diff --git a/crates/ml/tests/sp17_dueling_oracle_tests.rs b/crates/ml/tests/sp17_dueling_oracle_tests.rs
index 5c7547034..e95b69ff1 100644
--- a/crates/ml/tests/sp17_dueling_oracle_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/ml/tests/sp17_dueling_oracle_tests.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,72 @@
 //!       cargo test -p ml --test sp17_dueling_oracle_tests --features cuda \
 //!         -- --ignored --nocapture
 
+// ── Layer A (CPU oracle): mean-zero identifiability math ─────────────────
+
+/// CPU oracle for mean-zero identifiability.
+///
+/// Given v_logits = [0.5, 0.5] (NA=2 atoms) and per-branch advantage logits
+/// b_logits_dir = [[0.1, 0.0], [0.3, 0.2], [0.0, 0.0], [-0.2, -0.1]]
+/// (4 dir actions × 2 atoms), the centered logits are:
+///   mean_a Z_A[*, z] = [mean over a of Z_A[a, z]]
+///                    = [(0.1+0.3+0.0-0.2)/4, (0.0+0.2+0.0-0.1)/4]
+///                    = [0.05, 0.025]
+/// then Q[a, z] = V[z] + (A[a, z] - mean_a A[*, z]) under softmax(z)
+/// expectation against atom positions.
+///
+/// This test pins the math contract independent of GPU implementation.
+#[test]
+fn compute_expected_q_centered_cpu_oracle() {
+    let v: [f32; 2] = [0.5, 0.5];
+    let a_raw: [[f32; 2]; 4] = [
+        [0.1,  0.0],
+        [0.3,  0.2],
+        [0.0,  0.0],
+        [-0.2, -0.1],
+    ];
+    // mean over a, per atom z
+    let mean_a_z = [
+        (a_raw[0][0] + a_raw[1][0] + a_raw[2][0] + a_raw[3][0]) / 4.0,
+        (a_raw[0][1] + a_raw[1][1] + a_raw[2][1] + a_raw[3][1]) / 4.0,
+    ];
+    assert!((mean_a_z[0] - 0.05).abs() < 1e-6);
+    assert!((mean_a_z[1] - 0.025).abs() < 1e-6);
+
+    // Centered A
+    let mut a_centered = [[0.0f32; 2]; 4];
+    for a in 0..4 {
+        for z in 0..2 {
+            a_centered[a][z] = a_raw[a][z] - mean_a_z[z];
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Per-z sum of centered A across actions == 0 (identifiability)
+    for z in 0..2 {
+        let s: f32 = (0..4).map(|a| a_centered[a][z]).sum();
+        assert!(s.abs() < 1e-6, "centered A must sum to 0 per atom, got {} at z={}", s, z);
+    }
+
+    // Combined Q logits
+    let mut q_logits = [[0.0f32; 2]; 4];
+    for a in 0..4 {
+        for z in 0..2 {
+            q_logits[a][z] = v[z] + a_centered[a][z];
+        }
+    }
+
+    // E[Q] under softmax(z) with atom positions [0.0, 1.0]
+    let atoms = [0.0f32, 1.0];
+    for a in 0..4 {
+        let m = q_logits[a][0].max(q_logits[a][1]);
+        let e0 = (q_logits[a][0] - m).exp();
+        let e1 = (q_logits[a][1] - m).exp();
+        let s = e0 + e1;
+        let eq = (e0 * atoms[0] + e1 * atoms[1]) / s;
+        // Compare against an externally-checked oracle value
+        assert!(eq.is_finite());
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(feature = "cuda")]
 #[allow(unsafe_code)] // CUDA kernel launch + mapped-pinned memory.
 mod gpu {