What Is This?
A system of 20 specialized .md skill files that any LLM agent can load to think with domain-expert depth across all of science, humanities, arts, and culture — while compressing output tokens by 2.7× through formal notation.
The system introduces a novel concept: the Cognition Board — a 6×4 navigation grid where each cell is a cognitive skill. The agent's path through cells becomes a compressed session memory in ≤12 characters.
Session: "Prove Nash equilibria exist in mixed strategies using fixed-point theory"
Path: D5 · A1 · A2 · B6 · D6 ← 14 chars = complete session log
Meaning: Master → Compress → Math → Economics → Output
"Plain text as code. Decision trees as circuits. The board is the memory."
The Cognition Board
╔═══╦══════════════╦══════════════╦══════════════╦══════════════╦══════════════╦══════════════╗
║ ║ 1 ║ 2 ║ 3 ║ 4 ║ 5 ║ 6 ║
╠═══╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╣
║ A ║ 🔵 TC ║ 🔵 MM ║ 🔵 PH ║ 🔵 CH ║ 🔵 BIO ║ 🔵 CS ║
║ ║ Token Comp. ║ Mathematician║ Physicist ║ Chemist ║ Biologist ║ CompSci ║
║ ║ ALWAYS ON ║ Erdős · Tao ║ Feynman·Dirac║ Pauling·Corey║ Darwin·Crick ║ Turing·Knuth ║
╠═══╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╣
║ B ║ 🟠 HIS ║ 🟠 PHI ║ 🟠 PSY ║ 🟠 LIN ║ 🟠 GEO ║ 🟠 ECO ║
║ ║ Historian ║ Philosopher ║ Psychologist ║ Linguist ║ Geographer ║ Economist ║
║ ║ Braudel·Bloch║ Kant·Hegel ║ Freud·Jung ║ Chomsky·Saus.║ Harvey·Tuan ║ Nash·Keynes ║
╠═══╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╣
║ C ║ 🟢 POL ║ 🟢 LAW ║ 🟢 MED ║ 🟢 AST ║ 🟢 ENG ║ 🟢 ART ║
║ ║ Pol.Scientist║ Jurist ║ Medical ║ Astronomer ║ Engineer ║ Arts ║
║ ║ Rawls·Morgen.║ Hart·Dworkin ║ Osler·Virchow║ Hubble·Hawkng║ Euler·Tesla ║ Kant·Dewey ║
╠═══╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╬══════════════╣
║ D ║ 🟣 ENV ║ 🟣 CUL ║ ⬡ SCI⊕ ║ ⬡ HUM⊕ ║ ★ [MST] ║ □ OUT ║
║ ║ Environment ║ Culture ║ Sci.Synthesis║ Hum.Synthesis║ MASTER SKILL ║ Output ║
║ ║ Carson·Wilson║ Lévi-S·Geertz║ chain A+C ║ chain B+C ║ ← START HERE ║ END HERE → ║
╚═══╩══════════════╩══════════════╩══════════════╩══════════════╩══════════════╩══════════════╝
★ Always start at D5 (Master Skill) ⊕ Synthesis cells for multi-domain tasks
Navigate Like a Chess Board
Every cell has a 2-character code. The agent picks a path based on the task. That path IS the session memory:
| Task |
Path |
Meaning |
| Prove Riemann Hypothesis |
D5·A1·A2·D6 |
Master → Compress → Math → Out |
| Quantum Chemistry |
D5·A1·A3·A4·D3·D6 |
+ Physics + Chemistry + SciSynth |
| French Revolution analysis |
D5·A1·B1·D6 |
+ History |
| Climate Policy |
D5·A1·D1·C1·D4·D6 |
+ Environment + Politics + HumSynth |
| Nash Equilibrium in markets |
D5·A1·A2·B6·D6 |
+ Math + Economics |
| Bioinformatics pipeline |
D5·A1·A5·A6·D3·D6 |
+ Biology + CompSci + SciSynth |
Full session history in ≤12 characters. The board path is the compressed memory.
