branch

Branch a Research Run

Fork the current run so a competing strategy can be explored in parallel with (or instead of) the main line, without touching the main line's state.

Step 1: Parse Arguments

Extract from the user's message:

1. Branch name (required): kebab-case identifier, e.g. induction-proof, adversarial-search. Derive one from the stated strategy if the user did not name it explicitly, and confirm it.
2. Branch focus (optional): one or two sentences describing what this branch should pursue differently from the main line.

Step 2: Verify the Run and the Name

• .research/goal.md must exist (Read tool); if not, there is nothing to branch: suggest /research-agent:research.
• .research/branches/<name>/ must NOT already exist (Glob tool). If it does, offer /research-agent:resume <name> instead, or a different name.

Step 3: Launch the Researcher in Branch Mode

Spawn the researcher agent (Agent tool, subagent_type: research-agent:researcher) with this prompt structure:

<mode>branch</mode>

<branch>{kebab-case name}</branch>

<branch-focus>
{the focus, or "explore an alternative approach to the goal"}
</branch-focus>

<working_directory>
{absolute path to current working directory}
</working_directory>

Fork the run at its current checkpoint per your branch-mode
initialization. Never write to the parent's goal.md, log.md, or
state.md; all branch work lives under .research/branches/{name}/.

Step 4: Inform the User

Branch {name} forked from the current checkpoint. It works under .research/branches/{name}/ with its own state, log, and attempts; the goal and the parent's confirmed findings are shared read-only.

• /research-agent:status shows all branches alongside the main line
• /research-agent:resume {name} continues this branch later
• /research-agent:synthesize {name} concludes just this branch; a main-line /research-agent:synthesize compares all branches