---
name: skill-formal-research
description: Coordinate formal reasoning research across logic, math, and physics domains. Invoke for formal-language research requiring cross-domain coordination.
allowed-tools: Task, Bash, Edit, Read, Write
---
# Formal Research Skill
Thin wrapper that delegates formal reasoning research to `formal-research-agent` subagent.
**IMPORTANT**: This skill implements the skill-internal postflight pattern. After the subagent returns, this skill handles all postflight operations (status update, artifact linking, git commit) before returning.
## Context References
Reference (do not load eagerly):
- Path: `.claude/context/formats/return-metadata-file.md` - Metadata file schema
Note: This skill is a thin wrapper with internal postflight. Context is loaded by the delegated agent.
## Trigger Conditions
This skill activates when:
- Task language is "formal"
- Research requires cross-domain coordination (logic + math, math + physics, etc.)
- Domain context files are needed from multiple formal domains
---
## Execution Flow
### Stage 1: Input Validation
Validate required inputs:
- `task_number` - Must be provided and exist in state.json
- `focus_prompt` - Optional focus for research direction
---
### Stage 2: Preflight Status Update
Update task status to "researching" BEFORE invoking subagent.
---
### Stage 3: Create Postflight Marker
Create the marker file to prevent premature termination.
---
### Stage 4: Prepare Delegation Context
Prepare delegation context for the subagent:
```json
{
"session_id": "sess_{timestamp}_{random}",
"delegation_depth": 1,
"delegation_path": ["orchestrator", "research", "skill-formal-research"],
"timeout": 3600,
"task_context": {
"task_number": N,
"task_name": "{project_name}",
"description": "{description}",
"language": "formal"
},
"focus_prompt": "{optional focus}",
"metadata_file_path": "specs/{NNN}_{SLUG}/.return-meta.json"
}
```
---
### Stage 5: Invoke Subagent
**CRITICAL**: You MUST use the **Task** tool to spawn the subagent.
**Required Tool Invocation**:
```
Tool: Task (NOT Skill)
Parameters:
- subagent_type: "formal-research-agent"
- prompt: [Include task_context, delegation_context, focus_prompt, metadata_file_path]
- description: "Execute formal research for task {N}"
```
**DO NOT** use `Skill(formal-research-agent)` - this will FAIL.
The subagent will:
- Analyze task for domain routing (logic, math, physics)
- Load appropriate domain context files
- Coordinate cross-domain research when needed
- Use Mathlib lookup tools
- Execute web research
- Create research report in `specs/{NNN}_{SLUG}/reports/`
- Write metadata to `specs/{NNN}_{SLUG}/.return-meta.json`
- Return a brief text summary (NOT JSON)
---
### Stage 6-11: Standard Postflight
Parse metadata file, update task status, link artifacts, git commit, cleanup, return brief summary.
---
## Error Handling
Standard error handling patterns: validate inputs, handle missing metadata, non-blocking git failures.
---
## Return Format
This skill returns a **brief text summary** (NOT JSON). The JSON metadata is written to the file and processed internally.
