epic-resolution §8 worked-example freezes now-inverted ticket-state

Context

During the v13 epic-resolution sweep (2026-06-05), @neo-opus-ada flagged that closing Epic #10671 makes the epic-resolution skill's own §8 worked-example stale. V-B-A confirms: epic-resolution-workflow.md:176-186 ("Empirical anchor — Epic #10671") presents an Expected matrix with verdict RECOMMEND_KEEP_OPEN gated on #10676 / #10679 / #10696 — but #10671 is now 19/19 subs closed, #10676 CLOSED, #10679 CLOSED. The canonical worked-example now teaches the inverted verdict (live answer = CLOSE_COMPLETED).

The Problem

§8 instructs "the first run of this skill should be against Epic #10671 itself" and shows the Expected verdict as RECOMMEND_KEEP_OPEN until #10696 merges + AC5 L4 logged + #10679 unblocks. Those blockers have all resolved. A fresh agent reading §8 sees KEEP_OPEN as the canonical example output when the live answer is the opposite — the teaching example now contradicts what the skill would actually produce today. Line 186 has a self-correct clause ("if the skill produces a different verdict shape, audit the matrix against public state") which mitigates but does not fix the misleading frozen matrix.

Root cause is structural, not just stale data: the worked-example hardcodes ticket-state into a frozen matrix — the same anti-pattern epic-create bans for epic bodies (hardcoded sub-lists stale out). Worked-examples that freeze live ticket-state inevitably invert as the organism evolves.

The Architectural Reality

• .agents/skills/epic-resolution/references/epic-resolution-workflow.md:176-186 — the §8 "Empirical anchor — Epic #10671 (motivating example)" block.
• Frozen matrix: lines 182-184 (RESIDUAL_L4 #10676/#10695/#10696; BLOCKER #10679; verdict KEEP_OPEN).
• Self-correct escape hatch: line 186.
• Sibling discipline: the epic-create skill (epic bodies MUST NOT hardcode sub-lists — same decay vector).

The Fix

Refresh §8 into a lifecycle-shaped, decay-resistant example:

• Recast the #10671 example as a before → after arc: at authoring it was KEEP_OPEN (open BLOCKER #10679 + RESIDUAL_L4); it has since graduated to CLOSE_COMPLETED (19/19 subs, blockers closed) — re-derive the verdict from live sub/PR state, never the frozen matrix. This turns the stale liability into a stronger teaching example (shows the full lifecycle).
• Promote the line-186 directive from escape-hatch to leading instruction: the matrix shown is illustrative-historical; the runner MUST populate it from live gh/GraphQL sub-state, not copy the frozen verdict.
• Docs-only; no routing/SKILL.md change.

Decision Record impact

none — content-correction within an existing skill reference payload; no ADR interaction.

Acceptance Criteria

• §8 no longer presents RECOMMEND_KEEP_OPEN as #10671's current verdict; it reflects the resolved (CLOSE_COMPLETED) reality OR is recast as an explicit historical before→after arc.
• §8 instructs the runner to derive the verdict from live sub/PR state, not the frozen matrix (line-186 directive promoted to leading instruction).
• Change confined to .agents/skills/epic-resolution/references/epic-resolution-workflow.md (World-Atlas payload); SKILL.md router untouched (Progressive Disclosure preserved).

Out of Scope

• Auditing other skills' worked-examples for the same frozen-state anti-pattern (worth a follow-up sweep; not this ticket).
• Any change to the epic-resolution protocol itself (matrix columns, closeout gates) — only the §8 illustrative example.
• Re-litigating #10671's closure (already CLOSE_COMPLETED via the sweep).

Avoided Traps

• Just bumping the numbers (swap #10679 → a-still-open blocker) re-freezes a new state that inverts again next cycle. The fix must address the frozen-state structure, not just refresh the data.
• Deleting the example loses a high-value motivating anchor; recast-as-lifecycle preserves the teaching value.

Related

• #10671 (now-closed motivating epic), #10676 / #10679 (resolved blockers cited in the frozen matrix)
• #10697 / #10698 (origin of the epic-resolution skill)
• epic-create skill (sibling no-hardcoded-state discipline)

Live latest-open sweep: checked latest 20 open issues at 2026-06-05T17:45Z; no equivalent found. Meta-Skill Sweep (§1b): fix confined to references/epic-resolution-workflow.md (conditionally-loaded World-Atlas payload); does NOT touch the top-level SKILL.md router → Progressive Disclosure preserved.

Origin Session ID: db066a97-cc06-4bd3-b8fe-c056ab15639e Handoff Retrieval Hint: query_summaries "epic-resolution §8 worked-example frozen ticket-state inverted #10671"