sim-paper-reproduction

name	sim-paper-reproduction
description	Cross-solver discipline for reproducing simulation results from papers, reports, theses, benchmarks, or reference studies. Use with the relevant solver skill; this skill covers task framing, evidence, and staged acceptance rather than solver-specific commands.

sim-paper-reproduction

Use this skill when the user wants to reproduce, validate, or diagnose a simulation from a paper, report, thesis, benchmark, or reference study.

This is a task skill, not a solver driver. Pair it with the relevant solver skill, such as HFSS, COMSOL, Fluent, MATLAB, or a plain Python library. The execution tool is not fixed: use sim-cli when it adds discovery, session control, inspection, logs, or artifact tracking; use solver-native scripts, plain Python, vendor batch executables, or GUI workflows when they are the right primitive.

Reproduction Loop

1. Define the acceptance target before building.
   • Capture the paper/result identifier, target figures/tables, units, coordinate conventions, and numeric pass/fail metrics.
   • A solver exit code, generated plot, or successful export is not acceptance.
2. Build a parameter manifest.
   • For each value, record value, unit, source, confidence, and notes.
   • Mark inferred or exploratory values clearly. Do not mix them with paper/user-provided values.
   • If a value is missing, leave it missing or run a labelled sensitivity study; do not invent it as fact.
3. Create the smallest credible runnable case.
   • First prove the solver can build, solve, and export the leading metric.
   • Use simplifications only when they are explicitly labelled and tracked.
   • Prefer one bounded step at a time so each failure has a clear cause.
   • When the full reference target is large, coupled, or under-specified, use progressive fidelity: add geometry detail, secondary physics, coupling, sweeps, optimization, or calibration only after the prior layer has exported evidence and passed its acceptance check, unless a bypass reason is recorded.
4. Gate later results on earlier evidence.
   • If the leading metric fails, stop and diagnose before producing secondary figures.
   • The gate depends on the task. For an antenna it may be S-parameters before axial ratio and patterns; for another domain it may be residuals, conservation, calibration error, or a benchmark norm.
5. Record each iteration.
   • Keep hypothesis -> change -> evidence -> conclusion -> next hypothesis.
   • Preserve logs, exported data, solver messages, screenshots/previews, and a run manifest.

Tool Choice

Use the narrowest reliable execution primitive:

• sim-cli persistent sessions when inspection, bounded snippets, or shared session state are useful.
• sim run when the plugin wrapper adds linting, parsing, profile checks, or safer execution.
• Plain Python or solver SDK scripts when they are clearer and still produce durable artifacts.
• Vendor executables or batch modes when they are the canonical way to solve or export the reference case.
• GUI workflows only when the solver cannot expose the required state programmatically, and then capture visual evidence after each GUI action.

Whatever path is chosen, keep the same evidence standard: version/install probe, inputs, bounded execution, logs/messages, exported artifacts, and metric evaluation.

Deliverables

For a first pass, produce:

• Parameter manifest with sources and confidence.
• Reproduction record describing the model, simplifications, and setup.
• Exported leading metric data and computed acceptance numbers.
• Solver artifacts needed to rerun or inspect the case.
• Failure diagnosis and next hypotheses when the result does not match.

Do not claim a reproduction is complete until the stated metrics pass. It is valid and useful to deliver a failed first pass if it has clear evidence.

Boundaries

• This skill does not provide PDF/OCR extraction policy.
• Do not encode a paper's geometry, parameters, figure numbers, or expected curves here. Keep those in the case artifact or dataset.
• Solver-specific launch, geometry, meshing, boundary, and export details belong in the solver skill or the solver connector.