ICDT Reproducibility
At a theory venue, "reproducibility" means verifiability: a competent reader, given your paper,
can reconstruct every proof and independently confirm every theorem. There is no dataset to re-run
and no benchmark to re-execute — the standard is that nothing is asserted without a checkable
argument, and nothing in the published record contradicts the full version. Use this before
submission and again before camera-ready.
Verifiability map
- Map each theorem, lemma, and stated bound to a complete proof — in the body or the marked
appendix — with every case handled. An unproved "it can be shown" is the theory-venue equivalent of
a missing script.
- Pin the model and assumptions exactly: the data model, the query/constraint language, the
complexity measure (data vs combined vs query), and any restriction (bounded arity, acyclicity)
the proof relies on. A hidden assumption that makes the theorem easier is a correctness defect.
- Ensure definitions are self-contained: every symbol and notion used in a proof is defined in
the paper, not assumed from a specific prior paper the referee may not have open.
- Keep the paper internally consistent: a bound stated in the abstract, restated in a theorem,
and used in a corollary must be the same bound.
Proof-completeness audit
| Claim in the paper |
Weak (non-verifiable) form |
ICDT-ready form |
| "Evaluation is [class]-complete" |
Upper bound only; "hardness is standard" |
Both bounds proved; the reduction given explicitly |
| "The construction works" |
Sketch with the hard case omitted |
Every case, including the awkward one, in the appendix |
| "This generalizes [X]" |
Asserted |
The generalization proved, with X recovered as a special case |
| "The problem is decidable" |
Algorithm without a termination/correctness proof |
Algorithm + proof it halts and is correct |
| "W.l.o.g. assume acyclic" |
Unjustified |
The reduction to the acyclic case proved, or the assumption dropped |
"It is easy to see" is treated as not shown unless it genuinely is; convert each such line into a
one-line argument or move it to the appendix as a short proof.
Matching bounds and tightness
[Upper bound] algorithm/argument establishing membership in the claimed class, proved
[Lower bound] a reduction (or game/adversary argument) establishing hardness, proved
[Label] say which is which, and state explicitly when the two meet (tight)
[Gaps] if a bound is one-sided, say so honestly rather than implying tightness
A one-sided bound presented as a settled answer is the most common verifiability failure ICDT
referees catch — and the most common reason for a Cycle-1 "revise."
Paper / full-version consistency
- Before submission: the single PDF is self-contained; every acceptance-critical claim has a
checkable proof inside it (online appendices are not allowed).
- Before camera-ready: post/update the arXiv full version and confirm it states the same
theorems and bounds as the LIPIcs paper. If the revision changed a bound, change it in both.
- A published LIPIcs paper whose full version silently proves a weaker (or stronger) result than
claimed is a lasting citation hazard; keep them in lockstep (
icdt-camera-ready).
Honest labeling
- Distinguish theorem (proved), conjecture (believed, unproved), and open problem (not
known) explicitly; a referee reads these words literally.
- State what your result does not cover — the cases outside your class, the measures you did not
bound — so no reader over-reads it.
- Attribute reused proof techniques to their source rather than re-deriving them silently.
