Entropyk/_bmad-output/implementation-artifacts/5-6-control-variable-step-clipping-in-solver.md

# Story 5.6: Control Variable Step Clipping in Solver

Status: review

## Story

As a control engineer,
I want bounded control variables to be clipped at each Newton iteration,
so that the solver never proposes physically impossible values (e.g., valve > 100%, frequency < min).

## Acceptance Criteria

1. **Step Clipping During Newton Iteration**
   - Given a bounded variable with bounds [min, max]
   - When the solver computes a Newton step Δx
   - Then the new value is clipped: `x_new = clamp(x + Δx, min, max)`
   - And the variable never goes outside bounds during ANY iteration

2. **State Vector Integration**
   - Given control variables in the state vector at indices [2*edge_count, ...]
   - When the solver updates the state vector
   - Then bounded variables are clipped
   - And regular edge states (P, h) are NOT clipped

3. **Saturation Detection After Convergence**
   - Given a converged solution
   - When one or more bounded variables are at bounds
   - Then `ConvergenceStatus::ControlSaturation` is returned
   - And `saturated_variables()` returns the list of saturated variables

4. **Performance**
   - Given the clipping logic
   - When solving a system
   - Then no measurable performance degradation (< 1% overhead)

5. **Backward Compatibility**
   - Given existing code that doesn't use bounded variables
   - When solving
   - Then behavior is unchanged (no clipping applied)

## Tasks / Subtasks

- [x] Add `get_bounded_variable_by_state_index()` method to System
  - [x] Efficient lookup from state index to bounded variable
  - [x] Return `Option<&BoundedVariable>`
- [x] Modify Newton-Raphson step application in `solver.rs`
  - [x] Identify which state indices are bounded variables
  - [x] Apply `clip_step()` only to bounded variable indices
  - [x] Regular edge states pass through unchanged
- [x] Update line search to respect bounds
  - [x] When testing step lengths, ensure bounded vars stay in bounds
  - [x] Or skip line search for bounded variables
- [x] Add unit tests
  - [x] Test clipping at max bound
  - [x] Test clipping at min bound
  - [x] Test multiple bounded variables
  - [x] Test that edge states are NOT clipped
  - [x] Test saturation detection after convergence
- [x] Update documentation
  - [x] Document clipping behavior in solver.rs
  - [x] Update inverse control module docs

## Dev Notes

### Problem Statement

Currently in `solver.rs` (line ~921), the Newton step is applied without clipping:

```rust
// Current code (BUG):
for (s, &d) in state.iter_mut().zip(delta.iter()) {
    *s += d;  // No clipping for bounded variables!
}
```

This means:
- Valve position could become 1.5 (> 100%)
- VFD frequency could become 0.1 (< 30% minimum)
- The solver may diverge or converge to impossible solutions

### Solution

Add clipping logic that:
1. Checks if state index corresponds to a bounded variable
2. If yes, applies `clamp(min, max)`
3. If no, applies the step normally

```rust
// Fixed code:
for (i, s) in state.iter_mut().enumerate() {
    let delta_i = delta[i];
    
    // Check if this index is a bounded variable
    if let Some((min, max)) = system.get_bounds_for_state_index(i) {
        *s = (*s + delta_i).clamp(min, max);
    } else {
        *s = *s + delta_i;
    }
}
```

### State Vector Layout

```
State Vector Layout:
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Index 0..2*N_edges-1  │ Edge states (P, h) - NOT clipped        │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Index 2*N_edges..     │ Control variables - CLIPPED to bounds    │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ After controls        │ Thermal coupling temps - NOT clipped     │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

### Implementation Strategy

**Option A: Check on every iteration (simple)**
```rust
for (i, s) in state.iter_mut().enumerate() {
    let proposed = *s + delta[i];
    *s = system.clip_state_index(i, proposed);
}
```

**Option B: Pre-compute clipping mask (faster)**
```rust
// Before Newton loop:
let clipping_mask: Vec<Option<(f64, f64)>> = (0..state.len())
    .map(|i| system.get_bounds_for_state_index(i))
    .collect();

