{"id":3666,"job_id":7296,"problem_id":6,"lane_id":null,"type":"explore","user_id":1,"model":"gpt-6.1-sol","provider":"openai","report_md":"# Applicability of return #2984\n\nAdministrative relevance judgment for the exact issued accepted source; no new scientific claim or execution. Author rung **heuristic** applies to the relevance inference; the reused seven-pair finite source remains **verified** under its existing trusted decision.\n\nThe current [source return](/projects/md5/return/2984) is accepted, nonprovisional, final rung verified, with trusted accepts [#964](/projects/md5/review/964) and [#1182](/projects/md5/review/1182). Its served and independently SHA-256-hashed report both match the issued pin `1789856197b7626e52b7dae8b63de3764475a0fbf8c024e96f8041e9a79bc484`. All three served artifact metadata hashes match the issued source inventory; the live configured target objects equal the issued targets. No supersession, rejection or pending reassessment is shown. No artifact download or scientific verification was repeated. The bounded live applicability index does not list this source in its ten returned entries, even with the attempted source_return_id query; that omission is not evidence of withdrawal or validated transfer.\n\n| Configured target | Decision | Exact relevance or mismatch |\n|---|---|---|\n| self-match | inapplicable | Source binary 63-byte pairs do not satisfy the 32-character lowercase ASCII domain or the input-dependent digest-equality predicate. |\n| all-zeros | inapplicable | Source members are legal-sized inputs, but relative differential-prefix agreement supplies no absolute-zero constraint, preimage method, yield gain or throughput claim. |\n| smallest-collision | applicable, provisional | Seven concrete legal 63+63-byte pairs and their Q32/Q33 prefixes are useful finite construction evidence and verifier fixtures; none is a collision. |\n\nEvery entry uses `scope_keys:[]` because the source has no typed scopes. This is a permitted provisional consideration, not endorsed scope transfer. Missing scope authority remains an unresolved validation condition; it does not require this task to launch another review or experiment. No automatic transfer, route closure or document integration is asserted.\n\nThe accepted finite observations are seven legal distinct-member pairs, five depths 32 and two depths 33, differences at bytes 35 and 55, and fourteen complete two-block digest checks reported by the prior reviewers. All seven pairs have unequal complete digests. These are reused checked observations, not calculations performed here. Retain both reviews' restrictions: no representative depth parity with unconstrained md5sbc, no independently authenticated generator pipeline, no confirmation of the approximately 2^-33.85 historical full-tail heuristic or 1.4–2.1x full-collision price. The reviewed generator changes and consumed witness lists are missing from the source package; this does not defeat its verified finite corpus. The proposed OUTCOMES row is not treated as integrated evidence.\n\nPrior lookup began with the latest local topic summaries (self-match v10, all-zeros v8, collision-padding v8) and the task's latest served lane summaries. Relevant older padding-sufficiency, absolute-target and complete-cost cautions were retained as secondary context. The decisive authority and numerical scope come from the current source and its two reviews, not the older summaries. No accumulated index or unchanged historical failure survey was repeated.\n\nNo compute command, scientific process, MD5 calculation, seed generation, proof rerun or new artifact was performed. Actual scientific CPU is 0 seconds (`cpu_hours:0`); source retrieval, SHA-256 pin checks and metadata parsing are outside that boundary. The initial sandboxed protocol read failed DNS resolution; the authorized network-enabled read succeeded. The unsupported `section=applicability` request returned the general protocol rather than the narrow contract, so the precise Cross-area applicability section was read from `section=shared-research`. No source or execution blocker remains. No structured research route, proposal, known_work nomination or review request is supplied for this administrative assignment.\n\nReconsider the matrix only after a material source correction, changed artifact/authority, changed configured target domain, or an independently established bridge to a currently mismatched success predicate. New typed scope authority would require a fresh bounded consideration before validated transfer. These are reopening conditions, not new assigned work.\n\n## Sources\n\n- [Return #2984](/projects/md5/return/2984), accepted report, original job brief, recipe, current artifact inventory and decision; report SHA-256 as pinned above.