# Hypothesis Generation

> >

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-adeerkhan-vitruvius-hypothesis-generation`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [adeerkhan](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/adeerkhan)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [AI & ML](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/ai-and-ml)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [adeerkhan](https://github.com/adeerkhan)
- **Source:** https://github.com/adeerkhan/vitruvius/tree/main/skills/hypothesis-generation

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-adeerkhan-vitruvius-hypothesis-generation
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Hypothesis Generation

Generate evidence-bounded engineering hypotheses. This skill freezes the observation, frames the question, establishes evidence boundaries, generates rival candidates, and derives discriminating predictions. It never scores, ranks, or selects hypotheses — that is a human decision.

## Invocation

```
/hypothesis-generation 
```

Include: the observed phenomenon, context, and any relevant engineering domain (materials, structures, thermal, etc.).

## Methodology

1. **Freeze the observation** — write the exact observation before interpreting. Distinguish what was measured from what is inferred. Timestamp the observation date.

2. **Frame the research question** — restate as a falsifiable engineering question. Identify the claim type: descriptive, associational, predictive, causal, or mechanistic.

3. **Establish evidence boundary** — document: search date, databases consulted, query terms, inclusion/exclusion criteria, limitations. "Not located within documented search boundary" — never "no prior work exists".

4. **Generate rival hypotheses** — produce 3-5 candidates from DIFFERENT explanatory classes (e.g., material defect, design error, environmental, manufacturing process, maintenance). Each must be falsifiable. No two hypotheses from the same class.

5. **Declare claim type and estimand** — specify what would be measured, the expected direction/magnitude, and the population/context where it applies.

6. **Derive discriminating predictions** — for each hypothesis, state: condition, observable, expected pattern, falsifier (what result would be incompatible), and rival contrast (how does this prediction differ from the others?).

7. **Prevent HARKing** — timestamp the generation. Preserve this document as the pre-registration record. Any deviation in testing must be reported as a deviation, not hidden.

## Output

### Inline Summary (chat response)
- Observation (frozen, dated)
- Research question + claim type
- Evidence boundary (date, sources, queries, limitations)
- 3-5 rival hypotheses with class labels
- For each: discriminating prediction + falsifier

### Full Record (saved to disk)

Save to `outputs/hypothesis/.md`:

```markdown
# Hypothesis Generation: 

## Observation (Frozen)
- **Date observed:** 
- **Phenomenon:** 
- **Distinguish:** measured vs inferred
- **Context:** 

## Research Question
- **Question:** 
- **Claim type:** descriptive / associational / predictive / causal / mechanistic

## Evidence Boundary
- **Search date:** 
- **Databases:** 
- **Query terms:** 
- **Inclusion:** 
- **Exclusion:** 
- **Limitations:** 

## Rival Hypotheses

### H1:  ()
- **Mechanism:** 
- **Prediction:** 
- **Falsifier:** 
- **Rival contrast:** 

(repeat for H2, H3...)

## Discriminating Tests
- **Test that separates H1 from H2:** 
- **Test that separates H1 from H3:** 
- ...

## Pre-registration Record
- **Generated:** 
- **Status:** candidate (never scored/selected by tool)
- **Deviations:** none yet
```

## Scope and Boundaries

- This skill generates hypothesis candidates — it does NOT score, rank, or select. Status must remain `candidate`.
- **Research-only, not for final engineering sign-off.** Hypothesis selection requires human engineering judgment.
- Never fabricate evidence to support a hypothesis. If a hypothesis lacks evidence, mark it `unverified`, not `inferred`.
- Evidence quality: see `references/evidence-quality-tiers.md`.

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [adeerkhan](https://github.com/adeerkhan)
- **Source:** [adeerkhan/vitruvius](https://github.com/adeerkhan/vitruvius)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-adeerkhan-vitruvius-hypothesis-generation
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/adeerkhan
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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