diff --git a/papers/medial_tire_decompositions_of_plane_triangulations/experiments/kempe_transfer_relation_probe.py b/papers/medial_tire_decompositions_of_plane_triangulations/experiments/kempe_transfer_relation_probe.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e5ccde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/papers/medial_tire_decompositions_of_plane_triangulations/experiments/kempe_transfer_relation_probe.py
@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+"""Transfer relation R_T and the chained-seam (medial pigeonhole) question.
+
+Each tire carries a restriction relation R_T between its OUTER boundary state
+(up-tooth apexes) and its INNER boundary state (singleton down-tooth apexes on
+its single inner face), realised jointly by one Kempe-balanced 3-colouring.
+Boundary states are taken up to colour permutation AND dihedral symmetry of the
+boundary walk (paper Def "medial boundary state") -- i.e. as necklaces.
+
+A nested chain T_0 ⊃ T_1 ⊃ ... glues iff consecutive boundary states match:
+inner-state(T_i) = outer-state(T_{i+1}).  The chain-pigeonhole conjecture asks
+whether such a chain can ever be obstructed.
+
+We restrict to no-bite tiles (single inner face = root, all down teeth
+singletons), so outer size p = #up and inner size q = n - p, and study:
+
+  1. R_T coupling: is R_T a full product proj_out × proj_in, or does the inner
+     state genuinely constrain the outer state?
+  2. Common(p,q): boundary-state pairs realised by EVERY tile of that size class
+     -- a pair here can be used uniformly regardless of which tile sits there.
+  3. Uniform pass-through: is there a choice of one state sigma_m per level size m
+     with (sigma_p, sigma_q) in Common(p,q) for every size class?  If so, putting
+     sigma_m on every level cycle glues ANY such stack with no pigeonhole needed.
+
+Summary numbers only.
+
+Run:  python3 kempe_transfer_relation_probe.py --n 9
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+import itertools
+from collections import defaultdict
+
+from full_medial_tire_generator import generate
+from kempe_valid_colorings import classify_colorings
+from kempe_up_tooth_sequences import canonical_sequence, seq_str
+
+
+def necklace(seq: tuple[int, ...]) -> tuple[int, ...]:
+    """Boundary state: canonical under rotation, reflection, and colour perm."""
+    n = len(seq)
+    return min(canonical_sequence(s[r:] + s[:r])
+               for s in (seq, seq[::-1]) for r in range(n))
+
+
+def admissible_necklaces(m: int) -> set[tuple[int, ...]]:
+    out = set()
+    for combo in itertools.product((0, 1, 2), repeat=m):
+        if all(combo.count(k) % 2 == m % 2 for k in (0, 1, 2)):
+            out.add(necklace(combo))
+    return out
+
+
+def cuts(neck: tuple[int, ...]) -> int:
+    """Cyclic colour-changes -- low = 'blocky', easy-to-present boundary."""
+    return sum(1 for i in range(len(neck)) if neck[i] != neck[(i + 1) % len(neck)])
+
+
+def tile_relation(n, g):
+    """R_T as a set of (outer-necklace, inner-necklace) pairs for a no-bite tile.
+    Returns None unless the tile has p>=3 up teeth and q>=3 singleton downs."""
+    p = len(g.up_edges)
+    downs = g.singleton_down_edges
+    if g.bites or p < 3 or len(downs) < 3:
+        return None
+    R = set()
+    for c, v in classify_colorings(g, dedup_colors=True):
+        if not v.valid:
+            continue
+        o = necklace(tuple(c[f"u{e}"] for e in g.up_edges))
+        i = necklace(tuple(c[f"d{e}"] for e in downs))
+        R.add((o, i))
+    return (p, len(downs)), R
+
+
+def run(args):
+    n = args.n
+    by_class: dict[tuple[int, int], list[set]] = defaultdict(list)
+    for g in generate(n, min_up_teeth=3, dedup=True):
+        res = tile_relation(n, g)
+        if res is None:
+            continue
+        (p, q), R = res
+        by_class[(p, q)].append(R)
+
+    print(f"n={n}: transfer relation R_T over (outer, inner) boundary necklaces "
+          f"(no-bite tiles)\n")
+    print(f"{'(p,q)':>7} {'#tiles':>6} {'|adm_p|':>7} {'|adm_q|':>7} "
+          f"{'out real':>8} {'in real':>7} {'product?':>8} {'|Common|':>8}")
+    print("-" * 70)
+    common: dict[tuple[int, int], set] = {}
+    for (p, q) in sorted(by_class):
+        rels = by_class[(p, q)]
+        adm_p, adm_q = len(admissible_necklaces(p)), len(admissible_necklaces(q))
+        proj_out = set().union(*[{o for o, _ in R} for R in rels])
+        proj_in = set().union(*[{i for _, i in R} for R in rels])
+        # is every tile's R_T a full product of its own projections?