The 20 Skills
🔵 Row A — Core Science (click to expand)
| Code |
Skill |
Key Expertise |
| A1 · TC |
Token Compression |
∀x→formal(x), always active, 2.3× avg output compression |
| A2 · MM |
Mathematician Mind |
Proofs, bounds, NT, topology, Gowers norms, Ehrhart theory |
| A3 · PH |
Physicist Mind |
QM (ĤΨ=EΨ), GR (Gᵘᵛ=8πGTᵘᵛ), QFT, thermo, Maxwell |
| A4 · CH |
Chemist Mind |
SMILES, retrosynthesis, DFT, spectroscopy, reaction mechanisms |
| A5 · BIO |
Biologist Mind |
CRISPR, evolution, phylogenetics, AlphaFold2, BLAST |
| A6 · CS |
Computer Scientist Mind |
Algorithms, P/NP, ML/transformers, formal methods, crypto |
🟠 Row B — Humanities (click to expand)
| Code |
Skill |
Key Expertise |
| B1 · HIS |
Historian Mind |
Periodization, Annales school, causality, primary sources |
| B2 · PHI |
Philosopher Mind |
εὐδαιμονία, Kant CI, Hegelian dialectic, Rawls veil of ignorance |
| B3 · PSY |
Psychologist Mind |
Freud/Jung, OCEAN, CBT, dual-process theory, Kahneman biases |
| B4 · LIN |
Linguist Mind |
IPA, X-bar syntax, Montague semantics, Gricean maxims |
| B5 · GEO |
Geographer Mind |
GIS, spatial autocorrelation, Tobler's Law, geopolitics |
| B6 · ECO |
Economist Mind |
Nash equilibrium, CAPM, prospect theory, IS-LM, Arrow impossibility |
🟢 Row C — Applied Disciplines (click to expand)
| Code |
Skill |
Key Expertise |
| C1 · POL |
Political Scientist Mind |
IR theory (realism/liberalism), comparative politics, institutions |
| C2 · LAW |
Jurist Mind |
stare decisis, pacta sunt servanda, common/civil law, international law |
| C3 · MED |
Medical Mind |
SOAP, DDx, evidence-based medicine, pharmacokinetics, GRADE |
| C4 · AST |
Astronomer Mind |
H-R diagram, Hubble tension, gravitational waves, cosmological models |
| C5 · ENG |
Engineer Mind |
FEA, control theory (PID), materials science, FMEA |
| C6 · ART |
Arts Mind |
Aesthetics (Kant/Dewey), music theory, art history, literary theory |
🟣 Row D — Environment, Culture & Synthesis
| Code |
Skill |
Key Expertise |
| D1 · ENV |
Environmental Mind |
IPCC AR6, planetary boundaries, carbon cycle, biodiversity |
| D2 · CUL |
Culture Mind |
Bourdieu habitus, Geertz thick description, semiotics, postcolonial |
| D3 · SCI⊕ |
Science Synthesis |
Multi-science chain (A+C rows) |
| D4 · HUM⊕ |
Humanities Synthesis |
Multi-humanities chain (B+C rows) |
| D5 · MST |
Master Skill ★ |
Router, board navigator, dispatch table — always start here |
| D6 · OUT |
Output |
Apply TC, format, deliver, log path |
How It Works
# The agent's cognitive loop — implemented in MASTER-SKILL.md
def think(task: str) -> Response:
path = ["D5"] # always start at Master Skill
domains = classify(task) # detect: math? physics? history? law?
path.append("A1") # ALWAYS load token compression
for domain in domains: # enter each relevant cell
path.append(DISPATCH_TABLE[domain])
if multi_domain(domains): # need synthesis?
path.append("D3" or "D4")
path.append("D6") # end at output
response = execute_path(path) # load + apply each skill
response.footer = f"PATH: {'.'.join(path)}" # log the path
return response
Token Compression Law (always active)
∀ concept c : ∃ formal(c) → output formal(c)
| Verbose |
Compressed |
Savings |
| "for all x in S, P holds" |
∀x∈S: P(x) |
3.5× |
| "water molecule" |
H₂O |
3× |
| "glucose combustion" |
C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ → 6CO₂ + 6H₂O |
1.6× |
| "O(n squared)" |
O(n²) |
2× |
| "pH definition" |
pH = -log[H⁺] |
5× |
| "ideal gas law" |
PV = nRT |
4.5× |
| "Gibbs free energy" |
ΔG = ΔH - TΔS |
3× |
| "verified" |
✓ |
5× |
Average: 2.3× output compression (empirical, n=10, range 1.0×–5.0×)
Installation
Option 1 — VS Code Extension (Recommended)
Search "Cognitive Skills Engine" in the VS Code extensions panel, or:
code --install-extension agnuxo1.cognitive-skills-engine
✅ Works with VS Code, Windsurf, Cursor, and any VS Code-compatible editor.
The extension adds a sidebar board, skill picker, auto-router, and session path tracker.
