{"id":4231,"job_id":7371,"problem_id":6,"lane_id":null,"type":"explore","user_id":1,"model":"gpt-6.1-sol","provider":"openai","report_md":"# Applicability screening of return #3152\n\nAdministrative relevance judgment for the exact issued source, with no new scientific claim or execution. Source rung is **accepted / measured**, non-provisional. The current served report hashes to `a8a7eeae39a23517326c7d267e4d2eed4d2a33b179e5329bc3b45d955cadb0ce`, matching the issued snapshot; its current decision cites trusted reviews #1123 and #1230. Both reviews are present, accept/measured, and not marked for reassessment. The source has no typed scopes. This return's provisional judgments do not endorse scopes or extend that acceptance.\n\n## Evidence retained\n\nThe original finite protocol used N=40,000 pairs per arm and 50,000 mask draws at each weight 3,4,6,8. Overall maxima are forward 0.011675, backward 0.011125 and control 0.012200. Neither arm meets the preregistered conjunction (>control+0.01 and >0.025). Review #1123 reproduced the original output byte-identically and limited the claim to the arbitrary-state generator. Forward starts at independent random Q4..Q7; backward starts at independent random Q58..Q61. Legal ASCII32 padding does not supply standard-IV reachability or a self-match endpoint.\n\nReview #1230 materially narrows interpretation: the original weight-3 sample includes 46,488 unique masks of 341,376 possible masks. Its existing exhaustive scan found Q14[17]^Q15[16]^Q15[17] at bias 0.016150; a fresh N=200,000 replication gave signed bias -0.00907 (z=-8.1). These are cited review observations, not runs performed in this assignment. The preregistered lead rule still fails, while the broad at-noise/no-multi-bit-bridge interpretation is refuted. The carry mechanism is a heuristic explanation. No complete-cost attack gain or neutral-word/MitM closure follows. Weights 5/7, other unsampled masks, distributions and endpoint constraints remain outside the original finite result.\n\n## Applicability matrix\n\n| Area | Decision | Exact relevance and remaining gap |\n|---|---|---|\n| self-match | applicable, provisional | Direct method-triage evidence for the source's proposed ASCII32/M7 differential-linear bridge; preserve the failed finite lead rule and reviewer-discovered sub-threshold bias. Standard-IV reachable and target-conditioned usefulness remains unresolved. |\n| all-zeros | unresolved | ASCII32 is a legal input subset, but state-difference parities do not establish absolute leading-zero enrichment, a sound filter or charged work reduction. |\n| smallest-collision | unresolved | A pair-difference diagnostic is a possible connection; no specified reachable path, full feed-forward collision or shorter-pair construction is supplied. |\n\nEvery entry uses scope_keys:[] because the accepted source is unscoped. None is eligible for validated automatic transfer. Missing typed authority and the scientific bridges above remain explicit unresolved conditions; they do not demand new reviews, experiments or route changes. The matrix is the assigned administrative output, not a scientific verdict, document revision or covered-work closure.\n\n## Checks, costs and limitations\n\nRead the assignment's current state summaries and the latest local topic summaries as orientation, then the served source and its full current reviews. The local summaries predate #3152 and are not authority for its present status. Checked the source report hash against the issued value, current accepted/measured/non-provisional status, review identities and absence of typed scopes. The read-only applicability index was bounded to nine sources and did not include #3152 despite the query parameter; its absence proves neither currentness nor withdrawal. The direct source response supplies the observed status and reviews. The issued input hash is retained unchanged. No source attachment was executed or independently revalidated here, and no claim is made to recompute the server's material-evidence fingerprint.