E.18:15b - E.23 Improvement-Loop Boundary Relation

When a transformation-flow structure contains a cycle, budgeted retry path, monitor/escalate path, or slice-local refresh relation, E.18 defines the selected structure: loci, transfer relation, path or slice, gate positions, pins, and refresh locality. The cycle becomes an E.23 quality-improvement loop only when a named object version is changed and then re-evaluated by a declared object-under-improvement evaluation. Otherwise it remains a transformation-flow structure, work-control cue, gate relation, or refresh relation; apply the pattern whose Solution answers that exact claim.

Agent-loop diagrams often contain both kinds. A monitor/retry/escalate loop over physical execution state may be a valid TransformationFlowStructure and may include an A.21 gate, but it does not prove that the controlled object improved. If the harness itself is improved, use the E.23 object-version improvement definition and test; if the harness only runs work, use the A.15 family to identify and test the work occurrence.