skill-lean-research

Research Lean 4 and Mathlib for theorem proving tasks. Invoke for Lean-language research using LeanSearch, Loogle, and lean-lsp tools.

438 stars

Best use case

skill-lean-research is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.

Research Lean 4 and Mathlib for theorem proving tasks. Invoke for Lean-language research using LeanSearch, Loogle, and lean-lsp tools.

Teams using skill-lean-research should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.

When to use this skill

  • You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.

When not to use this skill

  • You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
  • You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/skill-lean-research/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/benbrastmckie/nvim/main/.claude/extensions/lean/skills/skill-lean-research/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/skill-lean-research/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How skill-lean-research Compares

Feature / Agentskill-lean-researchStandard Approach
Platform SupportNot specifiedLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityUnknownN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

Research Lean 4 and Mathlib for theorem proving tasks. Invoke for Lean-language research using LeanSearch, Loogle, and lean-lsp tools.

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

SKILL.md Source

# Lean Research Skill

Thin wrapper that delegates Lean research to `lean-research-agent` subagent.

**IMPORTANT**: This skill implements the skill-internal postflight pattern. After the subagent returns,
this skill handles all postflight operations (status update, artifact linking, git commit) before returning.

## Trigger Conditions

This skill activates when:
- Task language is "lean4" or "lean" (either accepted)
- Research involves Mathlib, theorems, or proofs
- Lean-specific MCP tools are needed

---

## Execution Flow

### Stage 1: Input Validation

Validate required inputs:
- `task_number` - Must be provided and exist in state.json
- `focus_prompt` - Optional focus for research direction

```bash
# Lookup task
task_data=$(jq -r --argjson num "$task_number" \
  '.active_projects[] | select(.project_number == $num)' \
  specs/state.json)

# Validate exists
if [ -z "$task_data" ]; then
  return error "Task $task_number not found"
fi

# Extract fields
language=$(echo "$task_data" | jq -r '.language // "general"')
status=$(echo "$task_data" | jq -r '.status')
project_name=$(echo "$task_data" | jq -r '.project_name')
description=$(echo "$task_data" | jq -r '.description // ""')
```

---

### Stage 2: Preflight Status Update

Update task status to "researching" BEFORE invoking subagent.

**Update state.json**:
```bash
jq --arg ts "$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)" \
   --arg status "researching" \
   --arg sid "$session_id" \
  '(.active_projects[] | select(.project_number == '$task_number')) |= . + {
    status: $status,
    last_updated: $ts,
    session_id: $sid
  }' specs/state.json > specs/tmp/state.json && mv specs/tmp/state.json specs/state.json
```

**Update TODO.md**: Use Edit tool to change status marker from `[NOT STARTED]` or `[RESEARCHED]` to `[RESEARCHING]`.

---

### Stage 3: Prepare Delegation Context

Prepare delegation context for the subagent:

```json
{
  "session_id": "sess_{timestamp}_{random}",
  "delegation_depth": 1,
  "delegation_path": ["orchestrator", "research", "skill-lean-research"],
  "timeout": 3600,
  "task_context": {
    "task_number": N,
    "task_name": "{project_name}",
    "description": "{description}",
    "language": "lean"
  },
  "focus_prompt": "{optional focus}",
  "metadata_file_path": "specs/{N}_{SLUG}/.return-meta.json"
}
```

---

### Stage 4: Invoke Subagent

**CRITICAL**: You MUST use the **Task** tool to spawn the subagent.

**Required Tool Invocation**:
```
Tool: Task (NOT Skill)
Parameters:
  - subagent_type: "lean-research-agent"
  - prompt: [Include task_context, delegation_context, focus_prompt, metadata_file_path]
  - description: "Execute Lean research for task {N}"
```

**DO NOT** use `Skill(lean-research-agent)` - this will FAIL.

The subagent will:
- Search Mathlib using lean_leansearch, lean_loogle, lean_leanfinder
- Verify theorems with lean_local_search and lean_hover_info
- Analyze findings and synthesize recommendations
- Create research report in `specs/{N}_{SLUG}/reports/`
- Write metadata to `specs/{N}_{SLUG}/.return-meta.json`
- Return a brief text summary (NOT JSON)

