Parallel Chapter Generation Execution Report
Date: 2026-02-03 Chapters Generated: 11-15, 16-20, 21-23 Method: Task tool with background agents (5 parallel per batch)
Executive Summary
All 5 chapters were generated simultaneously using parallel background agents. The file timestamps confirm that the tasks ran concurrently rather than sequentially, completing within a 4-minute window despite each chapter requiring substantial content generation.
Note: Timestamps below are derived from filesystem metadata (real data), not agent-generated values.
Timestamp Analysis
All agents started at the same time (13:36:22) when the Task tool launched them in parallel.
Chapter Generation Times (from filesystem metadata)
| Chapter | Start Time | End Time | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ch 11 | 13:36:22 | 13:40:01 | 3m 39s |
| Ch 12 | 13:36:22 | 13:38:12 | 1m 50s |
| Ch 13 | 13:36:22 | 13:38:30 | 2m 08s |
| Ch 14 | 13:36:22 | 13:39:13 | 2m 51s |
| Ch 15 | 13:36:22 | 13:38:48 | 2m 26s |
Completion Order
- Chapter 12 - Inverse Function Derivatives (completed first at 13:38:12)
- Chapter 13 - Higher-Order Derivatives and Motion (13:38:30)
- Chapter 15 - L'Hospital's Rule and Applications (13:38:48)
- Chapter 14 - Related Rates and Linear Approximation (13:39:13)
- Chapter 11 - Implicit Differentiation (completed last at 13:40:01)
Evidence of Parallel Execution
Time Window Analysis
- All agents started: 13:36:22
- First completion: 13:38:12 (Chapter 12)
- Last completion: 13:40:01 (Chapter 11)
- Total generation window: 3 minutes 39 seconds
Sequential vs Parallel Comparison
If tasks had run sequentially (average ~2.5 minutes each to generate ~4000 words): - Estimated sequential time: 5 chapters x 2.5 min = 12.5+ minutes
Actual parallel execution: - Total elapsed time: 3 minutes 39 seconds
Speedup factor: ~3.4x (all 5 agents running concurrently)
Overlap Analysis
The timestamps prove parallel execution: - All 5 agents started at exactly the same time (13:36:22) - Chapters 12, 13, and 15 all completed within 36 seconds of each other - The longest chapter (Ch 11) took 3m 39s; if sequential, just Ch 11 + Ch 12 would take longer than the total - The staggered completion times reflect natural variation in content complexity and word count
Content Statistics
| Chapter | Title | Word Count | Concepts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Implicit Differentiation | 3,957 | 12 |
| 12 | Inverse Function Derivatives | 3,124 | 12 |
| 13 | Higher-Order Derivatives and Motion | 4,288 | 15 |
| 14 | Related Rates and Linear Approximation | 5,385 | 20 |
| 15 | L'Hospital's Rule and Applications | 4,183 | 19 |
| Total | 20,937 | 78 |
Correlation: Complexity vs Completion Time
- Shortest chapter (Ch 12, 3,124 words): Completed first
- Longest chapter (Ch 14, 5,385 words): Completed 4th
- Second longest (Ch 13, 4,288 words): Completed 2nd
The completion order correlates loosely with word count but not perfectly, suggesting that content complexity and concept count also influence generation time.
Conclusion
The parallel execution was successful. All 5 background agents ran simultaneously, completing 20,937 words of educational content covering 78 calculus concepts in under 4 minutes of wall-clock time. This represents a ~3.4x improvement over sequential execution, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Task tool's background agent capability for batch content generation.
Recommendations
- Optimal batch size: 5 parallel agents performed well without apparent resource contention
- Content verification: Each chapter should be reviewed for completeness and accuracy
- MicroSim implementation: The generated specifications need implementation using the microsim-generator skill
- Cross-chapter consistency: Review chapters together for consistent terminology and Delta references
Appendix: Timestamp Correction
Issue Discovered
The original log files (logs/ch-11.md through logs/ch-15.md) contained synthetic timestamps generated by the agents rather than real system timestamps. The agents wrote plausible-looking but fabricated times:
| Chapter | Original (Synthetic) Start | Original (Synthetic) End |
|---|---|---|
| Ch 11 | 12:00:00 | 12:15:00 |
| Ch 12 | 10:15:42 | 10:18:27 |
| Ch 13 | 10:15:00 | 10:45:00 |
| Ch 14 | 10:45:00 | 10:52:00 |
| Ch 15 | 15:32:00 | 15:45:00 |
These timestamps were clearly invalid—they show different times of day (10:15, 12:00, 15:32) when all agents started simultaneously.
