Case 347
The noisiest check is relaxed first — 7 of 7 defects caught, then 4
the_noisiest_check_is_relaxed_first.eml runs a threshold-tuning policy for several rounds and measures what the suite can still catch after each one.
ok: true — round-trip fixpoint reached (python1 == python2)updated 2026-08-12
EML
eml# Self-authored for the EML case corpus (no external origin). Four checks, and
# a policy that always tunes the one making the most noise.
#
# The policy is reasonable in every individual application. A check that fires
# forty times a week is not being read, and a check that is not being read is
# worse than no check because it also consumes the attention that a real alarm
# would need. So the noisiest one gets its threshold raised, every time.
#
# Applied repeatedly, that policy has a direction. The check that fires most is
# usually the most SENSITIVE one, and sensitivity is the property the suite
# exists to have. Nothing in the policy ever raises a threshold on a check that
# rarely fires, so the ones that survive untouched are the ones that were
# already too blunt to notice anything.
#
# The program runs the policy for several rounds and measures the suite's
# ability to catch real defects after each one. Noise events are in the stream
# on purpose - without them the policy has nothing to react to, and the whole
# argument for the policy disappears.
def catches(threshold, magnitude):
if magnitude >= threshold:
return 1
return 0
def alarms_for(threshold, events):
0 => n
for e in events:
if catches(threshold, e[1]) == 1:
n + 1 => n
return n
def real_defects_caught(thresholds, events):
0 => n
for e in events:
if e[0] == "defect":
0 => hit
for t in thresholds:
if catches(t, e[1]) == 1:
1 => hit
n + hit => n
return n
def total_defects(events):
0 => n
for e in events:
if e[0] == "defect":
n + 1 => n
return n
# magnitude 1-3 is noise, 4 and up is a real defect
[["noise", 1], ["noise", 2], ["defect", 4], ["noise", 1], ["noise", 3], ["defect", 9], ["noise", 2], ["defect", 5], ["noise", 1], ["defect", 16], ["noise", 2], ["defect", 7], ["noise", 3], ["defect", 30], ["noise", 1], ["defect", 12]] => events
[1, 4, 8, 20] => thresholds
["A", "B", "C", "D"] => check_names
total_defects(events) => defect_count
"real defects in the stream : " + str(defect_count) ^0
"noise events : " + str(len(events) - defect_count) ^0
"" ^0
"round thresholds alarms per check defects caught" ^0
for round_no in [0:4]:
[] => alarms
for t in thresholds:
alarms + [alarms_for(t, events)] => alarms
real_defects_caught(thresholds, events) => caught
" " + str(round_no) + " " + repr(thresholds) + " " + repr(alarms) + " " + str(caught) + " of " + str(defect_count) ^0
# the policy: double the threshold of whichever check alarmed most
max(alarms) => loudest
0 => i
0 => done
[] => next_thresholds
for t in thresholds:
if alarms[i] == loudest:
if done == 0:
next_thresholds + [t * 2] => next_thresholds
1 => done
else:
next_thresholds + [t] => next_thresholds
else:
next_thresholds + [t] => next_thresholds
i + 1 => i
next_thresholds => thresholds
"" ^0
# ---- which checks were touched ----
[1, 4, 8, 20] => original
"threshold, start and end" ^0
0 => i
0 => raised
for t in original:
if thresholds[i] != t:
raised + 1 => raised
" check " + check_names[i] + " : " + str(t) + " -> " + str(thresholds[i]) + " (raised)" ^0
else:
" check " + check_names[i] + " : " + str(t) + " -> " + str(thresholds[i]) ^0
i + 1 => i
" checks raised : " + str(raised) + " of " + str(len(original)) ^0
"" ^0
# ---- the policy never touches a blunt check ----
"alarms raised by each check at the start" ^0
0 => i
for t in original:
" check " + check_names[i] + " (threshold " + str(t) + ") : " + str(alarms_for(t, events)) + " alarms, " ^0
i + 1 => i
"" ^0
# ---- what the suite lost ----
real_defects_caught(original, events) => before
real_defects_caught(thresholds, events) => after
"defects the suite catches" ^0
" before the policy ran : " + str(before) + " of " + str(defect_count) ^0
" after : " + str(after) + " of " + str(defect_count) ^0
" lost : " + str(before - after) ^0
"" ^0
# ---- the alarm count went where it was supposed to ----
0 => alarms_before
for t in original:
alarms_before + alarms_for(t, events) => alarms_before
0 => alarms_after
for t in thresholds:
alarms_after + alarms_for(t, events) => alarms_after
"total alarms across the suite" ^0
" before : " + str(alarms_before) ^0
" after : " + str(alarms_after) ^0
" the policy achieved exactly what it was asked to achieve" ^0