---

### Stage 5: Parse Subagent Return (Read Metadata File)

After subagent returns, read the metadata file:

```bash
metadata_file="specs/${padded_num}_${project_name}/.return-meta.json"

if [ -f "$metadata_file" ] && jq empty "$metadata_file" 2>/dev/null; then
    status=$(jq -r '.status' "$metadata_file")
    artifact_path=$(jq -r '.artifacts[0].path // ""' "$metadata_file")
    artifact_type=$(jq -r '.artifacts[0].type // ""' "$metadata_file")
    artifact_summary=$(jq -r '.artifacts[0].summary // ""' "$metadata_file")
else
    echo "Error: Invalid or missing metadata file"
    status="failed"
fi
```

---

### Stage 6: Update Task Status (Postflight)

If status is "researched", update state.json and TODO.md:

**Update state.json**:
```bash
jq --arg ts "$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)" \
   --arg status "researched" \
  '(.active_projects[] | select(.project_number == '$task_number')) |= . + {
    status: $status,
    last_updated: $ts,
    researched: $ts
  }' specs/state.json > specs/tmp/state.json && mv specs/tmp/state.json specs/state.json
```

**Update TODO.md**: Use Edit tool to change status marker from `[RESEARCHING]` to `[RESEARCHED]`.

**On partial/failed**: Keep status as "researching" for resume.

---

### Stage 7: Link Artifacts

Add artifact to state.json with summary.

```bash
if [ -n "$artifact_path" ]; then
    jq --arg path "$artifact_path" \
       --arg type "$artifact_type" \
       --arg summary "$artifact_summary" \
      '(.active_projects[] | select(.project_number == '$task_number')).artifacts += [{"path": $path, "type": $type, "summary": $summary}]' \
      specs/state.json > specs/tmp/state.json && mv specs/tmp/state.json specs/state.json
fi
```

**Update TODO.md**: Add research artifact link.

---

### Stage 8: Git Commit

Commit changes with session ID:

```bash
git add \
  "specs/${padded_num}_${project_name}/reports/" \
  "specs/${padded_num}_${project_name}/.return-meta.json" \
  "specs/TODO.md" \
  "specs/state.json"
git commit -m "task ${task_number}: complete research

Session: ${session_id}

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>"
```

---

### Stage 9: Return Brief Summary

Return a brief text summary (NOT JSON). Example:

```
Research completed for task {N}:
- Found {count} relevant Mathlib theorems
- Identified proof strategy: {strategy}
- Created report at specs/{N}_{SLUG}/reports/MM_{short-slug}.md
- Status updated to [RESEARCHED]
- Changes committed
```

---

## Error Handling

### Input Validation Errors
Return immediately with error message if task not found.

### Metadata File Missing
If subagent didn't write metadata file:
1. Keep status as "researching"
2. Report error to user

### Git Commit Failure
Non-blocking: Log failure but continue with success response.

### Subagent Timeout
Return partial status if subagent times out (default 3600s).
Keep status as "researching" for resume.

---

## Return Format

This skill returns a **brief text summary** (NOT JSON). The JSON metadata is written to the file and processed internally.

Related Skills

skill-team-research

438
from benbrastmckie/nvim

Orchestrate multi-agent research with wave-based parallel execution. Spawns 2-4 teammates for diverse investigation angles and synthesizes findings.

skill-researcher

438
from benbrastmckie/nvim

Conduct general research using web search, documentation, and codebase exploration. Invoke for general research tasks.

skill-z3-research

438
from benbrastmckie/nvim

Research Z3/SMT tasks. Invoke for Z3-language research.

skill-web-research

438
from benbrastmckie/nvim

Conduct web development research using framework docs and codebase exploration. Invoke for web research tasks.

skill-typst-research

438
from benbrastmckie/nvim

Research Typst documentation tasks. Invoke for Typst-language research.

skill-python-research

438
from benbrastmckie/nvim

Research Python development tasks. Invoke for Python-language research.

skill-neovim-research

438
from benbrastmckie/nvim

Conduct Neovim configuration research using plugin docs and codebase exploration. Invoke for neovim research tasks.

skill-nix-research

438
from benbrastmckie/nvim

Conduct Nix/NixOS/Home Manager research using MCP-NixOS, web docs, and codebase exploration. Invoke for nix research tasks.

skill-lean-version

438
from benbrastmckie/nvim

Manage Lean toolchain and Mathlib versions with backup, upgrade, and rollback support

skill-lean-implementation

438
from benbrastmckie/nvim

Implement Lean 4 proofs and definitions using lean-lsp tools. Invoke for Lean-language implementation tasks.

skill-latex-research

438
from benbrastmckie/nvim

Research LaTeX documentation tasks. Invoke for LaTeX-language research.

skill-deck-research

438
from benbrastmckie/nvim

Pitch deck content research through material synthesis