Beamer Slide Workflow

Universal skill for academic Beamer presentations. Full lifecycle:
create → compile → review → polish → verify.

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0. REFERENCE PREAMBLE

When creating new slides, use this as the default preamble unless the user has a custom template.

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Rules:

• - Always 10pt — 11pt or 12pt produces oversized, sparse slides.
• Always aspectratio=169 — modern projectors are 16:9.
• Default presenter: \author{Presenter: [name]} and \institute{[University]}. Replace [name] and [University] with user-provided values; ask if not specified.
• If user provides a custom preamble, header file, or theme: use theirs.
• Add domain-specific macros (e.g. \newcommand{\F}{\mathbb{F}}) as needed.
• Algorithm/code packages (add only when needed):

- Algorithms: \usepackage[ruled,lined]{algorithm2e} — set \SetAlgoLined, \DontPrintSemicolon
- Code listings: \usepackage{listings} — set basicstyle=\ttfamily\small, keywordstyle=\bfseries\color{positive}, commentstyle=\color{neutral}. Max 10 lines of code per slide; highlight key lines with escapeinside={(*@}{@*)} and \colorbox.
- Pseudocode: \usepackage{algorithmic} — simpler than algorithm2e, suitable for short procedures.

• - Data plotting (add only when needed):

- \usepackage{pgfplots} + \pgfplotsset{compat=1.18} — data-driven plots (bar, scatter, error bars, histograms). Far more efficient than manual TikZ coordinate plots for data visualization.
- \usepackage{subcaption} — multiple subfigures in one frame via \begin{subfigure}{0.48\textwidth}.

• - Theorem environments: Beamer provides theorem, lemma, corollary, definition, example, proof out of the box (styled by the theme). Use them for formal statements — they get automatic numbering and consistent styling. Customize with \setbeamertemplate{theorems}[numbered] or [ams style].

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1. HARD RULES (Non-Negotiable)

1. 1. No overlays — never use \pause, \onslide, \only, \uncover. Use multiple slides for progressive builds, color emphasis for attention.
2. Max 2 colored boxes per slide — more dilutes emphasis. Demote transitional remarks to plain italic.
3. Motivation before formalism — every concept starts with "Why?" before "What?".
4. Worked example within 2 slides of every definition.
5. XeLaTeX only — never pdflatex.
6. Beamer .tex is the single source of truth — TikZ diagrams, content, notation all originate here.
7. Verify after every task — compile, check warnings, open PDF.
8. Telegraphic style — keyword phrases, not full sentences. Slides are speaker prompts, not manuscripts. Exception: framing sentences that set up a definition or transition.
9. Every slide earns its place — each slide must contain at least one substantive element (formula, diagram, table, theorem, or algorithm). A slide with only 3 short bullets and nothing else must be merged or enriched.
10. Box-interior overflow guard — alertblock, exampleblock, and block environments add internal padding (~15% less width, ~12-16pt extra height for title bar + vertical padding). Content that fits on a bare slide can overflow inside a box in both directions. Rules:

- Vertical overflow (most common, hardest to detect): display math (\[ \]) + text below it inside a single box easily exceeds vertical capacity. Limit box content to one display equation OR 2-3 short bullet items — not both. Never use aggressive \vspace{-Xpt} inside a box; it pulls bottom content past the border. - Horizontal overflow: never use \qquad inside a box; use \quad or ,. If a display equation is wider than ~70% of \textwidth on a bare slide, reformat before placing inside a box. - Beamer suppresses overfull warnings inside blocks — zero compile warnings does NOT guarantee no visual overflow. Always visually verify every box in the PDF.

1. 11. Reference slide — the second-to-last slide (before Thank You) must be a References slide listing key cited works. Use \begin{thebibliography}{9} with \small. Include the primary paper and 3-5 most relevant references.
2. Color and contrast standards — text-background contrast ratio ≥ 4.5:1 (WCAG AA). Never use red+green for binary contrasts (color blindness affects ~8% of men). Prefer blue+orange. Semantic color commands defined in preamble: \pos{} = positive/correct (blue), \con{} = negative/limitation (orange), \HL{} = emphasis/key finding (green), \textcolor{neutral}{} = de-emphasized. These are color-blind safe. Limit total palette to 3-5 colors.
3. Visual hierarchy in font sizes — slide title: 20-24pt (beamer default), key findings/theorems: normal size with \textbf, supporting text: normal, labels/captions: \small minimum. Never use \tiny for any user-facing content.
4. Backup slides — after the Thank You slide, include 3-5 backup slides for anticipated questions (detailed proofs, extended comparisons, additional experimental results). Use \appendix before backup section. Separate from main deck with a \begin{frame}{Backup Slides}\end{frame} divider. Backup slides should NOT count toward the timing allocation.
5. Columns layout — use \begin{columns}[T] + \column{W\textwidth} for side-by-side content. Rules:

- Comparison / parallel content: two columns at 0.48\textwidth each (leave 0.04 gap). - Figure + text: figure column 0.45-0.55, text column 0.40-0.50, gap 0.05. - Three columns maximum: each ≤ 0.30\textwidth, only for short items (icons, stats, one-liners). - Never nest columns inside columns. - Always use [T] (top-align) unless deliberately centering. - Columns content follows the same density constraints as regular slides.

