Strategy Synthesis

Apex2's critical "Strategy Synthesis" phase that connects parallel intelligence gathering to optimized execution.

Instructions

When invoked (typically with structured findings from orchestrator), synthesize all intelligence sources into a unified, actionable execution plan.

1. Data Ingestion Process

Method 1: Orchestrator Invocation (Primary)

The orchestrator should invoke this skill with structured findings:

Invoke strategy-synthesis to integrate these findings:

Prediction Analysis:
- Task Type: ML/DL training
- Complexity: Medium
- Risk Profile: Medium (resource intensive)
- Key Files: train.py, model.py, data.py
- Requirements: GPU, pytorch

Web Research Findings:
- Solution 1: Pytorch DataLoader batch_size=32 recommendation (stackoverflow)
- Solution 2: Mixed precision training code example (GitHub)
- Key insight: Training >5min, monitor validation loss

Deep Strategy Options:
- Approach A: Simple training with basic monitoring
- Approach B: Cross-validation with early stopping
- Approach C: Distributed training approach
- Common failures: GPU memory overflow, data loading bottlenecks

Environment State:
- PyTorch 2.1.0 installed, GPU available
- 16GB RAM, dataset 8GB fits
- CUDA working, can handle batch_size=64
- Current processes: none interfering

Previous Execution (Episode 1):
- Attempted: Simple training approach
- Result: Slow but working
- Issues: Training time > expected

Method 2: Temporary File Access

If orchestrator writes findings to /tmp/apex2-findings.txt:

# Read structured findings file
cat /tmp/apex2-findings.json

Method 3: Execute-based Data Retrieval

If orchestrator sets environment variables:

# Check for structured data
echo "Prediction: $APEX2_PREDICTION"
echo "Web: $APEX2_WEB"
echo "Strategy: $APEX2_STRATEGY"
echo "Environment: $APEX2_ENV"

Method 4: Context Parsing (Fallback)

Parse conversation history for structured intelligence blocks.

2. Synthesis Process

Step 1: Cross-Reference Analysis

• Compare web solutions with environment capabilities: Can we implement the GitHub solutions?
• Match strategy options with task complexity: Is Approach B appropriate for Medium complexity?
• Validate requirements against state: Are GPU resources sufficient for recommended approach?
• Identify contradictions: Web solution requires library not installed?

Step 2: Prioritization Matrix

Rate each approach based on multiple criteria:

Step 3: Risk-Adapted Selection

Based on task category and risk profile:

For ML/DL tasks (medium risk): Choose Approach B (cross-validation) with:

• Enhanced monitoring from web research
• Memory management from environment constraints
• Training parameters from prediction analysis

For Security tasks (high risk): Choose least destructive, most tested approach

For Web Dev tasks (low risk): Choose fastest implementation approach

Step 4: Concrete Execution Planning

Generate step-by-step plan with specific adaptations:

## Recommended Execution Plan: Enhanced Training (Approach B)

### Phase 1: Environment Preparation
1. Update configuration with batch_size=64 (web research + environment capability)
2. Set up mixed precision training (GitHub code adaptation)
3. Implement monitoring for training >5min (web research insight)

### Phase 2: Cross-Validation Setup
1. Split dataset into 5 folds (from strategy option B)
2. Configure early stopping parameters (adapt to environment constraints)
3. Set up GPU memory monitoring (address failure prediction)

### Phase 3: Training Execution
1. Run fold 1 training with enhanced monitoring
2. Validate results and adjust parameters
3. Continue with remaining folds if fold 1 succeeds

### Phase 4: Model Selection
1. Compare results across folds
2. Select best performing model
3. Validate on holdout dataset

### Risk Management:
- **Memory overflow**: Monitor GPU memory, reduce batch_size if needed
- **Training time**: Progress reporting every epoch, early stopping if no improvement
- **Data bottlenecks**: Pre-process data in batches to memory

Step 5: Validation Criteria Definition

Define success metrics and validation steps:

## Success Validation
- Training completes without memory errors
- All 5 folds execute without GPU overflow
- Cross-validation scores consistent (variance < 10%)
- Model performance meets baseline requirements

## Execution Validation
- Each phase completes successfully before proceeding
- Error recovery applied automatically if issues arise
- Training progress visible throughout >5min process

3. Output Structure

Provide structured output that orchestrator can parse:

[Strategy Synthesis Complete]
Recommended Approach: Enhanced Training (Approach B)
Confidence Level: High (compatible with environment, addresses risks)

Execution Plan:
Phase 1: Environment Preparation
  - Update config with batch_size=64
  - Implement mixed precision training
  - Set up enhanced monitoring

Phase 2: Cross-Validation Setup
  - Split data into 5 folds
  - Configure early stopping
  - Set up GPU memory monitoring

Phase 3: Training Execution
  - Run enhanced training with monitoring
  - Apply error recovery as needed
  - Progress reporting every epoch

Phase 4: Model Selection
  - Compare fold results
  - Select best model
  - Validate on holdout data

Risk Mitigations:
- Memory overflow: Adaptive batch sizing
- Training time: Early stopping + progress reporting  
- Data bottlenecks: Batch preprocessing

Validation Criteria:
- All folds complete without GPU errors
- Cross-validation consistency
- Model performance thresholds met

Backup Options:
- If memory issues: Fall back to Approach A (simpler training)
- If time constraints: Use subset of validation folds
- If GPU unavailable: Switch to CPU training (slower but works)

Synthesis Patterns by Task Type

Software Development

• Combine environment constraints with web solutions: Can we implement suggested libraries?
• Match strategy options with codebase conventions: Compatible with existing patterns?
• Risk-adapt to production context: Conservative approaches for production systems

Data/ML Tasks

• Environment capability matching: Hardware resources vs algorithm requirements
• Research-based optimization: Apply cutting-edge techniques if environment supports
• Failure-prevention planning: Memory, time, dependency issues addressed upfront

Security Operations

• Least-risk selection: Choose most tested, least destructive approach
• Environment verification: Ensure backups and rollback capabilities
• Validation-heavy planning: Multiple checkpoints and verification steps

When to Use

This skill is critical when:

• Multiple intelligence sources need integration before execution
• Task complexity requires strategic decision-making
• Environment constraints influence approach selection
• Risk management needs to inform execution planning
• You want to optimize success probability before execution

Key Value

Strategy synthesis transforms disparate intelligence sources into a unified, optimized execution plan. Unlike simple "do this" approaches, it considers:

• Real-world constraints (environment limitations)
• Proven solutions (web research findings)
• Strategic alternatives (deep strategy options)
• Risk awareness (prediction-based mitigation)

The result is an execution plan that's both intelligent and practical - the essence of Apex2's success.

State Tracking

Skill should output synthesis completion for orchestrator to track:

[Apex2 State Update]
phase: synthesis
completed: true
output: unified-execution-plan
next: execution

This allows the orchestrator to maintain accurate state throughout the Apex2 workflow.