Accepted literal replay fixes its value to the endpoint variations of its supplied remainder chain. This does not invoke a producer or root semantics.
A checked singleton chain has zero variation at both endpoints.
Constant heads force a singleton checked chain, hence a zero answer. This supported count specialization needs no signed-index theorem.
Exact three-valued signs agree when their arguments differ by a positive factor. Zero evaluations are included.
Positive entrywise scaling preserves the actual finite endpoint sign arrays, and hence their zero-skipping variation counts. Endpoint carriers and coefficient representations may differ on the two sides.
Positive entrywise scaling preserves signs at both infinities: leading coefficient signs and degree parity agree, including zero entries.