latex-paper-skills: Skill for Codex

LaTeX Rhythm Refiner

When to Use

• After LaTeX content generation is complete
• To improve prose flow and readability in academic documents
• When sections feel monotonous or blocky

When NOT to Use

• During initial content drafting
• For citation verification or addition
• For technical/structural LaTeX fixes

Core Principles

1. Preserve Citations Exactly

• Every \cite{...} must remain in place
• Citations stay attached to their original semantic context
• Never move a citation to a different claim or sentence meaning

2. Vary Rhythm Stochastically

Sentence length: Mix short (5-12 words), medium (13-22 words), and long (23-35 words) sentences. Avoid consecutive sentences of similar length.

Paragraph length: Alternate between:

• Short (2-3 sentences) for emphasis or transitions
• Medium (4-5 sentences) for standard exposition
• Long (6-8 sentences) for complex arguments

3. Remove Fillers

Eliminate or replace:

• "in order to" → "to"
• "it is worth noting that" → (delete or rephrase directly)
• "due to the fact that" → "because"
• "in the context of" → "in" or "for"
• "a large number of" → "many"
• "in spite of the fact that" → "although"
• "at the present time" → "now" or "currently"
• "for the purpose of" → "to" or "for"

4. Minimize Transitions

Remove when structure already implies the relationship:

• "However," / "Therefore," / "Moreover," / "Furthermore,"
• "As mentioned above," / "As previously discussed,"
• "It should be noted that" / "In this regard,"

5. Tighten Prose

• Prefer active voice; replace vague verbs ("shows", "does", "works") with concrete ones
• Avoid repeated sentence openings across adjacent sentences ("This", "In practice", etc.)
• Replace hedge stacks ("may potentially") with one qualifier
• Each paragraph: one main idea, clear first sentence
• Ensure figures/tables are referenced and explained in text

Processing Workflow

Per-Section Refinement

Process one section at a time:

1. Read the section fully to understand context and argument flow
2. Identify all \cite{...} locations and their attached claims
3. Map current sentence/paragraph lengths
4. Refine:
   • Vary sentence lengths (break long chains, combine choppy sequences)
   • Adjust paragraph boundaries for rhythm
   • Strip fillers and unnecessary transitions
5. Verify all citations remain with their original semantic claims
6. Output the refined section