Case 1 — Musnad: A Companion attributes a statement to the Prophet ﷺ through an apparently connected chain; authenticity must still be established.
Case 2 — Absolute elevation: Six links to the Prophet in one route versus eight in another makes the former numerically elevated.
Case 3 — Muwāfaqah: The compiler's same teacher occurs in an independent alternative route.
Case 4 — Badal: Another route uses a different student and meets at the teacher of the compiler's teacher.
Case 5 — Musāwāh / muṣāfaḥah: Numerical parity with the compiler / with the compiler's pupil, respectively.
Method: establish attribution, identify meeting point or endpoint, count links, then assess the credibility of transmission.