proffesor-for-testing__agentic-qe/docs/implementation/specs/SPEC-033-B-speculative-execution.md

SPEC-033-B: Speculative Execution

Field	Value
Specification ID	SPEC-033-B
Parent ADR	ADR-033
Version	1.0
Status	Draft
Last Updated	2026-01-20
Author	Architecture Team

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Overview

This specification defines the speculative test execution system that predicts outcomes for skipped test layers after an early exit decision. It enables the system to maintain quality confidence while reducing compute time.

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Speculative Result Types

export interface SpeculativeResult {
  /** Predicted outcome */
  predicted: 'pass' | 'fail' | 'flaky';

  /** Confidence in prediction (0-1) */
  confidence: number;

  /** Whether prediction was verified */
  verified: boolean;

  /** Actual outcome (if verified) */
  actual?: 'pass' | 'fail' | 'flaky';

  /** Whether speculation was correct */
  correct?: boolean;
}

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SpeculativeExecutor Class

export class SpeculativeExecutor {
  constructor(private config: EarlyExitConfig) {}

  /** Generate speculative predictions for skipped layers */
  async speculate(
    exitDecision: EarlyExitDecision,
    skippedLayers: TestLayer[]
  ): Promise<SpeculativeResult[]> {
    const results: SpeculativeResult[] = [];

    for (const layer of skippedLayers) {
      // Predict based on historical patterns and current quality signal
      const prediction = await this.predictLayerOutcome(layer, exitDecision);
      results.push(prediction);
    }

    return results;
  }

  /** Verify speculative predictions with actual execution */
  async verify(
    speculations: SpeculativeResult[],
    skippedLayers: TestLayer[]
  ): Promise<SpeculativeResult[]> {
    const verified: SpeculativeResult[] = [];

    for (let i = 0; i < speculations.length && i < this.config.verificationLayers; i++) {
      const layer = skippedLayers[i];
      const speculation = speculations[i];

      // Run actual tests
      const actual = await this.runLayer(layer);

      verified.push({
        ...speculation,
        verified: true,
        actual: actual.outcome,
        correct: speculation.predicted === actual.outcome,
      });
    }

    // Include unverified speculations
    for (let i = this.config.verificationLayers; i < speculations.length; i++) {
      verified.push(speculations[i]);
    }

    return verified;
  }

  private async predictLayerOutcome(
    layer: TestLayer,
    decision: EarlyExitDecision
  ): Promise<SpeculativeResult> {
    // Simple heuristic: high confidence predicts pass
    const passThreshold = 0.85;

    if (decision.confidence >= passThreshold) {
      return {
        predicted: 'pass',
        confidence: decision.confidence,
        verified: false,
      };
    } else if (decision.confidence >= 0.7) {
      return {
        predicted: 'flaky',
        confidence: decision.confidence,
        verified: false,
      };
    } else {
      return {
        predicted: 'fail',
        confidence: 1 - decision.confidence,
        verified: false,
      };
    }
  }

  private async runLayer(layer: TestLayer): Promise<{ outcome: 'pass' | 'fail' | 'flaky' }> {
    // Execute actual tests
    const executor = new TestExecutor(layer);
    const result = await executor.run();

    if (result.passRate >= 0.99) {
      return { outcome: 'pass' };
    } else if (result.flakyRatio > 0.1) {
      return { outcome: 'flaky' };
    } else {
      return { outcome: 'fail' };
    }
  }
}

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Validation Rules

Rule ID	Description	Severity
SPEC-033-B-001	verificationLayers must be >= 0	Error
SPEC-033-B-002	Prediction confidence must be 0-1	Error
SPEC-033-B-003	Verification count <= speculation count	Warning

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Related Specifications

Spec ID	Title	Relationship
SPEC-033-A	Early Exit Algorithm	Provides exit decisions
SPEC-033-C	Controller Integration	Orchestrates speculation

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Changelog

Version	Date	Author	Changes
1.0	2026-01-20	Architecture Team	Initial specification

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References

• Parent ADR
• Self-Speculative Decoding