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2. ACTIONS

Parse $ARGUMENTS to determine which action to run. If no action specified, ask.

2.1 compile [file]

3-pass XeLaTeX + bibtex for full citation resolution.

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Post-compile checks:

• - Grep log for Overfull \\hbox warnings (count and locations)
• Grep for Undefined control sequence or INLINECODE67
• Grep for INLINECODE68
• Open PDF for visual verification
• Report: success/failure, overfull count, undefined items, page count

2.2 create [topic]

Collaborative, iterative lecture creation. Strict phase gates — never skip ahead.

Phase 0: Material Analysis (if papers/materials provided)

Read first, ask later. Must understand the content before asking meaningful questions.

• - Read the full paper/materials thoroughly
• Extract: core contribution, key techniques, main theorems, comparison with prior work
• Map notation conventions
• Identify the paper's logical structure and which parts are slide-worthy
• Internally note: prerequisite knowledge, natural section boundaries, what could be skipped or expanded

Do NOT present results or ask questions yet — proceed directly to Phase 1.

Phase 1: Needs Interview (MANDATORY — informed by Phase 0)

Conduct a content-driven interview via AskUserQuestion. The questions below are the minimum required set — you MUST also add paper-specific questions derived from Phase 0.

Minimum required questions (always ask):

1. 1. Duration: How long is the presentation?
2. Audience level: Who are the listeners?

Content-driven questions (derive from Phase 0, ask as many as needed):

• - Prerequisite knowledge: List concrete technical dependencies identified in Phase 0. Ask which ones the audience knows. E.g., "The paper builds on sumcheck and polynomial commitments. Should I review these?" — not "familiar with basic algebra?".
• Content scope: Offer the paper's actual components as options. Ask which to emphasize, skip, or briefly mention.
• Depth vs. breadth: If the paper has both intuitive overview and detailed constructions, ask which the user prefers.
• Paper-specific decisions: E.g., if the paper compares two constructions, ask whether to present both equally or focus on one.

Guidelines:

• - Options should come from the paper's actual content, not generic templates.
• 3-6 questions total; don't over-ask, don't under-ask.
• If something is obvious from context (e.g., user said "讨论班"), infer rather than ask.

Slide count heuristic: ~1 slide per 1.5-2 minutes.

Timing allocation table:

Duration	Total slides	Intro/Motivation	Methods/Background	Core content	Summary/Conclusion
5min (lightning)	5-7	1-2	0-1	2-3	1
10min (short)

8-12 | 2 | 1-2 | 4-5 | 1 |
| 15min (conference) | 10-15 | 2-3 | 2-3 | 5-7 | 1-2 |
| 20min (seminar) | 13-18 | 3 | 2-3 | 6-9 | 2 |
| 45min (keynote) | 22-30 | 4-5 | 5-7 | 10-14 | 2-3 |
| 90min (lecture) | 45-60 | 5-6 | 8-12 | 25-35 | 3-4 |

Talk-type specific tips:

Talk type	Key emphasis	Common mistake
Lightning (5min)	One core message, no background review	Cramming a full talk into 5 minutes
Conference (10-20min)

1-2 key results, fast methods overview | Too much technical detail, no big picture |
| Seminar (45min) | Deep dive OK, but need visual rhythm | Wall-to-wall formulas without examples |
| Defense/Thesis | Demonstrate mastery, systematic coverage | Skipping motivation, rushing results |
| Journal club | Critical analysis, facilitate discussion | Summarizing without evaluating |
| Grant pitch | Significance → feasibility → impact | Too technical, not enough "why it matters" |

Time distribution principle: Spend 40-50% of time on core content (results/techniques). Max 3-4 consecutive theory-heavy slides before a worked example or visual break.

Phase 2: Structure Plan (GATE — user must approve before drafting)

Produce a detailed outline. For each section:

• - Section title
• Number of slides allocated
• Key content points per slide (1-2 lines each)
• TikZ diagrams or figures planned (brief description)
• Notation to introduce

Present the plan to the user. Ask: structure OK? Expand/shrink/cut anything?

