tot-exploration

Automatically trigger Tree of Thoughts exploration when agents face architectural decisions with multiple valid approaches.

Triggers

• "evaluate architecture options"
• "compare approaches"
• "which pattern should we use"
• "explore alternatives"
• "architecture decision"
• "ADR for"
• "trade-off between"
• "should we use X or Y"

Purpose

This skill activates the ToT exploration protocol when an agent encounters a decision point with multiple valid architectural approaches. It ensures systematic evaluation rather than defaulting to the first viable option.

Behavior

When triggered, this skill:

1. Detects decision context:

   • Parse the decision question from conversation
   • Check if multiple valid approaches exist
   • Verify this is an architectural/technical decision (not stylistic)

2. Loads ToT protocol:

   • Load @agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/schemas/flows/tree-of-thought.yaml schema
   • Load @.aiwg/flows/docs/tot-architecture-guide.md guidance
   • Load @agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/agents/enhancements/architecture-designer-tot-protocol.md protocol

3. Generates alternatives:

   • Produce k=3 meaningfully distinct alternatives (default)
   • Each alternative addresses the same problem differently
   • No trivial variations (must differ in approach, not just parameters)

4. Evaluates with scoring matrix:

   • Extract criteria from project NFRs if available
   • Apply weighted scoring (1-5 per criterion)
   • Calculate composite scores

5. Produces recommendation:

   • Clear winner (gap > 0.5): Recommend with HIGH confidence
   • Close call (gap 0.2-0.5): Recommend with MODERATE confidence, note trade-offs
   • Tie (gap < 0.2): Present both options, request human decision

6. Generates ADR if approved:

   • Use @agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/templates/architecture/adr-with-tot.md template
   • Save to .aiwg/architecture/
   • Include backtracking triggers

Activation Conditions

activation:
  conditions:
    - decision_type: [architectural, technical, infrastructure]
    - alternatives_count: ">= 2"
    - impact_level: [high, critical]

  skip_when:
    - decision_already_documented: true
    - user_explicitly_chose: true
    - trivial_decision: true

Integration

This skill uses:

• decision-support: Underlying decision matrix infrastructure
• artifact-orchestration: For multi-agent evaluation when needed
• project-awareness: Context for NFR-based criteria

Agent Orchestration

agents:
  primary:
    agent: architecture-designer
    focus: Generate and evaluate alternatives

  reviewers:
    - agent: security-architect
      focus: Security implications of each alternative
      condition: security_relevant == true
    - agent: performance-engineer
      focus: Performance trade-offs
      condition: performance_critical == true
    - agent: cloud-architect
      focus: Infrastructure implications
      condition: cloud_deployment == true

Output Locations

• ADRs: .aiwg/architecture/adr-*.md
• Decision matrices: .aiwg/decisions/
• ToT exploration logs: .aiwg/working/tot-explorations/

References

• @agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/schemas/flows/tree-of-thought.yaml - ToT workflow schema
• @.aiwg/flows/docs/tot-architecture-guide.md - Architecture guide
• @agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/agents/enhancements/architecture-designer-tot-protocol.md - Agent protocol
• @agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/templates/architecture/adr-with-tot.md - ADR template
• @agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/skills/decision-support/SKILL.md - Decision support skill
• @.aiwg/research/findings/REF-020-tree-of-thoughts.md - Research foundation