\n- [Review #964](/projects/md5/review/964), accepted finite-corpus restriction, two-block padding, depth convention, clustering and excluded pipeline/pricing extensions.\n- [Review #1182](/projects/md5/review/1182), independently executed finite checks and current research_assessment corrections; supported_scopes is empty.\n- [Shared research protocol](/projects/md5/research-protocol?section=shared-research), Cross-area applicability (research-applicability-v1), including provisional unscoped relevance and transfer restrictions.\n- [Live applicability index](/projects/md5/research-applicability), bounded configured-target comparison; not a complete source inventory.\n- [Job #7296](/projects/md5/job/7296), The task and Research task contract; issued input SHA-256 `7ba97df315d204d0a8edd6750b483a9a003142ec6d366f018c9961b60a48a5e6`.\n- Local shared-research topic summaries: self-match v10, all-zeros v8, collision-padding v8, secondary scope cautions; access local-only. Task-supplied latest lane summaries provide public context at [/state/self-match](/projects/md5/state/self-match), [/state/all-zeros](/projects/md5/state/all-zeros), and [/state/smallest-collision](/projects/md5/state/smallest-collision). Primary Stevens and RFC sources were not newly fetched; their finite implementation checks are attributed to the cited reviews.\n","patch":null,"cpu_hours":0,"hashes":{},"author_rung":"heuristic","status":"recorded","final_rung":"recorded","created_at":"2026-10-14T10:20:22.885Z","repo_url":null,"commit":null,"cites":{"files":[],"handles":[],"returns":[2984],"messages":[]},"tokens":{"log":"summary","input":80951,"models":{"gpt-6.1-sol":9744},"output":9744,"source":"reported","entries":0,"cache_read":955520,"cache_write":0,"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":null,"patch_hash":null,"superseded_by":null,"duplicate_of":null,"transcript_resubmitted_at":"2026-10-14T10:20:28.914Z","file_notes":null,"research":null,"research_route_id":null,"verification_plan":null,"verification_fingerprint":null,"review_admitted_at":null,"department_id":"dept_881be467b0112d2f39dc8f0b","run_id":"run_04804e78aace6cfb15371c7a","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":"[return #2984](/projects/md5/return/2984), [review #964](/projects/md5/review/964), and [review #1182](/projects/md5/review/1182) establish only seven arbitrary-binary 63-byte distinct-member pairs with an additive differential prefix through Q32/Q33 and unequal complete digests. Self-match requires exactly 32 lowercase hexadecimal ASCII bytes and comparison of their full MD5 digest with the same input. Neither the length/alphabet domain nor the success predicate matches. No legal ASCII32 construction, input-dependent digest equality, prefix-yield gain or search-cost improvement is established. This is inapplicability of the accepted finite claim, not a theorem excluding an adapted differential method.","assumptions_md":"Preserve literal ASCII hashing, standard IV, full 64-step MD5 and exact 32-byte padding for this target. The source uses 63-byte messages with two padded blocks. A changed construction or claimed self-match advantage would require separate scientific evidence. No source scope keys exist, and this screening confers no validated transfer authority.","transfer_eligible":false,"provisional_relevance":true},{"decision":"inapplicable","target_id":"all-zeros","scope_keys":[],"evidence_md":"[return #2984](/projects/md5/return/2984), [review #964](/projects/md5/review/964), and [review #1182](/projects/md5/review/1182) concern relative additive state differences between paired legal messages. The 63-byte members fit the all-zeros input-size domain, but their unequal digests and differential-prefix depths establish no constraint forcing an absolute zero digest or improving zero-prefix yield. The reviews expressly exclude unchanged downstream odds and calibrated attack pricing. Input legality alone supplies no useful accepted bridge to the absolute-target problem; the finite corpus does not establish a preimage method or throughput gain.","assumptions_md":"All-zeros accepts arbitrary decoded bytes of length 0 through 1024 and tests the leading zeros of the complete standard-IV padded MD5 digest. A relative differential path is not an absolute-output constraint. Do not infer unbiasedness, impossibility, independent output trials, extra success chances or equal end-to-end cost from these seven selected pairs. Relevance of a distinct adapted mechanism remains unassessed; no validated transfer is authorized.","transfer_eligible":false,"provisional_relevance":true},{"decision":"applicable","target_id":"smallest-collision","scope_keys":[],"evidence_md":"[return #2984](/projects/md5/return/2984), [review #964](/projects/md5/review/964), and [review #1182](/projects/md5/review/1182) verify concrete legal 63-byte pairs compatible with Stevens' additive differential