Correction Applied
The log files were corrected using real filesystem metadata from the stat command:
- Start time: Set to 13:36:22 for all chapters (when Task tool launched agents)
- End times: Taken from file modification timestamps
Lesson Learned
A new rule was added to CLAUDE.md:
CRITICAL: When logging timestamps, ALWAYS use real system timestamps. NEVER generate synthetic or made-up timestamps.
To get the current timestamp, use:
1date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"
This ensures future parallel execution reports contain accurate, verifiable timing data.
Batch 2: Chapters 16-20
Time: 14:03:19 - 14:07:06 Method: Task tool with background agents (5 parallel)
Executive Summary (Batch 2)
All 5 chapters (16-20) were generated simultaneously using parallel background agents. Real timestamps were used throughout (via date command), eliminating the synthetic timestamp issue from Batch 1.
Timestamp Analysis (Batch 2)
All agents started at 14:03:19 when the Task tool launched them in parallel.
Chapter Generation Times (from filesystem metadata)
| Chapter | Start Time | End Time | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ch 16 | 14:03:19 | 14:06:24 | 3m 05s |
| Ch 17 | 14:03:19 | 14:06:19 | 3m 00s |
| Ch 18 | 14:03:19 | 14:06:49 | 3m 30s |
| Ch 19 | 14:03:19 | 14:07:06 | 3m 47s |
| Ch 20 | 14:03:19 | 14:06:03 | 2m 44s |
Completion Order (Batch 2)
- Chapter 20 - Basic Antiderivatives (completed first at 14:06:03)
- Chapter 17 - Derivative Tests and Concavity (14:06:19)
- Chapter 16 - Mean Value Theorem and Extrema (14:06:24)
- Chapter 18 - Curve Sketching (14:06:49)
- Chapter 19 - Optimization (completed last at 14:07:06)
Evidence of Parallel Execution (Batch 2)
Time Window Analysis
- All agents started: 14:03:19
- First completion: 14:06:03 (Chapter 20)
- Last completion: 14:07:06 (Chapter 19)
- Total generation window: 3 minutes 47 seconds
Sequential vs Parallel Comparison
If tasks had run sequentially (average ~3.2 minutes each to generate ~5,400 words): - Estimated sequential time: 5 chapters x 3.2 min = 16+ minutes
Actual parallel execution: - Total elapsed time: 3 minutes 47 seconds
Speedup factor: ~4.2x (all 5 agents running concurrently)
Overlap Analysis
The timestamps prove parallel execution: - All 5 agents started at exactly 14:03:19 - Chapters 16, 17, and 20 all completed within 21 seconds of each other - The longest chapter (Ch 19) took 3m 47s; if sequential, just Ch 19 + Ch 18 would exceed total time - The staggered completion times reflect natural variation in content complexity
Content Statistics (Batch 2)
| Chapter | Title | Word Count | Concepts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Mean Value Theorem and Extrema | 5,269 | 17 |
| 17 | Derivative Tests and Concavity | 5,507 | 17 |
| 18 | Curve Sketching | 6,226 | 14 |
| 19 | Optimization | 6,081 | 21 |
| 20 | Basic Antiderivatives | 4,242 | 14 |
| Total | 27,325 | 83 |
Correlation: Complexity vs Completion Time
- Shortest chapter (Ch 20, 4,242 words): Completed first
- Longest chapter (Ch 18, 6,226 words): Completed 4th
- Most concepts (Ch 19, 21 concepts): Completed last
The completion order correlates well with a combination of word count and concept count.
Timestamp Validation (Batch 2)
The log files recorded timestamps using date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S":
| Chapter | Log Start | Log End | File Mod Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ch 16 | 14:03:19 | 14:06:30 | 14:06:24 |
| Ch 17 | 14:03:19 | 14:06:25 | 14:06:19 |
| Ch 18 | 14:03:19 | 14:06:58 | 14:06:49 |
| Ch 19 | 14:03:19 | 14:07:12 | 14:07:06 |
| Ch 20 | 14:03:19 | 14:06:08 | 14:06:03 |
The 5-6 second difference between file modification time and log end time is expected—the file is written first, then the agent records the end timestamp.
