chore(engine): remove dead isDuplicateClusterWinner (#6172)

[shin-core]

Summary

• packages/loopover-engine/src/duplicate-winner.ts's isDuplicateClusterWinner (PR-number election) was JSDoc-@deprecated in favor of isDuplicateClusterWinnerByClaim, "retained only for legacy compatibility callers that do not have claim timestamps." A fresh repo-wide search confirms those legacy callers do not exist: every real caller (e.g. advisory/gate-advisory.ts) uses isDuplicateClusterWinnerByClaim; the bare function had only re-exports, tests, and {@link} mentions.
• Removed isDuplicateClusterWinner and its three re-exports (packages/loopover-engine/src/index.ts, packages/loopover-engine/src/signals/duplicate-winner.ts, src/signals/duplicate-winner.ts). isDuplicateClusterWinnerByClaim and resolveDuplicateClusterWinnerNumber are untouched.
• Removed the tests that existed only to exercise the deleted function (dedicated cases in packages/loopover-engine/test/duplicate-winner.test.ts, the shim-identity assertion in duplicate-winner-signals-shim.test.ts, the root cases in test/unit/duplicate-winner.test.ts, and the two lines in test/unit/predicted-gate-engine-coverage.test.ts); every test for the remaining exports stays.
• Updated the now-stale {@link isDuplicateClusterWinner} / prose mentions in src/queue/duplicate-detection.ts, src/services/maintainer-activation.ts, and packages/loopover-engine/src/predicted-gate.ts to reference the surviving election function (or describe it generically) so no comment points at a function that no longer exists.

Closes #6172

Scope

• The PR title follows type(scope): short summary Conventional Commit format.
• This PR is focused and does not mix unrelated backend, UI, MCP, docs, dependency, and deploy changes.
• This follows CONTRIBUTING.md and does not reintroduce GitHub Pages, VitePress, site/, or CNAME.
• I linked a currently open issue this PR resolves (Closes #6172).

Validation

• git diff --check
• npm run actionlint (via npm run test:ci)
• npm run typecheck
• npm run test:coverage — this PR only DELETES source lines (no added source lines for codecov/patch to fall short on); the surviving isDuplicateClusterWinnerByClaim/resolveDuplicateClusterWinnerNumber keep their full existing test coverage.
• npm run test:workers (via npm run test:ci)
• npm run build:mcp (via npm run test:ci)
• npm run test:mcp-pack (via npm run test:ci)
• npm run ui:openapi:check (via npm run test:ci)
• npm run ui:lint (via npm run test:ci)
• npm run ui:typecheck (via npm run test:ci)
• npm run ui:build (via npm run test:ci)
• npm audit --audit-level=moderate
• @loopover/engine package tests (567 pass) and the root duplicate-winner / predicted-gate-coverage suites pass with the removed cases gone.

If any required check was skipped, explain why:

• No OpenAPI/cf-typegen/migration/env-reference regeneration needed — this removes an internal engine helper with no API, binding, schema, or env surface.

Safety

• No secrets, wallet details, hotkeys, coldkeys, user PATs, private keys, raw trust scores, private rankings, or private maintainer evidence are exposed.
• Public GitHub text stays sanitized, low-noise, and does not imply compensation guarantees or optimization tactics.
• Auth, cookie, CORS, GitHub App, Cloudflare, or session changes include negative-path tests. — N/A: none touched.
• API/OpenAPI/MCP behavior is updated and tested where needed. — N/A: no API/OpenAPI/MCP surface changed.
• UI changes use live API data or real empty/error/loading states, not production mock/demo fallbacks. — N/A: no UI change.
• Visible UI changes include a UI Evidence section. — N/A: no visible UI change.
• Public docs/changelogs are updated where needed; changelogs are only edited for release-prep PRs. — N/A: no docs/changelog change.

Notes

• Verified the real duplicate-cluster election path (isDuplicateClusterWinnerByClaim, used by advisory/gate-advisory.ts through the signals/duplicate-winner.js shim) is unaffected — only the unused PR-number-election variant and its own tests/comments are removed.

[superagent-security]

🚨 Contributor flagged. Click here for more info: Superagent Dashboard

[superagent-security]

Superagent didn't find any vulnerabilities or security issues in this PR.

[codecov]

Codecov Report

✅ All modified and coverable lines are covered by tests.
✅ Project coverage is 95.61%. Comparing base (a2d8306) to head (f4dee3e).
⚠️ Report is 17 commits behind head on main.

