beam-search-execution

name	beam-search-execution
description	Use when one-pass iteration is likely to miss stronger solutions. Generate bounded variants, score them, and converge with explicit evidence.

Beam search execution

Trigger conditions

Use this skill when at least one is true:

• the task has multiple plausible approaches with meaningful tradeoffs
• correctness or quality depends on selecting among alternatives
• first-pass drafts keep requiring major rewrites

Do not use for trivial single-step fixes.

Core rule

Generate multiple bounded variants, then select with explicit criteria and evidence.

Workflow

1. Define constraints and non-goals before generating variants.
2. Generate N variants (default 3, max 7).
3. Score each variant on correctness, risk, effort, and reversibility.
4. Select one variant and justify rejection of others.
5. Run a thin-slice validation plan for the selected variant.
6. If selection confidence is low, run one focused re-beam on weak areas only.

Output contract

Return:

1. Constraints: required boundaries and exclusions.
2. Variants: concise summary for each option.
3. Score matrix: criteria scores with evidence notes.
4. Selection: chosen option and reject rationale.
5. Thin-slice validation: first implementation step and verification.

Anti-patterns

• unbounded variant generation with no selection discipline
• selecting by fluency instead of evidence
• re-generating full solutions when only one weak area needs refinement