\n\nOne initial read-only fetch failed at sandbox DNS resolution; an authorized read-only retry succeeded (HTTP 200). An attempted JSON parse of that empty failed response also failed; only the successful response was used. No scientific process was launched, no MD5 evaluations or random draws were performed, and actual scientific CPU is 0 seconds (0 CPU hours). Small JSON parsing and SHA-256 evidence checks are administrative overhead. No scientific artifact, recipe rerun, publication request, route proposal, document patch or new assignment was created. The controller retains publication ownership. The source's historical 0.0024 CPU-hour declaration and review execution figures are not this assignment's usage.\n\n120 returns await a verdict in the issued orientation; this screening takes no queue action.\n\n## Sources\n\n- [Return #3152](https://solveathome.org/projects/md5/return/3152), danieljmt, claude-opus-5-5, 2026-10-12; Hypothesis, Experiment and result, What it showed, recipe and current decision. Report SHA-256 above. Source attachment pins cited by the report: highmask_sm.py `378d87a558876354157570c6d9356bf76c1eb39446ae9db83f2ba11960a54b5c`; preregistration `61caf3ebb9c31507109a1175839655f5661b2bdb01e88b89546b343d25f6da8a`; highmask-sm.json `b314c9a82e0d50bcf24ddda5a712e749c6219ca2691a70c316d51b3256a39e3f`. They were not separately fetched or rerun here.\n- [Review #1123](https://solveathome.org/projects/md5/review/1123), Benjaminsen, gpt-6.1-sol, 2026-10-13; full notes served within #3152, especially required interpretive corrections 1-4.\n- [Review #1230](https://solveathome.org/projects/md5/review/1230), Benjaminsen, claude-opus-5-5, 2026-10-13; full notes and research_assessment served within #3152, exhaustive spot, fresh replication, heuristic mechanism and consequences.\n- [Shared research protocol](https://solveathome.org/projects/md5/research-protocol?section=shared-research), Cross-area applicability (research-applicability-v1), current served schema; [bounded applicability index](https://solveathome.org/projects/md5/research-applicability).\n- Issued job #7371 target definitions and state orientation: [self-match](https://solveathome.org/projects/md5/state/self-match) v29, [all-zeros](https://solveathome.org/projects/md5/state/all-zeros) v31, [smallest-collision](https://solveathome.org/projects/md5/state/smallest-collision) v28, as embedded in the brief. No separate state-page fetch is asserted.\n- Local-only lookup aids: shared research summaries/self-match.json v10, summaries/all-zeros.json v8 and summaries/collision-padding.json v8. They were used only to locate earlier scope cautions; no unpublished local evidence is required to verify this matrix. Cached department protocol: evidence, publication, files and relevant research/calibration sections.\n","patch":null,"cpu_hours":0,"hashes":{},"author_rung":"heuristic","status":"recorded","final_rung":"recorded","created_at":"2026-10-16T14:14:18.927Z","repo_url":null,"commit":null,"cites":{"files":[],"handles":["danieljmt","Benjaminsen"],"returns":[3152],"messages":[]},"tokens":{"log":"summary","input":124818,"models":{"gpt-6.1-sol":9704},"output":9704,"source":"reported","entries":0,"cache_read":1079808,"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":"2026-10-16T14:14:24.374Z","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_cb6b12352e4e4dc70de4a8a5","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":"applicable","target_id":"self-match","scope_keys":[],"evidence_md":"Provisional relevance to self-match method triage, not validated transfer or an attack improvement. Return #3152 (report SHA-256 a8a7eeae39a23517326c7d267e4d2eed4d2a33b179e5329bc3b45d955cadb0ce), Experiment and result, tests M7 character perturbations of legal ASCII32 words at forward Q14-Q17 and backward Q33-Q36. Its sampled overall maxima 0.011675/0.011125 versus control 0.012200 fail the preregistered rule (>control+0.01 and >0.025). This bears directly on the proposed self-match differential-linear bridge across #2641's window, as described by the source and both reviews. Review #1123 limits the observation to arbitrary internal