Do NOT proceed to drafting until user approves.

Phase 3: Draft (iterative, batched)

This phase is the most critical. Follow all sub-rules strictly.

3a. Writing Style

• - Telegraphic keywords, not full sentences. Exception: one framing sentence per slide to set context.
• Formulas and analysis interleave tightly — define a quantity, then immediately state its cost/property/implication on the same slide. Never isolate a formula on one slide and its analysis on the next.
• No conversational hedging — never write "wait, not exactly", "actually, let me clarify", or similar. If a point needs qualification, state it precisely from the start.
• Use \textbf{} for key terms on first introduction; use \pos{...} for positive properties, \con{...} for drawbacks/limitations, \HL{...} for key findings (defined in preamble).

3a-2. Opening and Closing Strategies

Opening slide (pick one strategy):

• - Surprising statistic — a counter-intuitive number that challenges assumptions
• Provocative question — something the audience cannot immediately answer
• Real-world failure/problem — "System X failed because..." → "How do we prevent this?"
• Visual demonstration — show the phenomenon before explaining it

The opening should create tension or curiosity that the rest of the talk resolves.

Closing strategies:

• - Call-back to opening — revisit the opening question/problem, now answered (circular narrative)
• 3 key takeaways — numbered, telegraphic, one slide. The audience remembers the last thing they see.
• Open question / future direction — leave the audience thinking, naturally invites Q&A
• Never end on a bare "Thank You" — the second-to-last content slide should deliver the lasting impression. The Thank You slide is a courtesy, not the conclusion.

3b. Mathematical Slide Patterns

Each math-heavy slide should follow one of these patterns:

Definition slide:
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Construction/Algorithm slide:
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Comparison slide:
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Insight/Remark slide (adds value beyond the paper):
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Every slide must have a clear takeaway — the one thing the audience should remember.

Theorem/Proof slide (for formal mathematical statements):

[Framing sentence: informal statement of the result]
\begin{theorem}[Optional name]
  [Formal statement in display math]
\end{theorem}
[Key implication or "why this matters" as 1-2 bullets]

• - Proof on the next slide (never cramming theorem + proof on one slide).
• For long proofs: show proof sketch (key steps only), put full proof in backup slides.
• Use \begin{proof}[Proof sketch] to signal abbreviated proofs.

Cross-referencing between slides:

• - Label key slides with \label{slide:construction} inside the frame.
• Reference from other slides: see Slide~\ref{slide:construction} or clickable \hyperlink{slide:construction}{\beamerbutton{Back to Construction}}.
• Especially useful for Q&A — quickly jump back to a referenced result.
• In backup slides, always hyperlink back to the main slide that motivates them.

3c. Content Density Constraints

Upper bounds (per slide):

• - ≤ 7 bullet points or items
• ≤ 2 displayed equations (more → split)
• ≤ 5 new symbols introduced
• ≤ 2 colored boxes (alertblock/exampleblock)

Lower bounds (per slide):

• - Each slide MUST contain at least one substantive element: a formula, diagram, table, theorem statement, or algorithm
• A slide with only ≤ 3 short text-only bullets is too sparse — merge with an adjacent slide or add a formula/diagram
• Pure text-only bullet slides should be ≤ 30% of the total deck

Density self-check after each batch:

• - Count slides that have zero formulas/diagrams/tables → flag if > 30% of batch
• Count slides with ≤ 3 short items and no math → candidates for merging

3d. Batch Workflow

• - Work in batches of 5-10 slides, following the approved structure
• After each batch, self-check: notation consistency, density constraints, motivation-before-formalism
• Continue to next batch only after current batch passes self-check

3e. Table Best Practices

• - Always use booktabs (\toprule, \midrule, \bottomrule) — never vertical lines (|).
• Column alignment: numbers right-aligned (r), text left-aligned (l), short labels centered (c).
• Max 6-7 columns, 8-10 rows per slide. More → split across slides or use highlighting to show subset.
• Use \resizebox{\textwidth}{!}{...} only as last resort — prefer reducing columns/rows first.
• Highlight key cells with \cellcolor{positive!15} or \textbf{} — draw the eye to the result.
• For comparison tables: bold the best result in each row/column.
• Caption below table in \small, or use the frame title as the implicit caption.

3f. Algorithm and Code Display

• - Pseudocode ≤ 10 lines per slide. If longer, split into "high-level overview" and "key subroutine" slides.
• Highlight the critical line(s): use escapeinside in listings or \colorbox in algorithm2e.
• Input/output clearly stated at the top of the algorithm.
• Use consistent naming: variables in math italic ($x$), functions in sans-serif or typewriter.
• For code (not pseudocode): \ttfamily\small, syntax highlighting via listings. Show only the relevant fragment — never dump an entire source file.

