Synthesize

LLM Wiki — Synthesize

Produce a single new page under vault/wiki/_synthesis/ with type: synthesis frontmatter. Every synthesis covers a defined scope and cites every source it rests on.

This skill writes one page per invocation. A multi-topic session becomes several synthesis notes, not one sprawling document.

When to invoke

• The user names an explicit scope and asks for cross-topic analysis.
• /claude-wiki-pages:query offered to file an answer as a synthesis and the user accepted.
• The claude-wiki-pages-ingest-agent agent detects that a batch of new sources opens a synthesis opportunity — the agent passes the scope here.

Reading contract

• vault/CLAUDE.md — the schema.
• The user-selected scope: explicit pages, a topic folder, or a list of concepts / entities.
• Pages reached by following wikilinks from the scope, when the synthesis type calls for them (e.g., contradiction needs to read both sides).

Writing contract

Exactly one new file:

vault/wiki/_synthesis/<kebab-slug>.md

The file must carry the synthesis frontmatter schema from vault/CLAUDE.md:

• title — Title Case, matches the first entry of aliases.
• type: synthesis.
• synthesis_type — one of comparison, theme, contradiction, gap, timeline. No default.
• path: "_synthesis".
• scope: — every page the synthesis rests on, as piped-basename [[file-basename|Title]] wikilinks (never a bare [[Title]] — it does not resolve and renders as a ghost node). At least two entries (a synthesis of one page is an extended page, not a synthesis).
• sources: — every source cited. At least one entry.
• aliases: — first entry equals title.
• created, updated, status, confidence per schema defaults.

Plus one log append:

## [YYYY-MM-DD] synthesize | <title>

This skill MUST NOT:

• Write to vault/raw/.
• Write to any wiki path outside _synthesis/.
• Edit an existing synthesis note — produce a new one and, if needed, mark the prior one status: superseded in a follow-up step (separate invocation).
• Rebuild wiki/index.md directly. Instead, print a reminder that /claude-wiki-pages:index should be run after a new synthesis lands.

Workflow

1. Schema. Read vault/CLAUDE.md.
2. Resolve scope. Convert the user's intent into concrete scope entries. Reject the invocation if fewer than two pages are in scope.
3. Classify. Choose synthesis_type from the enum. Do not default — make a deliberate choice based on what the user asked for.
4. Gather. Read each page in scope plus any page reached by following the relations the synthesis type demands (e.g., contradicts for contradiction; depends_on for gap).
5. Draft. Compose the body. Every non-trivial claim carries a citation.
6. Write. Create the new file under _synthesis/. Let PreToolUse enforce the schema.
7. Log. Append to wiki/log.md.
8. Handoff hint. Remind the user (or the calling agent) that the vault MOC is stale — offer /claude-wiki-pages:index.

Completion signal

READY: wrote <path>; synthesis_type=<type>, scope=<N> pages, sources=<M>.
Remember to refresh the vault MOC: /claude-wiki-pages:index.

## Context contract

Machine-readable read/write contract for the `engine context` verb.

| role           | globs                                          |
| -------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| inputs (L4)    | wiki/**, wiki/_sources/**                      |
| reference (L3) | vault/CLAUDE.md, wiki/index.md                 |
| outputs        | wiki/_synthesis/*                              |