oscillation-check

Oscillation Check

Detects when iterative review feedback would revert changes made by a previous iteration -- preventing infinite fix-revert-fix loops.

When to Use

Invoke as a sub-agent from:

• CLAUDE.md review loop: Before implementing /dso:review feedback on iteration 2+
• /dso:sprint Phase 8: Before creating remediation tasks from re-validation
• /dso:debug-everything Phase 6.1b: Before retrying a fix after critic CONCERN

Input

The orchestrator provides:

• files_targeted: List of files the current feedback wants to modify
• iteration: Current iteration number (1-indexed)
• context: One of review, remediation, critic
• commit_before_previous_fix: Git commit SHA from before the previous iteration's changes (optional -- if not provided, use HEAD~1)
• epic_id: (for remediation context only) The epic whose children to check

Protocol

For review and critic context:

1. Check if this is iteration 1 -> output CLEAR (no previous iteration to compare)
2. For iteration 2+: a. Get the diff of what the previous iteration changed:

   git diff {commit_before_previous_fix}..HEAD -- {files_targeted}
   

   b. If the diff is empty (previous iteration didn't touch these files) -> CLEAR c. If the diff is non-empty: the current feedback targets files that were already modified. Analyze the feedback direction:
   • Read the current feedback items for these files
   • Compare against the previous iteration's changes shown in the diff
   • If the feedback would undo previous changes (revert direction) -> OSCILLATION
   • If the feedback would build on previous changes (same direction) -> CLEAR

For remediation context:

1. Get closed remediation tasks from the epic:

   .claude/scripts/dso ticket deps {epic_id}
   

   Filter for tasks with "Fix:" prefix and status=closed.
2. For each closed remediation task, read its notes (.claude/scripts/dso ticket show <id>) to find modified files.
3. Compare files_targeted against the closed tasks' modified files.
4. If overlap exists -> OSCILLATION (same files being re-remediated)
5. If no overlap -> CLEAR

Output Format

OSCILLATION CHECK
=================
Context: {review|remediation|critic}
Iteration: {N}
Files checked: {file1}, {file2}, ...

Result: CLEAR | OSCILLATION

(If OSCILLATION):
Conflicting iterations:
  Previous (iteration {N-1}): Changed {files} -- {summary of changes}
  Current (iteration {N}): Wants to {summary of proposed changes}
  Direction: REVERSAL -- current feedback undoes previous fix

Recommendation: Stop loop. Present both positions to user.

Safety Bounds (enforced by callers, reported here)

Context	Max Iterations	On Limit
/dso:review autonomous loop	review.max_resolution_attempts (default: 5)	Escalate to user (findings + actions taken)
/dso:review total (with user)	review.max_resolution_attempts + 3 (user-driven buffer)	Stop, report to user
/dso:debug-everything critic	2 revert cycles per issue	Escalate to user
/dso:sprint remediation	2 loops	Flag to user

Rules

• Do NOT modify any code files
• Do NOT git commit, git push, .claude/scripts/dso ticket transition, edit .tickets-tracker/ files
• You CAN run git diff, git log, .claude/scripts/dso ticket show, .claude/scripts/dso ticket deps
• This is a read-only analysis -- report findings only