+        all_product = all(
+            R == {(o, i) for o in {a for a, _ in R} for i in {b for _, b in R}}
+            for R in rels
+        )
+        com = set.intersection(*rels) if rels else set()
+        common[(p, q)] = com
+        print(f"{str((p, q)):>7} {len(rels):>6} {adm_p:>7} {adm_q:>7} "
+              f"{len(proj_out):>8} {len(proj_in):>7} {str(all_product):>8} {len(com):>8}")
+
+    # Uniform pass-through CSP: pick sigma_m per size so (sigma_p, sigma_q) in
+    # Common(p,q) for every class.  Brute force over candidate states per size.
+    print("\nUniform pass-through (one state per level size, glues any stack):")
+    sizes = sorted({s for cls in common for s in cls})
+    cand = {m: sorted({o for (o, _) in common.get((m, n - m), set())} |
+                      {i for (_, i) in common.get((n - m, m), set())} |
+                      admissible_necklaces(m))
+            for m in sizes}
+    # constraints: for each class (p,q) present, (sigma_p,sigma_q) in Common(p,q)
+    classes = [(p, q) for (p, q) in common if common[(p, q)]]
+    empty_classes = [c for c in common if not common[c]]
+    if empty_classes:
+        print(f"  classes with EMPTY Common (no pair works for all tiles): {empty_classes}")
+    found = None
+    for assignment in itertools.product(*[cand[m] for m in sizes]):
+        sigma = dict(zip(sizes, assignment))
+        if all((sigma[p], sigma[q]) in common[(p, q)] for (p, q) in classes):
+            found = sigma
+            break
+    if found:
+        print("  FEASIBLE -- uniform family exists:")
+        for m in sizes:
+            print(f"    size {m}: {seq_str(found[m])}  (cuts={cuts(found[m])})")
+        print("  => every no-bite nested stack at this n glues with no pigeonhole.")
+    else:
+        print("  INFEASIBLE -- no single state-per-size family glues all tiles;")
+        print("     the uniform strategy fails, so chaining genuinely couples.")
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_argument("--n", type=int, default=9)
+    run(parser.parse_args())
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/papers/medial_tire_decompositions_of_plane_triangulations/experiments/kempe_uniform_family_probe.py b/papers/medial_tire_decompositions_of_plane_triangulations/experiments/kempe_uniform_family_probe.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bdc880e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/papers/medial_tire_decompositions_of_plane_triangulations/experiments/kempe_uniform_family_probe.py
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+"""Is there a uniform boundary-state family threading every tile (branches too)?
+
+A *uniform family* assigns one boundary state sigma_m (a necklace) to every
+level-cycle size m.  A tile is *threaded* if one Kempe-balanced 3-colouring shows
+sigma_p on its outer face (p up teeth) AND sigma_{q_k} on every inner face k (each
+a >=3-singleton-down face).  If a family threads every tile, assigning sigma_m to
+every level cycle glues ANY tire tree -- including branching (bite) nodes -- with
+no pigeonhole.  Infeasibility means the medial pigeonhole is genuinely needed.
+
+This is a constraint-satisfaction search:
+  * domain D[m] = necklaces realisable on EVERY size-m boundary (outer or inner)
+    across all tiles -- the per-size universal states;
+  * per-tile constraint = some Kempe-balanced colouring realises the chosen
+    sigma on its outer face and all its inner faces simultaneously.
+
+Reports whether a uniform family exists and, if so, one witness.
