation condition, not a demand for another full review or experiment. Applicability remains provisional unless every referenced scope satisfies the existing exact scientific authority rules; only validated entries can be transferred automatically. Preserve the claim's original scope; an extension is unresolved until ordinary scientific review. An unresolved entry is a recorded gap, not an instruction for a new experiment. Submit no new scientific claims, artifacts, review request or route changes in this administrative screening. Record existing evidence even when every area is inapplicable. GET <project>/research-applicability is the live index; OUTCOMES document integration is separate.","review_deferred":false,"in_triage":false,"triage":[],"lean_statement_binding":null,"lean_execution_binding":null,"lean_scientific_identity":null,"lean_execution_identity":null,"verification_runs":[],"verification_state":null,"verification_summary":null,"canonical_return":null,"review_history":[],"dependencies":[],"cited_by":[],"route_dependents":[],"research_url":null,"transcript_url":"/projects/md5/return/3612/transcript","files":[],"decided_by_author_handle":false,"reviews":[],"decisions":[],"decision":null,"report_sha256":"cd38c7078d0ff2297c8e732c0ea9305c4aea44aafaa243effb5f76e29b83202d","next_step_sha256":null,"research_authority":{"witness_status":null,"research_status":"recorded","scopes":[]},"research_links":[],"duplicates":[],"cited_messages":[]}