Case 343
The independent check is a translation — measured by where it agrees
the_independent_check_is_a_translation.eml compares three implementations and finds the measurement that separates a second opinion from a transcription.
ok: true — round-trip fixpoint reached (python1 == python2)updated 2026-08-12
EML
eml# Self-authored for the EML case corpus (no external origin). Two
# implementations that agree on everything, and a reason that is not
# correctness.
#
# The second implementation was commissioned as a cross-check. It was written
# by reading the first one. Everybody involved knows this and nobody thinks it
# is a problem, because it was re-derived rather than copied - a different
# person, a different file, the same understanding.
#
# There is a measurement that separates a genuine second opinion from a
# translation, and it is not the agreement rate on ordinary inputs. It is the
# agreement rate on inputs the SPECIFICATION DOES NOT DETERMINE. Two
# independent implementations must each invent an answer there, and inventions
# rarely match. Two implementations with one lineage inherit the same
# invention.
#
# A third implementation, written from the specification text, is here as the
# actual second opinion. Nothing is declared - every dataset is classified by
# the specification and every pair is compared.
def late_count_spec(orders):
0 => n
for o in orders:
if o[1] > o[0]:
n + 1 => n
return n
def late_count_loose(orders):
0 => n
for o in orders:
if o[1] >= o[0]:
n + 1 => n
return n
def pct_half_up(late, total):
if total == 0:
return 0
return int((late * 200 + total) / (total * 2))
def pct_truncate(late, total):
if total == 0:
return 0 - 1
return int(late * 100 / total)
# the shipped implementation
def impl_a(orders):
return pct_half_up(late_count_loose(orders), len(orders))
# the cross-check, written by reading impl_a
def impl_b(orders):
len(orders) => total
late_count_loose(orders) => late
if total == 0:
return 0
return pct_half_up(late, total)
# written from the specification text alone
def impl_c(orders):
return pct_truncate(late_count_spec(orders), len(orders))
def has_tie(orders):
len(orders) => total
if total == 0:
return 0
late_count_spec(orders) * 100 => num
if (num % total) * 2 == total:
return 1
return 0
def is_determined(orders):
if len(orders) == 0:
return 0
if has_tie(orders) == 1:
return 0
return 1
[["quiet week", [[3, 3], [4, 2], [5, 5], [6, 1]]], ["one clear miss", [[3, 9], [4, 2], [5, 1], [6, 1]]], ["eight orders, one late", [[2, 9], [3, 1], [4, 1], [5, 1], [6, 2], [7, 3], [8, 4], [9, 5]]], ["all on the line", [[5, 5], [5, 5], [5, 5]]], ["nothing shipped at all", []], ["mixed", [[1, 2], [2, 2], [3, 1], [4, 9], [5, 5], [6, 7]]]] => datasets
# ---- the three implementations, side by side ----
"dataset A B C determined" ^0
for d in datasets:
d[1] => orders
impl_a(orders) => a
impl_b(orders) => b
impl_c(orders) => c
" " + d[0] + " : " + str(a) + " " + str(b) + " " + str(c) + " " + str(is_determined(orders)) ^0
"" ^0
# ---- agreement rates ----
0 => ab
0 => ac
0 => bc
for d in datasets:
d[1] => orders
if impl_a(orders) == impl_b(orders):
ab + 1 => ab
if impl_a(orders) == impl_c(orders):
ac + 1 => ac
if impl_b(orders) == impl_c(orders):
bc + 1 => bc
"agreement over all " + str(len(datasets)) + " datasets" ^0
" A and B : " + str(ab) ^0
" A and C : " + str(ac) ^0
" B and C : " + str(bc) ^0
if ab == len(datasets):
" A and B never disagree, which is what a cross-check is supposed to show" ^0
"" ^0
# ---- split by whether the specification decides the answer ----
0 => det_total
0 => det_ab
0 => det_ac
0 => und_total
0 => und_ab
0 => und_ac
for d in datasets:
d[1] => orders
if is_determined(orders) == 1:
det_total + 1 => det_total
if impl_a(orders) == impl_b(orders):
det_ab + 1 => det_ab
if impl_a(orders) == impl_c(orders):
det_ac + 1 => det_ac
else:
und_total + 1 => und_total
if impl_a(orders) == impl_b(orders):
und_ab + 1 => und_ab
if impl_a(orders) == impl_c(orders):
und_ac + 1 => und_ac
"datasets the specification DOES determine : " + str(det_total) ^0
" A and B agree : " + str(det_ab) + " of " + str(det_total) ^0
" A and C agree : " + str(det_ac) + " of " + str(det_total) ^0
"" ^0
"datasets the specification does NOT determine : " + str(und_total) ^0
" A and B agree : " + str(und_ab) + " of " + str(und_total) ^0
" A and C agree : " + str(und_ac) + " of " + str(und_total) ^0
"" ^0
if und_total > 0:
if und_ab == und_total:
"On every input where the specification says nothing, the two" ^0
"cross-checking implementations invented the same answer." ^0
"" ^0
# ---- what the disagreement with C is actually about ----
"datasets where A and C differ, and why" ^0
0 => shown
for d in datasets:
d[1] => orders
if impl_a(orders) != impl_c(orders):
shown + 1 => shown
late_count_spec(orders) => ls
late_count_loose(orders) => ll
if ls != ll:
" " + d[0] + " : late count " + str(ls) + " by the spec, " + str(ll) + " by A" ^0
else:
" " + d[0] + " : same late count, different reporting rule" ^0
" total: " + str(shown) ^0
"" ^0
"A cross-check earns its name by being able to disagree. The number that" ^0
