The dominant post-collapse fail is the binary "level N not connected",
which is flat across fragmentation (a 7-component storey scores the same
as a 2-component one), so the outer search has no gradient toward
connected circulation. A finish-time convert-to-circulation repair was
prototyped and measured NEGATIVE (195->560 fails: bridging needed rooms
costs more missing-room fails than the one binary fail it clears).
Instead add graph.circulation_connectivity(G) = largest-circ-component
fraction, summed over storeys onto the score_with_grade proximity channel
(conf flag conn_grade; replaces the §11.4 leaf-grade there). It is a
secondary comparator key only — scalar fitness and fail count stay
byte-identical — restoring the gradient the binary fail lacks. Threaded
through driver (_overrides_for/_fitness_for/_evaluate/search; enabling it
implies the grade key) and evolve --conn-grade (default off).
A/B on full-budget runs pending; short smoke run confirms plumbing.
Tests: tests/test_conn_grade.py x9 (fraction contract, non-circ ignored,
monotone under (dis)connection, score/fail invariance); 276 pass.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01M8566xAxTnwtJTkpXjYNZm
