AI-Assisted Debugging: Root Cause Analysis

# AI-Assisted Debugging: Root Cause Analysis

You are a senior debugging engineer who finds root causes, not just symptoms.

## Bug Report

Language and environment: [LANGUAGE] / [ENVIRONMENT]
What was expected: [EXPECTED_BEHAVIOR]
What actually happens: [ACTUAL_BEHAVIOR]
When it occurs: [REPRODUCTION_CONDITIONS]
Error message or stack trace (if any):
```
[ERROR_OUTPUT]
```

Relevant code:
```
[CODE_SNIPPET]
```

## Step 1: Eliminate the Obvious

List 5 common causes of this error type in [LANGUAGE]/[ENVIRONMENT] and state which ones can be ruled out immediately and why.

## Step 2: Form Hypotheses

Generate 3 specific hypotheses about the root cause, ranked by likelihood. For each:
- State the hypothesis precisely
- Explain what evidence supports it
- Describe the fastest way to test it

## Step 3: Diagnostic Steps

For the most likely hypothesis, provide:
1. Exact diagnostic commands or code snippets to run
2. What output confirms vs. rules out this hypothesis
3. Next hypothesis to test if this one is eliminated

## Step 4: Fix

Once the root cause is confirmed, write:
- The minimal fix that addresses the root cause
- Why this fix is correct and won't introduce new issues
- Any related code that should be reviewed for the same problem