{
 "measurement": "Whether Claude Code's startup floor depends on the working-directory path",
 "claude_code_version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
 "trial_date": "2026-08-24",
 "prompt": "Reply with only: OK",
 "what_prompted_it": {
  "summary": "The isolated trivial floor was measured three times in one morning on the same release and did not return the same value, which is what prompted this.",
  "the_three_runs": [
   {
    "file": "baseline-floor-2-1-241-raw.json",
    "written": "2026-08-24 08:47",
    "harness": "floor-run.py",
    "readings": 8,
    "values": [
     22793
    ]
   },
   {
    "file": "fanout-slope-2-1-241-raw.json",
    "written": "2026-08-24 09:06",
    "harness": "fanout-slope-run.py",
    "readings": 4,
    "values": [
     22793
    ]
   },
   {
    "file": "fanout-slope-2-1-241-8r.json",
    "written": "2026-08-24 09:41",
    "harness": "fanout-slope-run.py",
    "readings": 8,
    "values": [
     22795
    ]
   }
  ],
  "what_differed": "The two runs from fanout-slope-run.py above differed only in the sandbox directory name, one character longer.",
  "prior_assertion_never_measured": "This site had asserted the cause once, in a code comment on /cost/ reading 'the two tokens tracked the working-directory string, which sits in the system prompt'. It was never measured and never applied as a caveat to the BASELINE constant the calculator publishes."
 },
 "preregistration": "/path-floor-preregistration.md",
 "method": {
  "observable": "inputTokens + cacheCreationInputTokens + cacheReadInputTokens summed over modelUsage. Not .usage.",
  "isolation": "--setting-sources project asserted onto argv every call.",
  "sandbox": "A fresh directory asserted EMPTY before every call, so the only thing differing between cells is the path string itself.",
  "arrival": "Every reply had to be exactly OK.",
  "rounds_per_cell": 4,
  "estimator": "none where a cell is single-valued, which is every cell here except two that show a known intermittent component; those publish their raw values."
 },
 "results": {
  "the_floor_is_not_one_number": {
   "range_observed": [
    22765,
    22847
   ],
   "across_paths": 10,
   "reading": "The startup floor is not a property of the release alone. It varies with the working-directory path by more than eighty tokens across the paths measured here."
  },
  "it_tracks_TOKENS_not_CHARACTERS": {
   "matched_pair_same_character_count": 67,
   "sparse_path": {
    "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
    "floor": 22829,
    "runs": "4 of 4"
   },
   "dense_path": {
    "path": "/tmp/proj/src/api/v2/handlers/internal/util/deepxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/x",
    "floor": 22843,
    "runs": "4 of 4"
   },
   "difference": 14,
   "reading": "Two paths of identical character count differ by 14 tokens, so character count is not the quantity being counted."
  },
  "a_shorter_path_can_cost_more": {
   "shorter": {
    "path": "/tmp/a/b/c/d/e/f/g/h/i/j/k/l/m/n/o/p/x",
    "chars": 38,
    "floor": 22829,
    "runs": "4 of 4"
   },
   "longer": {
    "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
    "chars": 47,
    "floor": 22809,
    "runs": "8 of 8"
   },
   "chars_saved": 9,
   "tokens_added": 20,
   "reading": "A path 9 characters SHORTER costs 20 tokens MORE. This rules out length directly rather than by inference from the matched pair."