Combined Summary (Chapters 11-20)
Overall Statistics
| Metric | Batch 1 (Ch 11-15) | Batch 2 (Ch 16-20) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapters | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Total Words | 20,937 | 27,325 | 48,262 |
| Total Concepts | 78 | 83 | 161 |
| Elapsed Time | 3m 39s | 3m 47s | 7m 26s |
| Avg Words/Chapter | 4,187 | 5,465 | 4,826 |
Parallel Execution Benefit (Batches 1-2)
- Total content generated: 48,262 words covering 161 calculus concepts
- Total wall-clock time: ~7.5 minutes (two batches)
- Estimated sequential time: 28+ minutes
- Overall speedup: ~3.7x
Batch 3: Chapters 21-23
Time: 14:10:42 - 14:14:46 Method: Task tool with background agents (3 parallel)
Executive Summary (Batch 3)
All 3 chapters (21-23) were generated simultaneously using parallel background agents. This batch completes the final chapters of the calculus textbook.
Timestamp Analysis (Batch 3)
All agents started at 14:10:42 when the Task tool launched them in parallel.
Chapter Generation Times (from filesystem metadata)
| Chapter | Start Time | End Time | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ch 21 | 14:10:42 | 14:13:45 | 3m 03s |
| Ch 22 | 14:10:42 | 14:14:46 | 4m 04s |
| Ch 23 | 14:10:42 | 14:14:27 | 3m 45s |
Completion Order (Batch 3)
- Chapter 21 - Transcendental Integrals (completed first at 14:13:45)
- Chapter 23 - Integral Properties and Techniques (14:14:27)
- Chapter 22 - Riemann Sums and the Fundamental Theorem (completed last at 14:14:46)
Evidence of Parallel Execution (Batch 3)
Time Window Analysis
- All agents started: 14:10:42
- First completion: 14:13:45 (Chapter 21)
- Last completion: 14:14:46 (Chapter 22)
- Total generation window: 4 minutes 4 seconds
Sequential vs Parallel Comparison
If tasks had run sequentially (average ~3.6 minutes each to generate ~5,800 words): - Estimated sequential time: 3 chapters x 3.6 min = 10.8+ minutes
Actual parallel execution: - Total elapsed time: 4 minutes 4 seconds
Speedup factor: ~2.7x (all 3 agents running concurrently)
Content Statistics (Batch 3)
| Chapter | Title | Word Count | Concepts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Transcendental Integrals | 4,603 | 14 |
| 22 | Riemann Sums and the Fundamental Theorem | 6,516 | 24 |
| 23 | Integral Properties and Techniques | 6,241 | 22 |
| Total | 17,360 | 60 |
Correlation: Complexity vs Completion Time
- Shortest chapter (Ch 21, 4,603 words, 14 concepts): Completed first
- Most concepts (Ch 22, 6,516 words, 24 concepts): Completed last
- Middle chapter (Ch 23, 6,241 words, 22 concepts): Completed second
The completion order correlates with content complexity (word count × concept count).
Timestamp Validation (Batch 3)
| Chapter | Log Start | Log End | File Mod Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ch 21 | 14:10:42 | 14:13:50 | 14:13:45 |
| Ch 22 | 14:10:42 | 14:14:51 | 14:14:46 |
| Ch 23 | 14:10:42 | 14:14:32 | 14:14:27 |
Combined Summary (All Chapters 11-23)
Overall Statistics
| Metric | Batch 1 (Ch 11-15) | Batch 2 (Ch 16-20) | Batch 3 (Ch 21-23) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chapters | 5 | 5 | 3 | 13 |
| Total Words | 20,937 | 27,325 | 17,360 | 65,622 |
| Total Concepts | 78 | 83 | 60 | 221 |
| Elapsed Time | 3m 39s | 3m 47s | 4m 04s | 11m 30s |
| Avg Words/Chapter | 4,187 | 5,465 | 5,787 | 5,048 |
Parallel Execution Benefit (All Batches)
- Total content generated: 65,622 words covering 221 calculus concepts
- Total wall-clock time: ~11.5 minutes (three batches)
- Estimated sequential time: ~39 minutes (at ~3 min/chapter)
- Overall speedup: ~3.4x