Phase 4: Figures

• - TikZ diagrams in Beamer source (single source of truth)
• Apply TikZ quality standards (see Section 2.6)
• R/Python scripts if needed

Data visualization guidelines (journal figures ≠ slide figures):

• - Simplify ruthlessly — remove minor gridlines, detailed legends (label directly on plot), secondary axes. Show only data supporting the current slide's point.
• Enlarge everything — axis labels ≥ 18pt, line width 2-4pt, marker size 8-12pt. If unreadable at 2-3 feet from laptop, it fails on a projector.
• Direct labeling — label lines/bars directly instead of using a separate legend. Reduces cognitive load.
• One message per figure — split multi-panel journal figures across multiple slides. Each slide shows one comparison.
• Highlight the result — key data in bold saturated color, comparison data in muted gray. Use \textcolor{blue!70!black}{...} for the key finding, gray for reference.
• Color-blind safe palette — prefer blue (#0173B2) + orange (#DE8F05) over red + green. Add line style differences (solid/dashed/dotted) as redundant encoding. In TikZ:

  \definecolor{cbBlue}{HTML}{0173B2}
  \definecolor{cbOrange}{HTML}{DE8F05}
  \definecolor{cbGreen}{HTML}{029E73}
  \definecolor{cbPurple}{HTML}{CC78BC}
  

• - Progressive disclosure — for complex figures, build incrementally: axes → first dataset → comparison → annotation with finding. Use separate slides (not \pause).
• Subfigures — use \begin{subfigure}{0.48\textwidth} (requires subcaption package) for side-by-side panels in one frame. Each subfigure gets its own \caption{(a) ...}. Preferred over raw \includegraphics side-by-side when panels need individual captions. Max 2 subfigures per slide (4 panels = split across 2 slides).

pgfplots for data-driven figures (preferred over manual TikZ for data):

Use pgfplots whenever plotting numerical data. It handles axes, legends, scaling, and data loading automatically.

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• - Always set explicit width and height to prevent overflow.
• Use \addplot table[col sep=comma]{file.csv} to load data from file — keeps .tex clean.
• For presentation: enlarge tick labels (tick label style={font=\small}), thicken lines (thick), use semantic colors (color=positive).

Phase 5: Quality Loop (MANDATORY — iterative)

After completing the full draft, enter the quality loop:

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5a. Compilation

• - 2-pass XeLaTeX compilation (bibtex not needed here — already resolved in Phase 3 batch compiles)
• Check: errors, overfull hbox, undefined references
• Open PDF for visual inspection

5b. Self-Review — re-read the .tex and verify:

Structure:

• - [ ] Slide count matches plan (±2 tolerance)
• [ ] Logical flow: motivation → background → technique → results → summary
• [ ] No section has >4 consecutive formal slides without a worked example or visual break
• [ ] Transition sentences between major sections

Content density:

• - [ ] No slide has only ≤3 short bullets with no math/diagram
• [ ] Pure text-only slides ≤ 30% of deck
• [ ] No slide exceeds upper bounds (7 bullets, 2 equations, 5 symbols, 2 boxes)

TikZ and visuals:

• - [ ] No label-label or label-curve overlaps
• [ ] No content overflowing slide boundary
• [ ] No content overflowing inside colored boxes (alertblock/exampleblock/block have ~85% effective width; visually verify every box in PDF)
• [ ] TikZ diagram fits within remaining slide space — for mixed slides (text + diagram), verify the diagram's bounding box height + text height ≤ ~70mm. Common failure: large TikZ scale + multiple equations above = diagram clipped at bottom
• [ ] All marked points lie on their curves — for every \fill, \node, or \draw endpoint that should be on a plotted curve, verify the y-coordinate is computed via \pgfmathsetmacro from the same function, NOT hardcoded. Visually check in PDF that dots/markers visually sit on the curve line
• [ ] Dashed reference lines terminate at the curve — vertical/horizontal guide lines should end exactly where they meet the curve, not at arbitrary y-values
• [ ] Tables fit within slide width
• [ ] Font sizes in TikZ ≥ INLINECODE114
• [ ] Consistent styling across all diagrams

Notation:

• - [ ] Same symbol used consistently throughout
• [ ] Every symbol defined before use

5c. Quality Score

Start at 100. Deduct:

Severity	Issue	Deduction
Critical	Compilation failure	-100
Critical

Equation overflow (slide or box-interior) | -20 |
| Critical | TikZ diagram overflows slide boundary (clipped at bottom/right) | -15 per diagram |
| Critical | Undefined control sequence / citation | -15 |
| Critical | Overfull hbox > 10pt | -10 |
| Major | Content overflow inside colored box (vertical or horizontal, visual-only) | -10 per box |
| Major | TikZ marked points not on curve (hardcoded y-values instead of computed) | -8 per diagram |
| Major | Sparse slide (≤3 items, no math/diagram) | -5 per slide |
| Major | TikZ label overlap | -5 |
| Major | Missing references slide | -5 |
| Major | Notation inconsistency | -3 |
| Minor | \vspace overuse (>3 per slide) | -1 |
| Minor | Font size reduction (\footnotesize etc.) | -1 per slide |

Thresholds:

• - ≥ 90: Ready to deliver. Report to user.
• 80-89: Acceptable. Fix remaining majors if possible, report with caveats.
• < 80: Must fix. Loop back and resolve critical/major issues.

5d. Fix — fix all critical and major issues. Re-compile. If score improves to ≥ 90, exit loop. Max 3 rounds to avoid infinite loops.

Post-Creation Checklist (final gate)

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2.3 review [file] or proofread [file]

Read-only report, no file edits.

5 check categories:

Category	What to check
Grammar	Subject-verb, articles, prepositions, tense consistency
Typos

Misspellings, search-replace artifacts, duplicated words, unreplaced placeholders ([name], [TODO], [XXX], template remnants) |
| Overflow | Long equations without \resizebox, too many items per slide |
| Consistency | Citation format (\citet/\citep), notation, terminology, box usage, denominator consistency across slides |
| Academic quality | Informal abbreviations, missing words, claims without citations, ambiguous abbreviations (same abbreviation for different terms) |

Report format per issue:
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2.4 audit [file]

Visual layout audit. Read-only report.

Check dimensions:

• - Overflow: Content exceeding boundaries, wide tables/equations
• Font consistency: Inline size overrides, inconsistent sizes
• Box fatigue: 2+ boxes per slide, wrong box types
• Spacing: \vspace overuse, structural issues
• Layout: Missing transitions, missing framing sentences

Spacing-first fix principle (priority order):

1. 1. Reduce vertical spacing (structural changes)
2. Consolidate lists
3. Move displayed equations inline
4. Reduce image/table size with INLINECODE127
5. Last resort: \footnotesize (never \tiny)

2.5 pedagogy [file]

Holistic pedagogical review. Read-only report.

13 patterns to validate:

#	Pattern	Red flag
1	Motivation before formalism	Definition without context
2

Incremental notation | 5+ new symbols on one slide |
| 3 | Worked example after definition | 2 consecutive definitions, no example |
| 4 | Progressive complexity | Advanced concept before prerequisite |
| 5 | Fragment reveals (problem→solution) | Dense theorem revealed all at once |
| 6 | Standout slides at pivots | Abrupt topic jump, no transition |
| 7 | Two-slide strategy for dense theorems | Complex theorem crammed in 1 slide |
| 8 | Semantic color usage | Binary contrasts in same color |
| 9 | Box hierarchy | Wrong box type for content |
| 10 | Box fatigue | 3+ boxes on one slide |
| 11 | Socratic embedding | Zero questions in entire deck |
| 12 | Visual-first for complex concepts | Notation before visualization |
| 13 | Side-by-side for comparisons | Sequential slides for related definitions |

Deck-level checks: Narrative arc, pacing (max 3-4 theory slides before example), visual rhythm (section dividers every 5-8 slides), notation consistency, student prerequisite assumptions.

2.6 tikz [file]

TikZ diagram review and extraction.

Quality standards:

• - Labels NEVER overlap with curves, lines, dots, or other labels
• When two labels are near the same vertical position, stagger them
• Visual semantics: solid=observed, dashed=counterfactual, filled=observed, hollow=counterfactual
• Line weights: axes=thick, data=thick, annotations=thick (not very thick)
• Standard scale: [scale=1.1] for full-width diagrams
• Dot radius: 4pt for data points
• Minimum 0.2 units between any label and nearest graphical element
• Mathematical accuracy of plotted points: NEVER hardcode y-coordinates for points, markers, or dashed-line endpoints that should lie on a plotted curve. ALL such coordinates must be computed from the SAME function used to draw the curve via \pgfmathsetmacro. This applies to:

- Points marked on a single curve (e.g., labeled special values like "BiPerm at ℓ=2")
- Dashed vertical/horizontal lines that terminate at a curve
- Intersections of two curves
- Any annotation anchored to a curve position

Common mistake (WRONG — hardcoded y that doesn't match the curve):
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Correct pattern (ALWAYS compute from the function):
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For curve intersections, solve the system algebraically first, then encode the exact formula:

  % Intersection of y=0.5x and y=2.5/x+0.3:
  % 0.5x = 2.5/x + 0.3 => x^2 - 0.6x - 5 = 0 => x = (0.6+sqrt(20.36))/2
  \pgfmathsetmacro{\xint}{(0.6 + sqrt(20.36))/2}
  \pgfmathsetmacro{\yint}{0.5*\xint}
  \fill (\xint, \yint) circle (3pt);
  

• - TikZ diagram sizing on mixed-content slides: a TikZ diagram sharing a slide with text/equations MUST fit in the remaining vertical space. Beamer 16:9 at 10pt has ~70mm usable height below the title bar. Before writing the TikZ code, estimate:

1. Text + equations above the diagram: count displayed equations (each ~12-15mm) + text lines (~5mm each) + spacing
2. Remaining height = 70mm − text height
3. TikZ bounding box height = (max y-coordinate − min y-coordinate) × yscale × 0.3528mm/pt
4. If the diagram won't fit: reduce yscale, shrink coordinate ranges, or move content to a separate slide

Safe defaults for mixed slides: xscale=0.5-0.7, yscale=0.4-0.6. For full-slide diagrams: scale=0.9-1.1.

• - Edge labels on short arrows: when placing node[midway, above] labels on arrows between boxes, the label text can extend past the arrow endpoints into adjacent box borders. Prevention rules:

1. Estimate label text width vs. arrow length (right= gap). If the label is wider than ~80% of the gap, increase the gap or shrink the label font (\scriptsize / \tiny).
2. Use above=4pt (or more) instead of bare above to add vertical clearance between label and box border.
3. For flow diagrams with 3+ boxes: total width = (N × box width) + ((N-1) × gap). Must stay ≤ 14cm for 16:9 beamer. Adjust box text width and gap together.
4. When in doubt, compile and visually verify that no label overlaps any box border.

Extraction to SVG (for web/Quarto use):
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TikZ checklist:
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Common TikZ diagram patterns:

Use these as starting points, then customize. All patterns assume arrows.meta, positioning, decorations.pathreplacing libraries are loaded (included in default preamble).

Flowchart (horizontal):

\begin{tikzpicture}[
  box/.style={draw, rounded corners, minimum width=2.2cm, minimum height=0.8cm,
              font=\small, fill=positive!10},
  arr/.style={-{Stealth}, thick}
]
  \node[box] (A) {Step 1};
  \node[box, right=1.5cm of A] (B) {Step 2};
  \node[box, right=1.5cm of B] (C) {Step 3};
  \draw[arr] (A) -- node[above, font=\scriptsize] {label} (B);
  \draw[arr] (B) -- (C);
\end{tikzpicture}

• - Total width ≤ 14cm for 16:9. Formula: N × box\_width + (N-1) × gap.
• For vertical flows: use below= instead of right=.

Timeline:
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Tree diagram:
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Annotated brace:
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Coordinate plot with computed intersection:
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Decision diamond (for algorithm flowcharts):
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Iterative TikZ review loop (for complex diagrams):

When a TikZ diagram has ≥ 5 nodes or involves plotted curves, run an iterative review:

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Verdict criteria:

• - APPROVED: Zero CRITICAL, zero MAJOR → diagram is complete
• NEEDS REVISION: CRITICAL or MAJOR issues remain → list exact fixes needed
• REJECTED: Fundamental structural problems → consider redesigning the diagram

2.7 excellence [file]

Comprehensive multi-dimensional review. Use the Agent tool to dispatch review agents in parallel for maximum efficiency.

Parallel agent dispatch — launch these as concurrent Agent calls:

1. 1. Visual audit agent — "Read [file]. Check every slide for: overflow, font consistency, box fatigue (2+ boxes), spacing issues, missing transitions. Report per slide with severity. Follow spacing-first fix principle."
2. Pedagogical review agent — "Read [file]. Validate 13 pedagogical patterns (motivation before formalism, incremental notation, worked examples, etc.) and deck-level checks (narrative arc, pacing, visual rhythm, notation consistency). Report pattern-by-pattern with status."
3. Proofreading agent — "Read [file]. Check grammar, typos, citation consistency (\citet/\citep), notation consistency, academic quality. Report per issue with location and fix."
4. TikZ review agent (if file contains \begin{tikzpicture}) — "Read [file]. For every TikZ diagram: check label overlaps, geometric accuracy, visual semantics, spacing. Be merciless — find every flaw. Report per issue with exact coordinates and fixes."
5. Domain review agent (optional) — "Read [file]. Verify substantive correctness: assumptions, derivations, citation fidelity."