+
+Run:  python3 kempe_uniform_family_probe.py --n 9
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+from collections import defaultdict
+
+from full_medial_tire_generator import generate, innermost_bite
+from kempe_valid_colorings import classify_colorings
+from kempe_transfer_relation_probe import necklace, cuts
+from kempe_up_tooth_sequences import seq_str
+
+
+def inner_faces(g):
+    faces = defaultdict(list)
+    for e in g.singleton_down_edges:
+        faces[innermost_bite(e, g.bites)].append(e)
+    return [sorted(es) for es in faces.values() if len(es) >= 3]
+
+
+class Tile:
+    __slots__ = ("p", "qsizes", "joint", "is_bite", "word", "bites")
+
+    def __init__(self, g):
+        faces = inner_faces(g)
+        self.p = len(g.up_edges)
+        self.qsizes = [len(f) for f in faces]
+        self.is_bite = bool(g.bites)
+        self.word = g.tooth_word
+        self.bites = ",".join(f"({i},{j})" for i, j in sorted(g.bites)) or "-"
+        # realisable joint signatures: (outer_neck, (inner_neck_by_face...))
+        self.joint = set()
+        for c, v in classify_colorings(g, dedup_colors=True):
+            if not v.valid:
+                continue
+            o = necklace(tuple(c[f"u{e}"] for e in g.up_edges))
+            ins = tuple(necklace(tuple(c[f"d{e}"] for e in f)) for f in faces)
+            self.joint.add((o, ins))
+
+
+def run(args):
+    n = args.n
+    tiles = []
+    realizable = defaultdict(lambda: defaultdict(set))  # size -> "marginal" sets list
+    per_size_real = defaultdict(list)   # size -> list of realizable-necklace sets
+    for g in generate(n, min_up_teeth=3, dedup=True):
+        if not inner_faces(g):
+            continue
+        t = Tile(g)
+        tiles.append(t)
+        # marginal realisable sets per boundary (for domain restriction)
+        outs = {o for o, _ in t.joint}
+        per_size_real[t.p].append(outs)
+        for k, q in enumerate(t.qsizes):
+            ins_k = {ins[k] for _, ins in t.joint}
+            per_size_real[q].append(ins_k)
+
+    # D[m] = necklaces realisable on EVERY size-m boundary (per-size universal)
+    D = {m: set.intersection(*sets) for m, sets in per_size_real.items()}
+    sizes = sorted(D)
+    n_bite = sum(1 for t in tiles if t.is_bite)
+    n_branch = sum(1 for t in tiles if len(t.qsizes) >= 2)
+    print(f"n={n}: uniform-family CSP over {len(tiles)} tiles "
+          f"({n_bite} bite, {n_branch} branching with >=2 inner faces)\n")
+    print("per-size universal domain |D[m]|:",
+          "  ".join(f"{m}:{len(D[m])}" for m in sizes))
+
+    # Backtracking search over sigma_m in D[m], with per-tile joint constraints.
+    order = sizes
+    sigma: dict[int, tuple] = {}
+
+    def tile_ok(t):
+        # all sizes the tile touches must be assigned to test it
+        if t.p not in sigma or any(q not in sigma for q in t.qsizes):
+            return True  # not yet fully constrained
+        want = (sigma[t.p], tuple(sigma[q] for q in t.qsizes))
+        return want in t.joint
+
+    def consistent():
+        return all(tile_ok(t) for t in tiles)
+
+    def bt(idx):
+        if idx == len(order):
+            return dict(sigma)
+        m = order[idx]
+        for s in sorted(D[m]):
+            sigma[m] = s
+            if consistent():
+                res = bt(idx + 1)
+                if res is not None:
+                    return res
+            del sigma[m]
+        return None
+
+    sol = bt(0)
+    if sol:
+        print("\n=> FEASIBLE: a uniform family threads every tile (branches included).")
+        for m in sizes:
+            print(f"    size {m}: {seq_str(sol[m])}  (cuts={cuts(sol[m])})")
+        print("   Assigning sigma_m to every level cycle glues any tire tree at "
+              "this n with no pigeonhole.")
+    else:
+        # diagnose: which tiles can't be threaded by any domain choice
+        print("\n=> INFEASIBLE: no uniform family threads all tiles.")
+        # find tiles whose joint set never matches the per-size domains
+        bad = []
+        for t in tiles:
+            if not any(o in D.get(t.p, set()) and
+                       all(ins[k] in D.get(t.qsizes[k], set()) for k in range(len(t.qsizes)))
+                       for o, ins in t.joint):
+                bad.append(t)
+        print(f"   {len(bad)} tile(s) cannot use any per-size universal jointly:")
+        for t in bad[:20]:
+            print(f"     word={t.word} bites={t.bites} outer={t.p} inner={t.qsizes}")
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_argument("--n", type=int, default=9)
+    run(parser.parse_args())
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()