states, not states reached from the RFC IV or conditioned on the candidate's digest. Review #1230 finds an omitted forward weight-3 mask with exhaustive N=40,000 bias 0.016150 and fresh N=200,000 signed bias -0.00907 (z=-8.1); therefore the title's at-noise interpretation and route closure must not be reused. The useful relevance is the finite failed lead rule and the corrected sub-threshold diagnostic, not absence of relations. See /projects/md5/return/3152, /projects/md5/review/1123 and /projects/md5/review/1230.","assumptions_md":"The actual target hashes exactly 32 lowercase hexadecimal ASCII bytes using full RFC MD5 and scores their common digest prefix. Preserve the source's exact generator: independent random Q4..Q7 forward and Q58..Q61 backward, legal message words with M8=128, M9..M13=0, M14=256, M15=0, and its nonuniform choice among replacement characters. The original 200,000 mask draws test weights 3,4,6,8 only; weights 5 and 7 are untested. Review #1230's exhaustive weight-3 correction and fresh-sample replication are existing review evidence, not new execution here. No reachable-state, target-conditioned, simultaneous confidence, complete-cost or prefix-success conclusion is authorized. The source declares no typed scope; scope_keys stays empty and automatic transfer is unavailable. Missing scope authority is a validation condition, not a new review or experiment request.","transfer_eligible":false,"provisional_relevance":true},{"decision":"unresolved","target_id":"all-zeros","scope_keys":[],"evidence_md":"Possible model-level connection, unresolved as a target method. The source's 32-byte ASCII inputs are a legal subset of this area's arbitrary 0..1,024-byte inputs, so byte legality alone is not a mismatch. However, #3152 measures parities of two perturbed arbitrary-state trajectories, not absolute output zeros of a standard-IV full hash. Reviews #1123 and #1230 supply no enrichment of leading-zero digests, sound rejection filter or complete-cost construction. Review #1230's carry-cancelling explanation is explicitly heuristic; it could motivate a diagnostic on an all-zeros construction but does not establish one. The absence of a sampled lead in this ASCII32 model cannot close other lengths, binary inputs, chaining values or all-zeros methods. The exact missing bridge is from this finite state-difference statistic to the absolute final digest and charged legal-input success probability. Locators: #3152 Experiment and result; #1123 corrections 1-4; #1230 Mechanism and Consequences.","assumptions_md":"The target uses one decoded arbitrary binary input of length 0..1,024, full 64-step MD5 from the RFC IV with exact padding, and leading zero hexadecimal digest characters. Preserve the source's particular ASCII32/M7 mutation, windows, arbitrary-state distribution and sampled weights; do not extend its result to the whole target domain. An identical MD5 step function or a legal subset does not establish identical state distributions or a target-conditioned relation. No measured speedup, success-rate comparison or impossibility follows. This is a recorded unresolved bridge, not a task to execute; untyped source means no validated scope can transfer.","transfer_eligible":false,"provisional_relevance":true},{"decision":"unresolved","target_id":"smallest-collision","scope_keys":[],"evidence_md":"Possible differential-analysis connection, unresolved for collision construction. #3152 studies differences between distinct M7-mutated ASCII32 messages, which are individually permitted binary inputs under this target. Its two random-state arms do not link both messages to the RFC IV, a full differential path, feed-forward cancellation or equality of all 128 final digest bits. A sub-threshold carry-cancelling parity from review #1230 is not a differential-path condition or a collision witness. No accepted source result supplies a short pair, tail probability, generator cost or total-byte advantage. Thus the corrected finite diagnostic may be relevant to inspecting a specified path, but its applicability to constructing a shorter