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Validating CME Futures Predictions and Backtest Lineage

Code Machine Learning for Trading

Summary

This proof script exercises a reduced CME futures research workflow from model predictions through portfolio weights and backtesting. It checks that predictions cover exactly the expected product, timestamp, and fold keys, that fitted states and prediction files match their recorded digests, and that rerunning the request reproduces the same artifacts. Preview outputs are checked for separation from official populations and candidate sets.

The example builds a long-short signal by selecting the top-ranked products and sizes positions inversely to volatility. It loads validation prices with product-level roll and expiry metadata, then compares the results from a typed backtest path with a direct strategy run. The script also checks that fills and finite performance metrics were recorded. These checks demonstrate reproducibility, data lineage, and futures-specific handling; they do not establish that the strategy is profitable or that the reduced preview represents a full production evaluation.

Key ideas

  • Prediction eligibility can be verified by comparing exact product, timestamp, and fold keys against the expected set.
  • Artifact digests and reruns provide checks on persisted model states and reproducibility.
  • Preview predictions and backtests are prevented from entering official populations or candidate sets.
  • The example combines a top-ranked long-short signal with inverse-volatility allocation.
  • Futures backtests should retain product, roll, expiry, and contract-position metadata.

Tags

Full text
# prove_cme_futures_interface.py


```py
"""Run the reduced real-data proof for the CME futures research interface."""

from __future__ import annotations

import argparse
import hashlib
import json
import math
import sqlite3
from pathlib import Path

import polars as pl

from case_studies.cme_futures.research_workflow import (
    load_futures_price_path,
    model_request_catalog,
    open_study,
    publish_product_weights,
    resolve_model_requests,
    run_resolved_model_requests,
)
from case_studies.research import CandidateSet, OfficialPopulation
from case_studies.research.execution import run_backtests
from case_studies.utils.artifact_digest import value_digest

CASE_STUDY = "cme_futures"


def _product_keys(frame: pl.DataFrame) -> pl.DataFrame:
    entity_columns = [column for column in ("symbol", "product") if column in frame.columns]
    fold_columns = [column for column in ("fold", "fold_id") if column in frame.columns]
    if len(entity_columns) != 1 or len(fold_columns) != 1:
        raise ValueError("prediction eligibility requires one entity key and one fold key")
    result = frame.select(entity_columns[0], "timestamp", fold_columns[0])
    return result.rename({entity_columns[0]: "product", fold_columns[0]: "fold"})


def _sha256(path: Path) -> str:
    return hashlib.sha256(path.read_bytes()).hexdigest()


def _fitted_state_rows(study, training_hash: str) -> list[tuple]:
    root = study.storage_root("preview")
    with sqlite3.connect(root / "run_log" / "registry.db") as db:
        rows = db.execute(
            "SELECT fold_id, fitted_state_path, fitted_state_digest, "
            "prediction_shard_path, prediction_shard_digest "
            "FROM candidate_fold_completions WHERE training_hash = ? ORDER BY fold_id",
            (training_hash,),
        ).fetchall()
    if not rows:
        raise AssertionError("reduced model run persisted no fitted-state rows")
    for _, fitted_path, fitted_digest, shard_path, shard_digest in rows:
        fitted = root / fitted_path
        shard = root / shard_path
        assert fitted.is_file() and _sha256(fitted) == fitted_digest
        assert shard.is_file() and _sha256(shard) == shard_digest
    return rows


def _returns(result) -> pl.DataFrame:
    path = result.root / "run_log" / "backtest" / result.hash / "daily_returns.parquet"
    return pl.read_parquet(path)


def _reject_preview_population(study, *, member_kind: str, member_hash: str) -> None:
    try:
        OfficialPopulation.create(
            study,
            name=f"preview-{member_kind}-must-not-enter-official",
            member_kind=member_kind,
            members=[member_hash],
        )
    except ValueError as error:
        assert "preview" in str(error) or "exploratory" in str(error)
    else:
        raise AssertionError(f"preview {member_kind} entered an official population")


def prove(workspace: Path) -> dict[str, object]:
    study = open_study(execution_tier="preview", workspace=workspace)
    request_catalog = model_request_catalog(
        "linear",
        labels=("fwd_ret_5d",),
        config_names=("ols",),
    )
    preview_reductions = {"folds": [0], "max_symbols": 6}
    resolved = resolve_model_requests(
        study,
        request_catalog,
        execution_tier="preview",
        preview_reductions=preview_reductions,
    )[0]
    assert resolved.spec["computation"]["preview_reductions"] == preview_reductions

    execution = run_resolved_model_requests(study, [resolved])
    run = execution.runs[0]
    prediction = run.predictions[-1]
    prediction_frame = prediction.load()
    expected = _product_keys(resolved._context.expected_keys)
    actual = _product_keys(prediction_frame)
    key_columns = ["product", "timestamp", "fold"]
    assert actual.height == actual.n_unique(key_columns)
