Snapshot Completeness vs Resolution¶

Observation card

Field	Value
Status	partial
Verified against	lifecycle `ef29ff79`; refine semantics `5b9df901`; sealed frames `6e69d792`
Channel	`cathedral.probe.outcome` (+ refinement when applicable)
Claim boundary	Complete ≠ solved; resolved ≠ true

Two different words¶

Term	Means	Does not mean
Complete (snapshot lifecycle)	Frame finished pumping; Unprocessed = 0; histogram sums to sample count; context consistent	Pretty plate · all HitGeometry · closed enclosure proven
Resolved (refinement sense)	Sample was `MaxStepsExhausted` before and became `HitGeometry` or `BackgroundResolved` after	Still max-steps · absorbed-secondary · fault · “found the wormhole”
Unresolved Region	Connected unresolved-budget samples (default: max-steps) under policy	Magenta blob · empty space · exotic topology

Completeness checklist¶

A full-frame scientific claim needs:

Lifecycle state Complete (not timeout-as-pretty).
Unprocessed = 0.
Histogram sum = width × height.
Matching context key (pose, field policy, dimensions, generation).
Prefer evidence emission once per successful generation.

A plane that is all MaxStepsExhausted or all BackgroundResolved can still be Complete. That is a finished measurement of “we did not get surface hits,” not a broken snapshot.

Resolution ladder (policy-relative)¶

MaxStepsExhausted  --(Region Refinement / more Transport Effort)-->
    HitGeometry  or  BackgroundResolved   ⇒  "resolved" under Stage 0 definition

Anything else after refine (still max-steps, absorbed, fault, invalid) is not resolved in that strict sense.

Doctrine

Deeper refinement ≠ greater truth. Raising Transport Effort is more numerical attempt under policy—not automatic discovery of correct physics or topology.

Common confusions¶

Phrase people say	Prefer
“Snapshot failed because the plate is magenta”	Check lifecycle + outcome histogram
“Complete means the room closed”	Completeness is frame lifecycle; Closure is a separate enclosure test
“Resolved means wormhole”	Resolved means class transition under policy only
“Physics wait = MaxStepsExhausted”	Timeout/incomplete ≠ budget exhaustion class