After all agents return, synthesize a combined report:

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Quality score rubric (for multi-agent excellence review — complements the numeric score in Phase 5 which is used during create):

Score	Critical issues	Medium issues	Meaning
Excellent	0-2	0-5	Ready to present (≈ Phase 5 score ≥ 90)
Good

3-5 | 6-15 | Minor refinements (≈ Phase 5 score 80-89) |
| Needs Work | 6-10 | 16-30 | Significant revision (≈ Phase 5 score < 80) |
| Poor | 11+ | 31+ | Major restructuring |

2.8 devils-advocate [file]

Challenge slide design with 5-7 specific pedagogical questions.

Challenge categories:

1. 1. Ordering — "Could students understand better if X before Y?"
2. Prerequisites — "Do students have the background for this?"
3. Gaps — "Should we include an intuitive example here?"
4. Alternative presentations — "2 other ways to present this concept"
5. Notation conflicts — "This symbol conflicts with earlier usage"
6. Cognitive load — "Too many new symbols on this slide"
7. Standalone readability — "Does this section stand alone as a book chapter?"

2.9 visual-check [file]

PDF→image systematic visual review. Converts compiled PDF to images, then reviews each slide visually. This catches issues invisible in source code and suppressed by the compiler (especially box-interior overflow).

Why this matters: Beamer suppresses overfull warnings inside block/alertblock/exampleblock environments. Zero compile warnings does NOT mean zero visual overflow. This action provides ground truth.

Workflow:

1. 1. Compile (if not already compiled):

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1. 2. Convert PDF to images using PyMuPDF:

   import fitz
   doc = fitz.open('FILE.pdf')
   zoom = 200 / 72  # 200 DPI
   matrix = fitz.Matrix(zoom, zoom)
   for i in range(len(doc)):
       page = doc.load_page(i)
       pixmap = page.get_pixmap(matrix=matrix)
       pixmap.save(f'/tmp/slide-{i+1:03d}.jpg', output='jpeg')
   doc.close()
   

Or via bash: INLINECODE166

Fallback (if PyMuPDF unavailable): Use the Read tool directly on the PDF — Claude Code is multimodal and can read PDF files page by page.

1. 3. Systematic per-slide inspection — use Read tool to view each image, checking:

- [ ] No text overflow at any edge (top, bottom, left, right) - [ ] No content overflowing inside colored boxes (check every alertblock/exampleblock/block) - [ ] All text legible (no text smaller than readable at presentation distance) - [ ] Tables and equations fit within slide width - [ ] TikZ labels not overlapping with lines, dots, or other labels - [ ] Consistent font sizes across similar slide types - [ ] Adequate contrast between text and background - [ ] No visual clutter (too many elements competing for attention)

1. 4. Report per issue:

CODEBLOCK29

2.10 validate [file] [duration]

Automated quantitative validation. Checks measurable properties without reading content.

Checks performed:

1. 1. Slide count vs. duration (if duration provided):

   # Get page count
   pdfinfo FILE.pdf | grep "Pages:"
   

Compare against timing allocation table (Section 2.2, Phase 1). Flag if outside recommended range.

1. 2. Aspect ratio:

   pdfinfo FILE.pdf | grep "Page size:"
   

Expected: 364.19 x 272.65 pts (16:9 at 10pt) or similar 16:9 ratio. Flag if 4:3 (old projector format).

1. 3. File size:

- \> 50 MB: warning (slow to share/email) - \> 100 MB: critical (likely uncompressed images)

1. 4. Compilation health (from .log file):

CODEBLOCK32

1. 5. Source code static checks (from .tex file):

- Count \pause / \onslide / \only usage → must be 0 (Hard Rule 1) - Count slides with >2 colored boxes → flag violations (Hard Rule 2) - Count \tiny usage → must be 0 (Hard Rule 13) - Check for \begin{thebibliography} → warn if missing (Hard Rule 11)

Report format:
CODEBLOCK33

2.11 extract-figures [pdf] [pages]

Extract figures from a paper PDF and prepare them for inclusion in Beamer slides.

Use when the user wants to reuse figures from an existing paper (their own or a cited work) instead of redrawing in TikZ.

Workflow

1. 1. Identify target figures — if user doesn't specify pages, use mcp__pdf-mcp__pdf_get_toc and mcp__pdf-mcp__pdf_read_pages to locate figures in the paper. Ask user which figures to extract if ambiguous.

1. 2. Extract images from specified pages:

   mcp__pdf-mcp__pdf_extract_images(path=PDF_PATH, pages=PAGES, output_dir="figures")
   

Uses output_dir to save images directly to figures/ as PNG files (original resolution, zero token cost). Returns {page, index, width, height, format, file_path} metadata only — no base64 data.

