diff --git a/crates/bgz-tensor/tests/palette_pair_argextrema_probe.rs b/crates/bgz-tensor/tests/palette_pair_argextrema_probe.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..300d46f7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/bgz-tensor/tests/palette_pair_argextrema_probe.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+//! Palette256 points are addresses. Pair-LUT codes are signed relational scores.
+use bgz_tensor::{FamilyGamma, FisherZTable};
+
+fn fixture() -> FisherZTable {
+    let mut entries = vec![0i8; 16];
+    // Anchor 0: candidate 1 strong, 2 neutral, 3 negative.
+    entries[1] = 90;
+    entries[2] = 0;
+    entries[3] = -90;
+    FisherZTable {
+        entries,
+        k: 4,
+        gamma: FamilyGamma {
+            z_min: -2.0,
+            z_range: 4.0,
+        },
+    }
+}
+
+fn argextrema(table: &FisherZTable, anchor: u8, candidates: &[u8]) -> Option<(u8, u8)> {
+    let (&first, rest) = candidates.split_first()?;
+    let mut biggest = first;
+    let mut smallest = first;
+    for &candidate in rest {
+        if table.lookup_i8(anchor, candidate) > table.lookup_i8(anchor, biggest) {
+            biggest = candidate;
+        }
+        if table.lookup_i8(anchor, candidate) < table.lookup_i8(anchor, smallest) {
+            smallest = candidate;
+        }
+    }
+    Some((biggest, smallest))
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn extrema_are_invariant_under_a_single_family_monotonic_decode() {
+    let table = fixture();
+    assert_eq!(argextrema(&table, 0, &[3, 2, 1]), Some((1, 3)));
+    let max = table.lookup_f32(0, 1);
+    let neutral = table.lookup_f32(0, 2);
+    let min = table.lookup_f32(0, 3);
+    assert!(max > neutral && neutral > min);
+    let original = table.entries.clone();
+    for _ in 0..64 {
+        assert_eq!(argextrema(&table, 0, &[1, 2, 3]), Some((1, 3)));
+    }
+    assert_eq!(table.entries, original);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn xor_sign_bit_indexing_requires_u8_before_usize() {
+    for byte in 0..=255u8 {
+        let signed = byte as i8;
+        let index = ((signed as u8) ^ 0x80) as usize;
+        assert_eq!(index, (byte ^ 0x80) as usize);
+    }
+    assert_eq!(((0i8 as u8) ^ 0x80) as usize, 128);
+    assert_eq!(((127i8 as u8) ^ 0x80) as usize, 255);
+}
+
+fn unique_winner(best: (f32, f32), rival: (f32, f32)) -> bool {
+    best.0 > rival.1
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn overlapping_error_intervals_refuse_to_announce_an_argmax() {
+    assert!(unique_winner((0.80, 0.90), (0.10, 0.20)));
+    assert!(!unique_winner((0.49, 0.55), (0.52, 0.57)));
+    assert!(!unique_winner((0.60, 0.70), (0.50, 0.60)));
+}