Output format
[Claim inventory] <each theorem/lemma -> complete proof location>
[Models pinned] data model / language / complexity measure / restrictions stated? yes/no
[Bounds] matched and labeled; one-sided gaps disclosed? yes/no
[Self-contained] all definitions in-paper; no external-appendix dependence? yes/no
[Consistency] LIPIcs paper == arXiv full version on all bounds? yes/no
[Fix queue] <close proof gaps first, then pin models, then align full version>
Source: brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills → ICDT-Skills/skills/icdt-reproducibility/SKILL.md
1---2name: icdt-reproducibility3description: Use when strengthening the verifiability of an ICDT (International Conference on Database Theory) paper — the theory-venue analogue of reproducibility — covering complete and self-contained proofs, exact models and assumptions, claim-to-proof mapping, matching upper and lower bounds, consistency between the LIPIcs paper and the arXiv full version, and honest labeling of what is proved versus conjectured.4---567# ICDT Reproducibility89At a theory venue, "reproducibility" means **verifiability**: a competent reader, given your paper,10can reconstruct every proof and independently confirm every theorem. There is no dataset to re-run11and no benchmark to re-execute — the standard is that nothing is asserted without a checkable12argument, and nothing in the published record contradicts the full version. Use this before13submission and again before camera-ready.1415## Verifiability map1617- Map each **theorem, lemma, and stated bound** to a **complete proof** — in the body or the marked18 appendix — with every case handled. An unproved "it can be shown" is the theory-venue equivalent of19 a missing script.20- Pin the **model and assumptions** exactly: the data model, the query/constraint language, the21 complexity measure (data vs combined vs query), and any restriction (bounded arity, acyclicity)22 the proof relies on. A hidden assumption that makes the theorem easier is a correctness defect.23- Ensure **definitions are self-contained**: every symbol and notion used in a proof is defined in24 the paper, not assumed from a specific prior paper the referee may not have open.25- Keep the paper **internally consistent**: a bound stated in the abstract, restated in a theorem,26 and used in a corollary must be the same bound.2728## Proof-completeness audit2930| Claim in the paper | Weak (non-verifiable) form | ICDT-ready form |31|---|---|---|32| "Evaluation is [class]-complete" | Upper bound only; "hardness is standard" | Both bounds proved; the reduction given explicitly |33| "The construction works" | Sketch with the hard case omitted | Every case, including the awkward one, in the appendix |34| "This generalizes [X]" | Asserted | The generalization proved, with X recovered as a special case |35| "The problem is decidable" | Algorithm without a termination/correctness proof | Algorithm + proof it halts and is correct |36| "W.l.o.g. assume acyclic" | Unjustified | The reduction to the acyclic case proved, or the assumption dropped |3738"It is easy to see" is treated as *not shown* unless it genuinely is; convert each such line into a39one-line argument or move it to the appendix as a short proof.4041## Matching bounds and tightness4243```text44[Upper bound] algorithm/argument establishing membership in the claimed class, proved45[Lower bound] a reduction (or game/adversary argument) establishing hardness, proved46[Label] say which is which, and state explicitly when the two meet (tight)47[Gaps] if a bound is one-sided, say so honestly rather than implying tightness48```4950A one-sided bound presented as a settled answer is the most common verifiability failure ICDT51referees catch — and the most common reason for a Cycle-1 "revise."5253## Paper / full-version consistency5455- Before submission: the single PDF is self-contained; every acceptance-critical claim has a56 checkable proof inside it (online appendices are not allowed).57- Before camera-ready: post/update the **arXiv full version** and confirm it states **the same58 theorems and bounds** as the LIPIcs paper. If the revision changed a bound, change it in **both**.59- A published LIPIcs paper whose full version silently proves a weaker (or stronger) result than60 claimed is a lasting citation hazard; keep them in lockstep (`icdt-camera-ready`).6162## Honest labeling6364- Distinguish **theorem** (proved), **conjecture** (believed, unproved), and **open problem** (not65 known) explicitly; a referee reads these words literally.66- State what your result does **not** cover — the cases outside your class, the measures you did not67 bound — so no reader over-reads it.68- Attribute reused proof techniques to their source rather than re-deriving them silently.6970## Output format7172```text73[Claim inventory] <each theorem/lemma -> complete proof location>74[Models pinned] data model / language / complexity measure / restrictions stated? yes/no75[Bounds] matched and labeled; one-sided gaps disclosed? yes/no76[Self-contained] all definitions in-paper; no external-appendix dependence? yes/no77[Consistency] LIPIcs paper == arXiv full version on all bounds? yes/no78[Fix queue] <close proof gaps first, then pin models, then align full version>79```8081---8283**Source:** [`brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills`](https://github.com/brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills) → `ICDT-Skills/skills/icdt-reproducibility/SKILL.md`
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