"shows whether it can is not how often it agrees - it is whether it agrees" ^0
"in the places where there was nothing to agree with." ^0Python (deterministic transpilation)
pythondef late_count_spec(orders):
n = 0
for o in orders:
if o[1] > o[0]:
n = n + 1
return n
def late_count_loose(orders):
n = 0
for o in orders:
if o[1] >= o[0]:
n = n + 1
return n
def pct_half_up(late, total):
if total == 0:
return 0
return int((late * 200 + total) / (total * 2))
def pct_truncate(late, total):
if total == 0:
return 0 - 1
return int(late * 100 / total)
def impl_a(orders):
return pct_half_up(late_count_loose(orders), len(orders))
def impl_b(orders):
total = len(orders)
late = late_count_loose(orders)
if total == 0:
return 0
return pct_half_up(late, total)
def impl_c(orders):
return pct_truncate(late_count_spec(orders), len(orders))
def has_tie(orders):
total = len(orders)
if total == 0:
return 0
num = late_count_spec(orders) * 100
if num % total * 2 == total:
return 1
return 0
def is_determined(orders):
if len(orders) == 0:
return 0
if has_tie(orders) == 1:
return 0
return 1
datasets = [["quiet week", [[3, 3], [4, 2], [5, 5], [6, 1]]], ["one clear miss", [[3, 9], [4, 2], [5, 1], [6, 1]]], ["eight orders, one late", [[2, 9], [3, 1], [4, 1], [5, 1], [6, 2], [7, 3], [8, 4], [9, 5]]], ["all on the line", [[5, 5], [5, 5], [5, 5]]], ["nothing shipped at all", []], ["mixed", [[1, 2], [2, 2], [3, 1], [4, 9], [5, 5], [6, 7]]]]
print("dataset A B C determined")
for d in datasets:
orders = d[1]
a = impl_a(orders)
b = impl_b(orders)
c = impl_c(orders)
print(" " + d[0] + " : " + str(a) + " " + str(b) + " " + str(c) + " " + str(is_determined(orders)))
print("")
ab = 0
ac = 0
bc = 0
for d in datasets:
orders = d[1]
if impl_a(orders) == impl_b(orders):
ab = ab + 1
if impl_a(orders) == impl_c(orders):
ac = ac + 1
if impl_b(orders) == impl_c(orders):
bc = bc + 1
print("agreement over all " + str(len(datasets)) + " datasets")
print(" A and B : " + str(ab))
print(" A and C : " + str(ac))
print(" B and C : " + str(bc))
if ab == len(datasets):
print(" A and B never disagree, which is what a cross-check is supposed to show")
print("")
det_total = 0
det_ab = 0
det_ac = 0
und_total = 0
und_ab = 0
und_ac = 0
for d in datasets:
orders = d[1]
if is_determined(orders) == 1:
det_total = det_total + 1
if impl_a(orders) == impl_b(orders):
det_ab = det_ab + 1
if impl_a(orders) == impl_c(orders):
det_ac = det_ac + 1
else:
und_total = und_total + 1
if impl_a(orders) == impl_b(orders):
und_ab = und_ab + 1
if impl_a(orders) == impl_c(orders):
und_ac = und_ac + 1
print("datasets the specification DOES determine : " + str(det_total))
print(" A and B agree : " + str(det_ab) + " of " + str(det_total))
print(" A and C agree : " + str(det_ac) + " of " + str(det_total))
print("")
print("datasets the specification does NOT determine : " + str(und_total))
print(" A and B agree : " + str(und_ab) + " of " + str(und_total))
print(" A and C agree : " + str(und_ac) + " of " + str(und_total))
print("")
if und_total > 0:
if und_ab == und_total:
print("On every input where the specification says nothing, the two")
print("cross-checking implementations invented the same answer.")
print("")
print("datasets where A and C differ, and why")
shown = 0
for d in datasets:
orders = d[1]
if impl_a(orders) != impl_c(orders):
shown = shown + 1
ls = late_count_spec(orders)
ll = late_count_loose(orders)
if ls != ll:
print(" " + d[0] + " : late count " + str(ls) + " by the spec, " + str(ll) + " by A")
else:
print(" " + d[0] + " : same late count, different reporting rule")
print(" total: " + str(shown))
print("")
print("A cross-check earns its name by being able to disagree. The number that")
print("shows whether it can is not how often it agrees - it is whether it agrees")
print("in the places where there was nothing to agree with.")stdout (executed)
textdataset A B C determined
quiet week : 50 50 0 1
one clear miss : 25 25 25 1
eight orders, one late : 13 13 12 0
all on the line : 100 100 0 1
nothing shipped at all : 0 0 -1 0
mixed : 83 83 50 1
agreement over all 6 datasets
A and B : 6
A and C : 1
B and C : 1
A and B never disagree, which is what a cross-check is supposed to show
datasets the specification DOES determine : 4
A and B agree : 4 of 4
A and C agree : 1 of 4
datasets the specification does NOT determine : 2
A and B agree : 2 of 2
A and C agree : 0 of 2
On every input where the specification says nothing, the two
cross-checking implementations invented the same answer.
datasets where A and C differ, and why
quiet week : late count 0 by the spec, 2 by A
eight orders, one late : same late count, different reporting rule
all on the line : late count 0 by the spec, 3 by A
nothing shipped at all : same late count, different reporting rule
mixed : late count 3 by the spec, 5 by A
total: 5
A cross-check earns its name by being able to disagree. The number that
shows whether it can is not how often it agrees - it is whether it agrees
in the places where there was nothing to agree with.Trace event types
eml:run:starteml:defeml:assigneml:outputeml:calleml:returneml:run:done