1. 3. Rename to descriptive names following the naming convention:

   mv figures/page3_img0.png figures/fig-LABEL.png
   

Naming convention: fig-<descriptive-label>.png (e.g., fig-architecture.png, fig-results-table.png).

1. 4. Generate LaTeX snippet — output ready-to-paste code:

Full-width figure:
CODEBLOCK36

Figure + text side-by-side (columns layout):
CODEBLOCK37

Two figures side-by-side (subfigure):
CODEBLOCK38

1. 5. Cropping guidance — if the extracted image contains surrounding text or margins that should be removed, use the trim and clip options:

   \includegraphics[width=0.85\textwidth, trim=LEFT BOTTOM RIGHT TOP, clip]{figures/fig-LABEL.png}
   

- Units are in bp (big points). Estimate from the image dimensions returned by pdf_extract_images. - Common case: trim=50 200 50 100, clip to remove page margins and surrounding text. - Always visually verify after compilation — cropping coordinates are estimates.

Rules

• - Always attribute — include {\small Source: ...} below every extracted figure unless it's the user's own paper.
• Prefer vector — if only a single clean figure is on a page, extraction quality is usually sufficient. For complex multi-figure pages, consider redrawing the key figure in TikZ for better quality and consistency.
• Resolution check — if extracted image width < 800px, warn the user that it may appear pixelated on a projector. Suggest either finding a higher-resolution source or redrawing in TikZ.
• Don't extract tables — tables from PDF rasterize poorly. Always recreate tables in LaTeX using booktabs.
• Preamble dependency — ensure \usepackage{graphicx} is in the preamble (add if missing). If using subfigures, also ensure \usepackage{subcaption}.

---

3. VERIFICATION PROTOCOL

Every task ends with verification. Non-negotiable.

CODEBLOCK40

---

4. DOMAIN REVIEW (Template)

For substantive correctness (not presentation), review through 5 lenses:

1. 1. Assumption stress test — all assumptions stated, sufficient, necessary?
2. Derivation verification — each step follows? Decomposition sums to whole?
3. Citation fidelity — slide accurately represents cited paper?
4. Code-theory alignment — code implements exact formula from slides?
5. Backward logic check — read conclusion→setup, every claim supported?

Severity: CRITICAL = math wrong. MAJOR = missing assumption. MINOR = could be clearer.

---

5. TROUBLESHOOTING

Error: ! Undefined control sequence. \llbracket
Cause: Missing stmaryrd package for double brackets.
Fix: Add \usepackage{stmaryrd} to preamble. Or define \newcommand{\llbracket}{[\![} as fallback.

Error: Overfull \vbox on a specific slide
Cause: Too much content for the frame height.
Fix priority:

1. 1. Reduce \vspace values
2. Shorten text (telegraphic style)
3. Split into two slides
4. Use \small on one element (not the whole slide)
5. Last resort: \footnotesize (never \tiny)

Error: Font "XXX" not found with XeLaTeX
Cause: System font not installed, or wrong font name.
Fix: Use fc-list | grep "FontName" to check available fonts. Fall back to default Latin Modern if custom font unavailable.

Error: Equations overflow slide width
Cause: Long multi-term equation.
Fix priority:

1. 1. Use \begin{align} with line breaks at natural points (=, +)
2. Introduce intermediate variables to shorten expressions
3. Use \resizebox{\textwidth}{!}{...} as last resort (degrades readability)

Error: PDF images don't render in Quarto/web
Cause: Browsers cannot display PDF inline.
Fix: Convert to SVG: pdf2svg input.pdf output.svg. Never use PNG for diagrams (raster = blurry).

Error: Content visually overflows inside alertblock/exampleblock/block but compiler reports 0 warnings
Cause: Beamer suppresses overflow warnings inside block environments. Two distinct failure modes:

• - Vertical: display math + text below it exceeds the box's vertical capacity; bottom content spills past the lower border. Aggravated by \vspace{-Xpt}.
• Horizontal: the block's internal padding reduces effective width by ~15%, so wide equations overflow sideways.

Fix priority (vertical — most common):

1. 1. Remove or reduce \vspace{-Xpt} inside the box
2. Keep box content minimal: one display equation OR a few bullet items, not both
3. Move explanatory text below the equation to outside the box (plain text after \end{...block})
4. Split into two separate boxes or slides

Fix priority (horizontal):

1. 1. Replace \qquad with \quad or INLINECODE218
2. Move secondary notation (e.g., sampling arrows) to a separate line
3. Break the equation with \\ at natural points
4. Move the equation outside the box

Never rely on compile warnings alone — always visually verify every colored box in the PDF.