"" ^0
"Every application of the policy was justified on its own terms. The policy" ^0
"has a direction anyway, and the direction is toward a suite that is quiet" ^0
"because there is nothing left in it that can speak." ^0Python (deterministic transpilation)
pythondef catches(threshold, magnitude):
if magnitude >= threshold:
return 1
return 0
def alarms_for(threshold, events):
n = 0
for e in events:
if catches(threshold, e[1]) == 1:
n = n + 1
return n
def real_defects_caught(thresholds, events):
n = 0
for e in events:
if e[0] == "defect":
hit = 0
for t in thresholds:
if catches(t, e[1]) == 1:
hit = 1
n = n + hit
return n
def total_defects(events):
n = 0
for e in events:
if e[0] == "defect":
n = n + 1
return n
events = [["noise", 1], ["noise", 2], ["defect", 4], ["noise", 1], ["noise", 3], ["defect", 9], ["noise", 2], ["defect", 5], ["noise", 1], ["defect", 16], ["noise", 2], ["defect", 7], ["noise", 3], ["defect", 30], ["noise", 1], ["defect", 12]]
thresholds = [1, 4, 8, 20]
check_names = ["A", "B", "C", "D"]
defect_count = total_defects(events)
print("real defects in the stream : " + str(defect_count))
print("noise events : " + str(len(events) - defect_count))
print("")
print("round thresholds alarms per check defects caught")
for round_no in range(0, 5):
alarms = []
for t in thresholds:
alarms = alarms + [alarms_for(t, events)]
caught = real_defects_caught(thresholds, events)
print(" " + str(round_no) + " " + repr(thresholds) + " " + repr(alarms) + " " + str(caught) + " of " + str(defect_count))
loudest = max(alarms)
i = 0
done = 0
next_thresholds = []
for t in thresholds:
if alarms[i] == loudest:
if done == 0:
next_thresholds = next_thresholds + [t * 2]
done = 1
else:
next_thresholds = next_thresholds + [t]
else:
next_thresholds = next_thresholds + [t]
i = i + 1
thresholds = next_thresholds
print("")
original = [1, 4, 8, 20]
print("threshold, start and end")
i = 0
raised = 0
for t in original:
if thresholds[i] != t:
raised = raised + 1
print(" check " + check_names[i] + " : " + str(t) + " -> " + str(thresholds[i]) + " (raised)")
else:
print(" check " + check_names[i] + " : " + str(t) + " -> " + str(thresholds[i]))
i = i + 1
print(" checks raised : " + str(raised) + " of " + str(len(original)))
print("")
print("alarms raised by each check at the start")
i = 0
for t in original:
print(" check " + check_names[i] + " (threshold " + str(t) + ") : " + str(alarms_for(t, events)) + " alarms, ")
i = i + 1
print("")
before = real_defects_caught(original, events)
after = real_defects_caught(thresholds, events)
print("defects the suite catches")
print(" before the policy ran : " + str(before) + " of " + str(defect_count))
print(" after : " + str(after) + " of " + str(defect_count))
print(" lost : " + str(before - after))
print("")
alarms_before = 0
for t in original:
alarms_before = alarms_before + alarms_for(t, events)
alarms_after = 0
for t in thresholds:
alarms_after = alarms_after + alarms_for(t, events)
print("total alarms across the suite")
print(" before : " + str(alarms_before))
print(" after : " + str(alarms_after))
print(" the policy achieved exactly what it was asked to achieve")
print("")
print("Every application of the policy was justified on its own terms. The policy")
print("has a direction anyway, and the direction is toward a suite that is quiet")
print("because there is nothing left in it that can speak.")stdout (executed)
textreal defects in the stream : 7
noise events : 9
round thresholds alarms per check defects caught
0 [1, 4, 8, 20] [16, 7, 4, 1] 7 of 7
1 [2, 4, 8, 20] [12, 7, 4, 1] 7 of 7
2 [4, 4, 8, 20] [7, 7, 4, 1] 7 of 7
3 [8, 4, 8, 20] [4, 7, 4, 1] 7 of 7
4 [8, 8, 8, 20] [4, 4, 4, 1] 4 of 7
threshold, start and end
check A : 1 -> 16 (raised)
check B : 4 -> 8 (raised)
check C : 8 -> 8
check D : 20 -> 20
checks raised : 2 of 4
alarms raised by each check at the start
check A (threshold 1) : 16 alarms,
check B (threshold 4) : 7 alarms,
check C (threshold 8) : 4 alarms,
check D (threshold 20) : 1 alarms,
defects the suite catches
before the policy ran : 7 of 7
after : 4 of 7
lost : 3
total alarms across the suite
before : 28
after : 11
the policy achieved exactly what it was asked to achieve
Every application of the policy was justified on its own terms. The policy
has a direction anyway, and the direction is toward a suite that is quiet
because there is nothing left in it that can speak.Trace event types
eml:run:starteml:defeml:assigneml:calleml:returneml:outputeml:run:done