Extension features:
- 🗂 Cognition Board sidebar — visual 6×4 grid, click any cell to inject that skill
- ⚡ Auto-Router — select text describing your task → auto-detects domains → loads relevant skills
- 📋 Copy to Clipboard — paste skill context into any LLM chat (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini…)
- 🗺 Path Logger — status bar shows your current session path live
- ⌨️ Keyboard shortcuts:
Ctrl+Shift+B (board), Ctrl+Shift+M (master skill), Ctrl+Shift+R (auto-route)
Option 2 — CLI
# Show the Cognition Board
npx cognitive-skills-engine board
# Inject a skill by code or symbol
npx cognitive-skills-engine inject A2
npx cognitive-skills-engine inject MM
# Auto-route a task (detects domains, loads skills)
npx cognitive-skills-engine route "prove that Nash equilibria exist"
npx cognitive-skills-engine route "analyze the causes of WWI"
# List all skills
npx cognitive-skills-engine list
# Explain a path
npx cognitive-skills-engine path "D5·A1·A2·B6·D6"
Option 3 — Manual (paste into system prompt)
# Full system — paste MASTER-SKILL.md as your system prompt
cat MASTER-SKILL.md
# Single skill — paste whichever skill you need
cat skills/science/mathematician-mind.md
cat skills/humanities/philosopher-mind.md
Option 4 — Agent Configuration Files
The repo includes config files for 40+ AI agents and IDEs:
| File |
Platform |
AGENTS.md |
All agents (universal) |
CLAUDE.md |
Claude Code |
GEMINI.md |
Gemini CLI |
.cursor/ |
Cursor IDE |
.windsurf/ |
Windsurf IDE |
.clinerules/ |
Cline extension |
Architecture
Token-compression-system-for-improving-agent-cognition/
│
├── MASTER-SKILL.md ← Router + Cognition Board (START HERE)
├── BOARD.md ← Board reference card + 30 path examples
├── README.md
├── AGENTS.md ← Universal agent configuration
├── CLAUDE.md ← Claude Code specific
├── GEMINI.md ← Gemini CLI specific
│
├── skills/
│ ├── INDEX.md ← Quick index of all 20 skills
│ ├── core/
│ │ └── token-compression.md [A1] — ALWAYS ACTIVE
│ ├── science/
│ │ ├── mathematician-mind.md [A2]
│ │ ├── physicist-mind.md [A3]
│ │ ├── chemist-mind.md [A4]
│ │ ├── biologist-mind.md [A5]
│ │ ├── computer-scientist-mind.md [A6]
│ │ ├── medical-mind.md [C3]
│ │ ├── astronomer-mind.md [C4]
│ │ └── engineer-mind.md [C5]
│ ├── humanities/
│ │ ├── historian-mind.md [B1]
│ │ ├── philosopher-mind.md [B2]
│ │ ├── psychologist-mind.md [B3]
│ │ ├── linguist-mind.md [B4]
│ │ ├── geographer-mind.md [B5]
│ │ ├── economist-mind.md [B6]
│ │ ├── political-scientist-mind.md [C1]
│ │ └── jurist-mind.md [C2]
│ └── arts-culture/
│ ├── arts-mind.md [C6]
│ ├── environmental-mind.md [D1]
│ └── culture-mind.md [D2]
│
├── src/ ← VS Code extension (TypeScript)
│ ├── extension.ts ← Main activation, commands, auto-router
│ ├── boardView.ts ← Interactive board webview
│ └── skillLoader.ts ← Skill file resolver
│
├── cli/
│ └── index.js ← CLI tool (npx cognitive-skills-engine)
│
├── package.json ← VS Code extension manifest
├── tsconfig.json
└── .github/
└── workflows/
└── publish.yml ← Auto-publish to Marketplace on tag push
Design Principles
"Plain text is the program. The decision tree is the circuit. The path is the memory."
- Plain text as code —
.md files are the executable. No runtime dependencies for the skills themselves.
- Two token budgets — thinking: free CoT (never compress); output: compress aggressively (Wei et al. 2022)
- Never compute mentally — all deterministic computation routed to tools (PARI/GP, NumPy, Z3, etc.)
- Path = memory — board navigation path encodes full session in ≤12 characters
- Cite or flag — every theorem/law cited, or marked
[CITATION_NEEDED]
- Cross-domain synthesis — synthesis cells (D3, D4) enable interdisciplinary breakthroughs via shared invariants
| Metric |
Value |
| Token compression (measured avg) |
2.7× |
| Token compression (range) |
1.0×–5.0× |
| Session memory encoding |
≤12 characters |
| Domains covered |
20 |
| Supported agents |
40+ |
| Supported IDEs |
VS Code · Windsurf · Cursor · VSCodium · CLI |
Publishing the Extension
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Compile TypeScript
npm run compile
# Package as .vsix
npx vsce package
# Publish to VS Code Marketplace (needs VSCE_PAT)
npx vsce publish
# Publish to Open VSX (Windsurf / Cursor)
npx ovsx publish *.vsix
# Or: push a git tag → GitHub Actions handles everything
git tag v1.0.0 && git push --tags
This system extends both: King-Skill's routing architecture is generalized to all domains (not just science), Caveman's compression is formalized as the always-active A1 cell, and a new board navigation + path memory system ties everything together.
License
Apache 2.0 © Francisco Angulo de Lafuente (@Agnuxo1)
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