Additional details and impacted files

@@           Coverage Diff           @@
##             main    #6434   +/-   ##
=======================================
  Coverage   95.61%   95.61%           
=======================================
  Files         600      600           
  Lines       47346    47351    +5     
  Branches    15067    15067           
=======================================
+ Hits        45268    45273    +5     
  Misses       1291     1291           
  Partials      787      787           

Flag	Coverage Δ
shard-1	44.03% <ø> (-0.01%)	⬇️
shard-2	36.74% <ø> (-0.03%)	⬇️
shard-3	32.38% <ø> (+0.03%)	⬆️
shard-4	34.60% <ø> (+0.07%)	⬆️
shard-5	30.80% <ø> (-0.77%)	⬇️
shard-6	45.30% <ø> (+0.31%)	⬆️

Flags with carried forward coverage won't be shown. Click here to find out more.

Files with missing lines	Coverage Δ
packages/loopover-engine/src/duplicate-winner.ts	100.00% <ø> (ø)
packages/loopover-engine/src/predicted-gate.ts	100.00% <ø> (ø)
src/queue/duplicate-detection.ts	100.00% <ø> (ø)
src/services/maintainer-activation.ts	100.00% <ø> (ø)

... and 1 file with indirect coverage changes

[loopover-orb]

Warning

⏸️ LoopOver review result - manual review recommended

_{Review updated: 2026-07-16 08:21:07 UTC}

11 files · 1 AI reviewer · no blockers · CI green · unstable

⏸️ Suggested Action - Manual Review

Review summary
This is a clean dead-code removal: the deprecated PR-number-only `isDuplicateClusterWinner` is deleted along with its three barrel re-exports, and every stale `{@​link isDuplicateClusterWinner}`/prose mention is updated to reference the surviving `isDuplicateClusterWinnerByClaim`. Tests that existed solely to exercise the deleted function are removed, while tests for `isDuplicateClusterWinnerByClaim` and `resolveDuplicateClusterWinnerNumber` are left intact. The PR description's claim that no legacy (non-claim-timestamp) callers exist is consistent with what's shown here — only re-exports, tests, and doc links reference the removed symbol, no production call site does.

Nits — 5 non-blocking

• The `index.ts` file is already ~708 lines per the size-smell note; not this PR's fault, but worth a future split since this diff touches it again.
• test/unit/predicted-gate-engine-coverage.test.ts:249 renames the test to 'exercises the inactive lane advice branch' — worth double-checking no other coverage line in that describe block silently drops below the patch-coverage bar now that two assertions were removed.
• Confirm CI codecov/patch (already shown PASSED) reflects no coverage regression from the removed branch-covering assertions in predicted-gate-engine-coverage.test.ts.
• Grep the wider repo (docs/, README) for any remaining prose references to `isDuplicateClusterWinner` outside the files touched here, since the diff only fixes `{@​link}` mentions in three specific files.
• Code changes lack test evidence — Add focused regression tests or explain why existing coverage is sufficient.

Flagged checks (non-blocking)

• Contributor trust — Contributor flagged for review

Decision drivers

• ✅ Code review — No blockers (1 reviewer)
• ✅ Gate result — Passing (No configured blocker found.)

Context & advisory signals — never blocks the verdict

Signal	Result	Evidence
Linked issue	✅ Linked	#6172
Related work	✅ No active overlap found	No same-issue or scoped active PR overlap found.
Change scope	✅ 20/20	Low review scope from cached public metadata (1 linked issue).
Validation posture	✅ 25/25	PR body includes validation/test evidence.
Contributor workload	✅ 10/10	Author activity: 45 registered-repo PR(s), 21 merged, 0 issue(s).
Contributor context	✅ Confirmed Gittensor contributor	shin-core; Gittensor profile; 45 PR(s), 0 issue(s).
Improvement	ℹ️ None detected	risk: low · value: none

Review context

• Author: shin-core
• Role context: outside_contributor
• Public audience mode: oss maintainer
• Lane context: Repository is configured for direct PR review.
• Public profile languages: not available
• Official Gittensor activity: 45 PR(s), 0 issue(s).
• PR-specific overlap: none found.

Contributor next steps

• Keep the PR focused and include validation evidence before maintainer review.

Signal definitions

• Related work = same linked issue, overlapping active PRs, or title/path similarity.
• Change scope = cached public metadata such as size labels, draft state, and review-burden hints.
• Validation posture = whether the PR provides enough public validation/test evidence for maintainer review.
• Contributor workload = public contributor activity and cleanup pressure, not a repo-wide quality failure.
• Contributor context = public GitHub/Gittensor identity context; non-Gittensor status is not a blocker.

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_{🟩 Safe / merged · 🟦 Advisory · 🟨 Held for review · 🟥 Blocked / closed}

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[loopover-orb]

LoopOver approves — the gate is satisfied and CI is green.