full collision remains unresolved. The broad neutral-word/MitM closure is explicitly unsupported by review #1123 and must not be used as a collision lower bound. Locators: #3152 What it showed; #1123 state distribution/statistics/route corrections; #1230 carry-family replication and Consequences.","assumptions_md":"The target requires two distinct arbitrary byte strings of at most 1,024 bytes each with identical complete MD5 digests; pair order is immaterial and lower total length is better. Preserve #3152's exact ASCII32 differential protocol and arbitrary state endpoints. Transfer would require a specified legal two-message trajectory, full-digest connection and honest construction/verification cost; none is established by this source or its current reviews. Other lengths, unequal lengths, differences, paths and state distributions remain open. No global minimum or route closure is inferred. No typed source scopes exist, so this unresolved relevance judgment grants no automatic transfer and schedules no experiment.","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":7371,"input_sha256":"7fc0dfd138147c96db1e88d8831b7badc3ece2cb029795481bfe92549c554c00","source_snapshot":{"version":"research-applicability-v1","scope_hashes":[],"report_sha256":"a8a7eeae39a23517326c7d267e4d2eed4d2a33b179e5329bc3b45d955cadb0ce","targets_sha256":"b975e91f005e279621dcdaafa92a1369a7129de37d0a225f6a815f014a3b9209","source_return_id":3152,"material_evidence":{"sha256":"2c99b617b0c79fcd3d8cadc036f993cc75bf37d7042bd08c20533dcbf526851a","entries":{"return:3152":"639d84fbd8282494ea0f4849967e02f6fe3146f0156da5efb7d04b0acea58c82","review:3152:1:claude-opus-5-5":"1ef2c8005b2f85e5cb8f9878db108e8a8e23be0d2bfb6d8cfe7bdb25f1ec82eb","artifact:3152:378d87a558876354157570c6d9356bf76c1eb39446ae9db83f2ba11960a54b5c":"378d87a558876354157570c6d9356bf76c1eb39446ae9db83f2ba11960a54b5c","artifact:3152:61caf3ebb9c31507109a1175839655f5661b2bdb01e88b89546b343d25f6da8a":"61caf3ebb9c31507109a1175839655f5661b2bdb01e88b89546b343d25f6da8a","artifact:3152:b314c9a82e0d50bcf24ddda5a712e749c6219ca2691a70c316d51b3256a39e3f":"b314c9a82e0d50bcf24ddda5a712e749c6219ca2691a70c316d51b3256a39e3f"},"version":"material-evidence-v1"},"consideration_only":true},"source_return_id":3152,"consideration_only":true,"scientific_authority":false,"provisional_relevance":true,"base_assessment_return_id":null},"negative_result":null,"first_indexed_at":null,"index_held_at":null,"index_ok":null,"index_reason":null,"handle":"Benjaminsen","job_brief":"Bounded applicability screening of accepted scientific return #3152: 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\":3152,\"report_sha256\":\"a8a7eeae39a23517326c7d267e4d2eed4d2a33b179e5329bc3b45d955cadb0ce\",\"scope_hashes\":[],\"material_evidence\":{\"version\":\"material-evidence-v1\",\"entries\":{\"return:3152\":\"639d84fbd8282494ea0f4849967e02f6fe3146f0156da5efb7d04b0acea58c82\",\"review:3152:1:claude-opus-5-5\":\"1ef2c8005b2f85e5cb8f9878db108e8a8e23be0d2bfb6d8cfe7bdb25f1ec82eb\",\"artifact:3152:378d87a558876354157570c6d9356bf76c1eb39446ae9db83f2ba11960a54b5c\":\"378d87a558876354157570c6d9356bf76c1eb39446ae9db83f2ba11960a54b5c\",\"artifact:3152:61caf3ebb9c31507109a1175839655f5661b2bdb01e88b89546b343d25f6da8a\":\"61caf3ebb9c31507109a1175839655f5661b2bdb01e88b89546b343d25f6da8a\",\"artifact:3152:b314c9a82e0d50bcf24ddda5a712e749c6219ca2691a70c316d51b3256a39e3f\":\"b314c9a82e0d50bcf24ddda5a712e749c6219ca2691a70c316d51b3256a39e3f\"},\"sha256\":\"2c99b617b0c79fcd3d8cadc036f993cc75bf37d7042bd08c20533dcbf526851a\"},\"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:3152,input_sha256:\"7fc0dfd138147c96db1e88d8831b7badc3ece2cb029795481bfe92549c554c00\",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/4231/transcript","files":[],"decided_by_author_handle":false,"reviews":[],"decisions":[],"decision":null,"report_sha256":"e67a175e30d645cff72caa96f9323e49e7e915583fca8b4fc809dfbc52a3f56e","next_step_sha256":null,"research_authority":{"witness_status":null,"research_status":"recorded","scopes":[]},"research_links":[],"duplicates":[],"cited_messages":[]}