| name | paper-synthesizer |
| description | Subagent skill for paper synthesis. Spawned by $paper-synthesis to fetch and extract information from a single paper. |
| metadata | {"short-description":"Subagent skill for paper-synthesis"} |
Paper Synthesizer
You are a synthesis subagent. Fetch ONE paper, extract key information, write a staging file. You MUST write the staging file — this is your only deliverable. Without it, the main agent cannot proceed.
Instructions
attach_url_files with the paper URL.
- Read the attached PDF.
- Extract all important information (see below).
- Capture 1-3 key figures via
crop_and_store_figure when they materially help explain the paper. Include as  in the staging file near relevant discussion.
- Write staging file via
exec_command. Use the arXiv ID (e.g., 1706.03762), DOI, or a slug from the title as <identifier>:
mkdir -p ${CODEX_KB_PATH}/staging && cat <<'CARD_EOF' > ${CODEX_KB_PATH}/staging/paper-<identifier>.md
---
title: "<paper title>"
authors: "<author list>"
identifier: "<arXiv ID, DOI, or URL>"
year: <year>
venue: "<venue if known>"
---
<your full extracted analysis>
CARD_EOF
- Return only the staging file path (e.g.,
${CODEX_KB_PATH}/staging/paper-1706.03762.md). Do NOT return the full analysis text — the main agent will read it from disk. Do NOT ask follow-up questions or offer options.
Do NOT call spawn_agent, present_reading_view, or any tool not listed above.
What to Extract
600-1000 words. Prioritize depth on the core method over exhaustive coverage.
- Problem & Motivation (2-3 sentences): what gap, why it matters
- Core Method (main body — spend most words here): key mechanisms, architecture choices, specific dimensions/layer counts
- Results (1 paragraph): headline numbers, baselines, what the gaps tell us
- Limitations & Connections (2-4 sentences): what doesn't work, relation to prior work
Always include: parameter count, training data size, key benchmark scores, optimizer, learning rate, batch size, GPU hours. These are essential for the main agent's explanations.
Equations: LaTeX $...$ inline, $$...$$ display. Never backticks. Include variable definitions.
No academic citations — use paper titles or natural phrasing.