    assert actual.join(expected, on=key_columns, how="anti").is_empty()
    assert expected.join(actual, on=key_columns, how="anti").is_empty()
    assert actual.get_column("fold").unique().to_list() == [0]
    assert 1 < actual.get_column("product").n_unique() <= 6
    coverage = prediction.coverage()
    assert coverage is not None and coverage["status"] == "complete"
    assert coverage["n_expected"] == coverage["n_actual"] == actual.height
    state_rows = _fitted_state_rows(study, run.training.hash)

    restarted = run_resolved_model_requests(study, [resolved]).runs[0]
    assert restarted.training.hash == run.training.hash
    assert [item.hash for item in restarted.predictions] == [item.hash for item in run.predictions]
    assert value_digest(restarted.predictions[-1].load()) == value_digest(prediction_frame)
    assert _fitted_state_rows(study, restarted.training.hash) == state_rows

    preview_catalog = study.predictions.table(include_preview=True)
    canonical_catalog = study.predictions.table(include_preview=False)
    selected = preview_catalog.filter(pl.col("prediction_hash") == prediction.hash)
    assert selected.height == 1 and selected.item(0, "complete") is True
    if not canonical_catalog.is_empty():
        assert prediction.hash not in canonical_catalog.get_column("prediction_hash").to_list()
    _reject_preview_population(study, member_kind="prediction", member_hash=prediction.hash)

    products = set(actual.get_column("product"))
    price_path = load_futures_price_path(
        "fwd_ret_5d",
        split="validation",
        products=sorted(products),
    )
    assert set(price_path.prices.get_column("product")) == products
    assert "symbol" not in price_path.prices.columns
    assert price_path.audit.get_column("position").unique().to_list() == [0]
    assert price_path.roll_transitions.height > 0
    assert price_path.roll_transitions.get_column("roll_adjustment_factor").is_finite().all()
    assert set(price_path.expiry_rules.get_column("product")) == products

    signal = {"method": "equal_weight_top_k", "top_k": 2}
    allocation = {"method": "inverse_vol", "vol_window": 20}
    decision = publish_product_weights(
        prediction,
        prices=price_path.prices,
        signal=signal,
        allocation=allocation,
    )
    assert decision.spec["decision_keys"] == ["product", "timestamp"]
    resolved_signal = decision.spec["parameters"]["signal"]
    resolved_allocation = decision.spec["parameters"]["allocation"]
    assert resolved_signal["long_short"] is True
    assert resolved_allocation["long_short"] is True
    assert decision.load().filter(pl.col("weight") < 0).height > 0
    assert decision.load().filter(pl.col("weight") > 0).height > 0
    typed = run_backtests(
        study,
        predictions=selected,
        signal=resolved_signal,
        allocation=resolved_allocation,
        decision=decision,
        prices=price_path.prices,
    ).results[0]
    direct = study.strategy(
        prediction=prediction,
        signal=resolved_signal,
        allocation=resolved_allocation,
    ).run(prices=price_path.prices)
    assert _returns(typed).equals(_returns(direct))
    typed_spec = typed.spec()
    assert typed_spec["entity_contract"]["reader_key"] == "product"
    assert typed_spec["decision_artifact"]["hash"] == decision.hash
    assert typed_spec["decision_artifact"]["decision_keys"] == ["product", "timestamp"]
    assert typed_spec["futures_market"]["roll"]["type"] == "volume"
    assert typed_spec["futures_market"]["contract_position"] == 0
    assert set(typed_spec["futures_market"]["expiry"]["products"]) == products
    assert typed.lineage()["prediction_hash"] == prediction.hash
    backtest_dir = typed.root / "run_log" / "backtest" / typed.hash
    fills = pl.read_parquet(backtest_dir / "fills.parquet")
    assert fills.height > 0
    with sqlite3.connect(typed.root / "run_log" / "registry.db") as db:
        metrics = db.execute(
            "SELECT sharpe, num_trades FROM backtest_metrics WHERE backtest_hash = ?",
            (typed.hash,),
        ).fetchone()
    assert metrics is not None
    sharpe, num_trades = metrics
    assert math.isfinite(sharpe) and num_trades > 0
    try:
        CandidateSet.create(study, "preview-backtest-must-not-rank", [typed])
    except ValueError as error:
        assert "preview" in str(error) or "exploratory" in str(error)
    else:
        raise AssertionError("preview backtest entered a candidate set")
    _reject_preview_population(study, member_kind="backtest", member_hash=typed.hash)

    return {
        "backtest_hash": typed.hash,
        "eligible_rows": actual.height,
        "fitted_state_rows": len(state_rows),
        "num_fills": fills.height,
        "num_products": len(products),
        "num_trades": int(num_trades),
        "prediction_hash": prediction.hash,
        "roll_transitions": price_path.roll_transitions.height,
        "sharpe": float(sharpe),
        "training_hash": run.training.hash,
        "workspace": str(study.storage_root("preview")),
    }


def main() -> None:
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
    parser.add_argument("workspace", type=Path)
    args = parser.parse_args()
    print(json.dumps(prove(args.workspace), indent=2, sort_keys=True))


if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

```

Shown in full with attribution under the source's licence. Licence: MIT

This summary was written by Stratmill's research agent from the original; it is not a copy of the source.