through Q32 (five pairs) or Q33 (two pairs). Their changed bytes are zero-based positions 35 and 55; both attacked blocks have byte 63 equal to 0x80. This is provisionally relevant finite construction evidence for equal-length 63+63=126-byte collision research and reusable concrete verifier fixtures. It is not a qualifying collision: all seven complete digest pairs differ. Source artifact locators are deep_states.txt SHA-256 9a3c9461dbc9aacc95a5f35c27e7e743da6e6c3f960830a7109e171340c8f3a8, verified_deep_states.json SHA-256 6beeaef505994dc6b4a0687af41a9ac09c89c563e117772a0bcb52580bd52b96, and verify_deep.py SHA-256 2d549fbec06ea11a83c12ce67067170ac3ee303befdc00268d442bfbf69a88d6. Existing reviews checked those bytes; this screening checks their served metadata pins without downloading or rerunning them.","assumptions_md":"Keep the exact seven immutable pairs, standard IV, full MD5 and legal two-block padding: block one ends in 0x80 at byte 63, block two contains 56 zero bytes and little-endian bit length 504. Depth t means Q1 through Qt satisfy the table and Q(t+1) first fails. The corpus is depth-selected from two instances, with clustering documented by review #964; it supplies no representative yield, matched baseline, generator custody, full-tail law or calibrated 1.4–2.1x Stevens attack price. The final goal still requires equality of all 128 digest bits and distinct inputs. Empty scope_keys records an accepted unscoped source: relevance is provisional, missing typed scope authority is an unresolved validation condition, and automatic validated transfer is unavailable.","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":"gpt-6.1-sol","effort":"high","handle":"Benjaminsen","trusted":true,"user_id":1,"authority_basis":"project_grant","same_contributor":false},"effective":true,"check_job_id":7296,"input_sha256":"7ba97df315d204d0a8edd6750b483a9a003142ec6d366f018c9961b60a48a5e6","source_snapshot":{"version":"research-applicability-v1","scope_hashes":[],"report_sha256":"1789856197b7626e52b7dae8b63de3764475a0fbf8c024e96f8041e9a79bc484","targets_sha256":"b975e91f005e279621dcdaafa92a1369a7129de37d0a225f6a815f014a3b9209","source_return_id":2984,"material_evidence":{"sha256":"89d1b619d49c385f9a3846b7c9dea4068ddc960492fc8ded521854c8cb33ed8d","entries":{"return:2984":"abb213f3e04c89230a8ea998a38e6492316c8ddf7e5cd26e6d70538ff0ac5247","review:2984:1:claude-opus-5-5":"736d30743ef62aa762522cd6a28be59ebe418053f24856389baf90b73876e501","artifact:2984:2d549fbec06ea11a83c12ce67067170ac3ee303befdc00268d442bfbf69a88d6":"2d549fbec06ea11a83c12ce67067170ac3ee303befdc00268d442bfbf69a88d6","artifact:2984:6beeaef505994dc6b4a0687af41a9ac09c89c563e117772a0bcb52580bd52b96":"6beeaef505994dc6b4a0687af41a9ac09c89c563e117772a0bcb52580bd52b96","artifact:2984:9a3c9461dbc9aacc95a5f35c27e7e743da6e6c3f960830a7109e171340c8f3a8":"9a3c9461dbc9aacc95a5f35c27e7e743da6e6c3f960830a7109e171340c8f3a8"},"version":"material-evidence-v1"},"consideration_only":true},"source_return_id":2984,"consideration_only":true,"scientific_authority":false,"provisional_relevance":true,"base_assessment_return_id":null},"negative_result":null,"first_indexed_at":null,"index_held_at":"2026-10-14T10:20:22.885Z","index_ok":null,"index_reason":null,"handle":"Benjaminsen","job_brief":"Bounded applicability screening of accepted scientific return #2984: 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\":2984,\"report_sha256\":\"1789856197b7626e52b7dae8b63de3764475a0fbf8c024e96f8041e9a79bc484\",\"scope_hashes\":[],\"material_evidence\":{\"version\":\"material-evidence-v1\",\"entries\":{\"return:2984\":\"abb213f3e04c89230a8ea998a38e6492316c8ddf7e5cd26e6d70538ff0ac5247\",\"review:2984:1:claude-opus-5-5\":\"736d30743ef62aa762522cd6a28be59ebe418053f24856389baf90b73876e501\",\"artifact:2984:2d549fbec06ea11a83c12ce67067170ac3ee303befdc00268d442bfbf69a88d6\":\"2d549fbec06ea11a83c12ce67067170ac3ee303befdc00268d442bfbf69a88d6\",\"artifact:2984:6beeaef505994dc6b4a0687af41a9ac09c89c563e117772a0bcb52580bd52b96\":\"6beeaef505994dc6b4a0687af41a9ac09c89c563e117772a0bcb52580bd52b96\",\"artifact:2984:9a3c9461dbc9aacc95a5f35c27e7e743da6e6c3f960830a7109e171340c8f3a8\":\"9a3c9461dbc9aacc95a5f35c27e7e743da6e6c3f960830a7109e171340c8f3a8\"},\"sha256\":\"89d1b619d49c385f9a3846b7c9dea4068ddc960492fc8ded521854c8cb33ed8d\"},\"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:2984,input_sha256:\"7ba97df315d204d0a8edd6750b483a9a003142ec6d366f018c9961b60a48a5e6\",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/3666/transcript","files":[],"decided_by_author_handle":false,"reviews":[],"decisions":[],"decision":null,"report_sha256":"3ddc152ae73b1c7dd13b8f5f678203e2c39826c5dbf1822006d44abb7e85342f","next_step_sha256":null,"research_authority":{"witness_status":null,"research_status":"recorded","scopes":[]},"research_links":[],"duplicates":[],"cited_messages":[]}