// In Newton loop:
for (i, s) in state.iter_mut().enumerate() {
    let proposed = *s + delta[i];
    *s = match &clipping_mask[i] {
        Some((min, max)) => proposed.clamp(*min, *max),
        None => proposed,
    };
}
```

**Recommendation:** Option B - Pre-compute the mask once after `finalize()` for minimal overhead.

### Code Locations

| File | Location | Change |
|------|----------|--------|
| `system.rs` | New method | `get_bounds_for_state_index()` |
| `solver.rs` | Line ~920-925 | Add clipping in Newton step |
| `solver.rs` | Line ~900-918 | Consider bounds in line search |

### Existing Code to Leverage

From `bounded.rs`:
```rust
pub fn clip_step(current: f64, delta: f64, min: f64, max: f64) -> f64 {
    let proposed = current + delta;
    proposed.clamp(min, max)
}
```

From `system.rs`:
```rust
pub fn control_variable_state_index(&self, id: &BoundedVariableId) -> Option<usize>
pub fn saturated_variables(&self) -> Vec<SaturationInfo>
```

### Anti-Patterns to Avoid

- **DON'T** clip edge states (P, h) - they can be any physical value
- **DON'T** allocate in the Newton loop - pre-compute the mask
- **DON'T** use `unwrap()` - the mask contains `Option<(f64, f64)>`
- **DON'T** forget line search - bounds must be respected there too

### Testing Strategy

```rust
#[test]
fn test_bounded_variable_clipped_at_max() {
    // Valve at 95%, Newton wants +10% → should clip to 100%
    let mut system = System::new();
    // ... setup ...
    
    let valve = BoundedVariable::new(
        BoundedVariableId::new("valve"),
        0.95, 0.0, 1.0
    ).unwrap();
    system.add_bounded_variable(valve);
    
    let result = solver.solve(&system).unwrap();
    
    let final_valve = system.get_bounded_variable(&BoundedVariableId::new("valve")).unwrap();
    assert!(final_valve.value() <= 1.0);
}

#[test]
fn test_bounded_variable_clipped_at_min() {
    // VFD at 35%, Newton wants -10% → should clip to 30%
    let mut system = System::new();
    // ... setup ...
    
    let vfd = BoundedVariable::new(
        BoundedVariableId::new("vfd"),
        0.35, 0.30, 1.0  // min = 30%
    ).unwrap();
    system.add_bounded_variable(vfd);
    
    let result = solver.solve(&system).unwrap();
    
    let final_vfd = system.get_bounded_variable(&BoundedVariableId::new("vfd")).unwrap();
    assert!(final_vfd.value() >= 0.30);
}

#[test]
fn test_edge_states_not_clipped() {
    // Edge pressures can go negative in Newton step (temporary)
    // They should NOT be clipped
    // ... verify edge states can exceed any bounds ...
}

#[test]
fn test_saturation_detected_after_convergence() {
    // If solution requires valve > 100%, detect saturation
    // ... verify ConvergenceStatus::ControlSaturation ...
}
```

### References

- [Source: `bounded.rs:502-517`] `clip_step()` function
- [Source: `solver.rs:920-925`] Newton step application (current bug)
- [Source: `system.rs:1305-1320`] `control_variable_state_index()`
- [Source: Story 5.2] BoundedVariable implementation
- [Source: FR23] "solving respecting Bounded Constraints"
- [Source: Story 5.2 AC] "variable never outside bounds during iterations"

### Related Stories

- **Story 5.2**: Bounded Control Variables (DONE) - provides `clip_step()`, `BoundedVariable`
- **Story 5.3**: Residual Embedding (DONE) - adds controls to state vector
- **Story 5.7**: Prioritized Constraints (FUTURE) - protection vs performance
- **Story 5.8**: Coupling Functions (FUTURE) - SDT_max = f(SST)

## Dev Agent Record

### Agent Model Used

Antigravity

### Debug Log References

- Iteration loop uses `apply_newton_step` to enforce bounds cleanly, avoiding heap allocations during Newton loop.
- Line search is updated to test step lengths while still honoring the bound limits.

### Completion Notes List

- Implemented `get_bounded_variable_by_state_index` and `get_bounds_for_state_index` in `System`.
- Precomputed `clipping_mask` in Newton solver before loops to cache bound lookup without allocations.
- Overhauled Newton step updates via `apply_newton_step` to properly clamp variables defined in the `clipping_mask`.
- Ensured Armijo line search evaluates bounded states correctly without crashing.
- Verified physical edge variables (P, h) continue unhindered by bounds.
- Added comprehensive tests for behavior including saturation detection.

### File List

- `crates/solver/src/system.rs`
- `crates/solver/src/solver.rs`
- `crates/solver/tests/newton_raphson.rs`