  },
  "repeated_character_ladder": [
   {
    "chars": 17,
    "floor": 22779,
    "runs": "3 of 4"
   },
   {
    "chars": 27,
    "floor": 22789,
    "runs": "4 of 4"
   },
   {
    "chars": 47,
    "floor": 22809,
    "runs": "8 of 8"
   },
   {
    "chars": 67,
    "floor": 22829,
    "runs": "4 of 4"
   }
  ],
  "cells": [
   {
    "path": "/tmp/p",
    "path_chars": 6,
    "runs": 8,
    "values": [
     21868,
     22765,
     22765,
     22765,
     22765,
     22765,
     22765,
     22765
    ],
    "single_valued": false,
    "settled_value": 22765,
    "settled_in": "7 of 8",
    "low_outlier_present": true
   },
   {
    "path": "/tmp/fanout241/trivial_0_iso_0",
    "path_chars": 30,
    "runs": 4,
    "values": [
     22793,
     22793,
     22793,
     22793
    ],
    "single_valued": true,
    "settled_value": 22793,
    "settled_in": "4 of 4",
    "low_outlier_present": false
   },
   {
    "path": "/tmp/fanout241b/trivial_0_iso_0",
    "path_chars": 31,
    "runs": 4,
    "values": [
     22795,
     22795,
     22795,
     22795
    ],
    "single_valued": true,
    "settled_value": 22795,
    "settled_in": "4 of 4",
    "low_outlier_present": false
   },
   {
    "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/trivial_0_iso_0",
    "path_chars": 81,
    "runs": 4,
    "values": [
     22847,
     22847,
     22847,
     22847
    ],
    "single_valued": true,
    "settled_value": 22847,
    "settled_in": "4 of 4",
    "low_outlier_present": false
   },
   {
    "path": "/tmp/dddddddddd/x",
    "path_chars": 17,
    "runs": 4,
    "values": [
     21882,
     22779,
     22779,
     22779
    ],
    "single_valued": false,
    "settled_value": 22779,
    "settled_in": "3 of 4",
    "low_outlier_present": true
   },
   {
    "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddd/x",
    "path_chars": 27,
    "runs": 4,
    "values": [
     22789,
     22789,
     22789,
     22789
    ],
    "single_valued": true,
    "settled_value": 22789,
    "settled_in": "4 of 4",
    "low_outlier_present": false
   },
   {
    "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
    "path_chars": 47,
    "runs": 8,
    "values": [
     22809,
     22809,
     22809,
     22809,
     22809,
     22809,
     22809,
     22809
    ],
    "single_valued": true,
    "settled_value": 22809,
    "settled_in": "8 of 8",
    "low_outlier_present": false
   },
   {
    "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
    "path_chars": 67,
    "runs": 4,
    "values": [
     22829,
     22829,
     22829,
     22829
    ],
    "single_valued": true,
    "settled_value": 22829,
    "settled_in": "4 of 4",
    "low_outlier_present": false
   },
   {
    "path": "/tmp/proj/src/api/v2/handlers/internal/util/deepxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/x",
    "path_chars": 67,
    "runs": 4,
    "values": [
     22843,
     22843,
     22843,
     22843
    ],
    "single_valued": true,
    "settled_value": 22843,
    "settled_in": "4 of 4",
    "low_outlier_present": false
   },
   {
    "path": "/tmp/a/b/c/d/e/f/g/h/i/j/k/l/m/n/o/p/x",
    "path_chars": 38,
    "runs": 4,
    "values": [
     22829,
     22829,
     22829,
     22829
    ],
    "single_valued": true,
    "settled_value": 22829,
    "settled_in": "4 of 4",
    "low_outlier_present": false
   }
  ]
 },
 "known_limits": {
  "one_machine_one_release": "All runs on one machine, 2.1.241 (Claude Code).",
  "no_rate_is_published": "The ladder uses a single repeated character, which tokenises unlike any real path. A tokens-per-character rate taken from it would not transfer, and none is published. What is established is the DIRECTION and that the quantity is tokens.",
  "no_mechanism": "Nothing here shows where in the system prompt the path appears, how many times, or whether the same holds for other prompts or a non-empty project.",
  "intermittent_component": "GENERATED: 2 of 10 cells showed a single reading several hundred tokens below the settled value, which matches an intermittent component this site has measured before. Those cells publish their raw values and the settled value is the repeated one, which is stated per cell rather than smoothed.",
  "trivial_prompt_only": "One trivial prompt in an empty directory. A real project adds its own context and this measures none of it."
