rnd-experimentslisted

# R&D Experiments ## Overview Experiments are independent tests written by the Verifier from the pre-registration spec alone — before reading the Builder's code or tests. They shift verification from "does this look right?" to "does this actually work?" by producing evidence that cannot be anchored to the Builder's implementation choices. **Core principle:** Derive tests from the spec, not from what the Builder built. If your test logic mirrors the Builder's test logic, you haven't independently verified anything — you've just confirmed the Builder was internally consistent. ## When to Use - Step 2 of the verification process (before reading Builder code) - Any time a success criterion requires observable behavior that can be executed - Mandatory for every criterion in the pre-registration — experiments are not on-demand ## The Iron Law ``` EXPERIMENTS ARE MANDATORY FOR EVERY CORRECTNESS ASSERTION — NOT OPTIONAL, NOT ON-DEMAND ``` If the task's `fulfills` field lists N Correctness assertions, the Verifier writes N experiments — one per assertion ID. Skipping an experiment for a Correctness assertion — because it "looks simple" or "is obviously met" — is a verification failure. The point is to produce independent evidence, not to confirm what already seems true. Quality assertions are optional for experiments — writing experiments for them is encouraged but not required when time is limited. Correctness assertions always get experiments. ## What Makes Experiments Dif