Exhausted Is Not Failure

A bounded agent run loops turn-by-turn while RUNNING until it reaches COMPLETED, FAILED, or — at max_turns — EXHAUSTED, a distinct terminal state that is neither success nor failure

Exhausted Is Not Failure A bounded agent run loops turn-by-turn while RUNNING until it reaches COMPLETED, FAILED, or — at max_turns — EXHAUSTED, a distinct terminal state that is neither success nor failure 01 / Run lifecycle 02 / Terminal outcomes 03 / Outcomes Queued · run accepted · Run lifecycle · entry 01 Queued run accepted entry Running · loop turn-by-turn · Run lifecycle · max_turns 02 Running loop turn-by-turn max_turns Completed · goal reached · Run lifecycle · success 03 Completed goal reached success Failed · unrecoverable error · Terminal outcomes · failure Failed unrecoverable error failure Exhausted · hit max_turns · Terminal outcomes · not failure Exhausted hit max_turns not failure Legend active state waiting terminal success failure / exit

Bounded by Design

  • • RUNNING advances one turn at a time
  • • A turn budget (max_turns) caps the loop
  • • Completed is the on-rail success exit

Three Terminal States

  • • Completed = the goal was reached
  • • Failed = an unrecoverable error
  • • Exhausted = budget spent, no verdict

Why It Matters

  • • Exhausted is not a failure to alert on
  • • It signals re-plan or raise the budget
  • • Conflating the two hides real errors

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