 },
 "runs": [
  {
   "path": "/tmp/p",
   "path_len": 6,
   "round": 0,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22765,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/p",
   "path_len": 6,
   "round": 1,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22765,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/p",
   "path_len": 6,
   "round": 2,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 21868,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/p",
   "path_len": 6,
   "round": 3,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22765,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/fanout241/trivial_0_iso_0",
   "path_len": 30,
   "round": 0,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22793,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/fanout241/trivial_0_iso_0",
   "path_len": 30,
   "round": 1,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22793,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/fanout241/trivial_0_iso_0",
   "path_len": 30,
   "round": 2,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22793,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/fanout241/trivial_0_iso_0",
   "path_len": 30,
   "round": 3,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22793,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/fanout241b/trivial_0_iso_0",
   "path_len": 31,
   "round": 0,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22795,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/fanout241b/trivial_0_iso_0",
   "path_len": 31,
   "round": 1,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22795,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/fanout241b/trivial_0_iso_0",
   "path_len": 31,
   "round": 2,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22795,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/fanout241b/trivial_0_iso_0",
   "path_len": 31,
   "round": 3,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22795,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/trivial_0_iso_0",
   "path_len": 81,
   "round": 0,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22847,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/trivial_0_iso_0",
   "path_len": 81,
   "round": 1,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22847,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/trivial_0_iso_0",
   "path_len": 81,
   "round": 2,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22847,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/trivial_0_iso_0",
   "path_len": 81,
   "round": 3,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22847,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-length-floor-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/p",
   "path_len": 6,
   "round": 0,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22765,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/p",
   "path_len": 6,
   "round": 1,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22765,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/p",
   "path_len": 6,
   "round": 2,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22765,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/p",
   "path_len": 6,
   "round": 3,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22765,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 17,
   "round": 0,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22779,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 17,
   "round": 1,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22779,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 17,
   "round": 2,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 21882,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 17,
   "round": 3,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22779,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 27,
   "round": 0,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22789,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 27,
   "round": 1,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22789,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 27,
   "round": 2,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22789,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 27,
   "round": 3,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22789,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 47,
   "round": 0,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22809,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 47,
   "round": 1,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22809,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 47,
   "round": 2,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22809,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 47,
   "round": 3,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22809,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 67,
   "round": 0,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22829,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 67,
   "round": 1,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22829,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 67,
   "round": 2,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22829,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 67,
   "round": 3,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22829,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/proj/src/api/v2/handlers/internal/util/deepxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/x",
   "path_len": 67,
   "round": 0,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22843,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/proj/src/api/v2/handlers/internal/util/deepxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/x",
   "path_len": 67,
   "round": 1,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22843,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/proj/src/api/v2/handlers/internal/util/deepxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/x",
   "path_len": 67,
   "round": 2,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22843,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/proj/src/api/v2/handlers/internal/util/deepxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/x",
   "path_len": 67,
   "round": 3,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22843,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-discriminating-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/a/b/c/d/e/f/g/h/i/j/k/l/m/n/o/p/x",
   "path_len": 38,
   "round": 0,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22829,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-reciprocal-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/a/b/c/d/e/f/g/h/i/j/k/l/m/n/o/p/x",
   "path_len": 38,
   "round": 1,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22829,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-reciprocal-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/a/b/c/d/e/f/g/h/i/j/k/l/m/n/o/p/x",
   "path_len": 38,
   "round": 2,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22829,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-reciprocal-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/a/b/c/d/e/f/g/h/i/j/k/l/m/n/o/p/x",
   "path_len": 38,
   "round": 3,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22829,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-reciprocal-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 47,
   "round": 0,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22809,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-reciprocal-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 47,
   "round": 1,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22809,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-reciprocal-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 47,
   "round": 2,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22809,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-reciprocal-2-1-241.json"
  },
  {
   "path": "/tmp/dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd/x",
   "path_len": 47,
   "round": 3,
   "status": "ok",
   "context": 22809,
   "reply": "OK",
   "version": "2.1.241 (Claude Code)",
   "source_file": "path-floor-reciprocal-2-1-241.json"
  }
 ]
}