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[DSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING] [DSI:NAME=SECTION_SEMANTIC_BINDING;ROLE=LEARNING;AUTHOR=SIMON_MACFARLANE;VERSION=1_0] [DSM:SYSTEM=SEMANTIC_BINDING;AUDIENCE=PUBLIC,PROFESSIONAL,AUTHORING_SYSTEMS]

Page 3.4 — SSB — Section Semantic Binding​

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_BINDING.PURPOSE.DEFINITION.3-4-1] [SSI:TITLE=WHAT_IS_SSB;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-4-1] [SSM:SECTION=DEFINITION;INTENT=DEFINITION;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]

3.4.1 — What SSB Is​

Section Semantic Binding (SSB) declares the precise semantic address of a section.

It answers one—and only one—question:

“What is this section about, exactly?”

SSB places a section at a specific coordinate inside the semantic territory defined by the document’s DSB.

SSB is not descriptive.
It is addressing.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_BINDING.RELATIONSHIP.MODEL.3-4-2] [SSI:TITLE=SSB_RELATION_TO_DSB;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-4-2] [SSM:SECTION=CONCEPT;INTENT=MODEL;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]

3.4.2 — Relationship to DSB​

SSB always exists under a Document Semantic Binding (DSB).

  • DSB defines the semantic territory
  • SSB defines coordinates within that territory

A section cannot exist outside its document’s DSB.

Any SSB that contradicts DSB is semantically invalid, regardless of prose quality.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_BINDING.TAXONOMY.DEFINITION.3-4-3] [SSI:TITLE=SSB_TAXONOMY_STRUCTURE;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-4-3] [SSM:SECTION=DEFINITION;INTENT=DEFINITION;ABSTRACTION=MEDIUM]

3.4.3 — The SSB Taxonomy​

SSB uses a fixed, ordered taxonomy: 'DOMAIN.OBJECT.CATEGORY.SUBCATEGORY.TYPE.UNIT'

Each segment adds non-overlapping semantic constraint.

SegmentPurpose
DOMAINKnowledge domain
OBJECTPrimary concept
CATEGORYSemantic subject
SUBCATEGORYAspect or facet
TYPESemantic role
UNITUnique section identifier

SSB is a semantic coordinate, not a heading or label.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_BINDING.TAXONOMY.CONSTRAINT.3-4-4] [SSI:TITLE=MANDATORY_SEGMENTS;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-4-4] [SSM:SECTION=DEFINITION;INTENT=CONSTRAINT;ABSTRACTION=MEDIUM]

3.4.4 — Mandatory Segments​

All six taxonomy segments are mandatory.

SSB must be:

  • complete
  • ordered
  • explicit
  • stable

Skipping, collapsing, or overloading segments is a semantic fault.

Partial SSBs break addressability.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_BINDING.STABILITY.RATIONALE.3-4-5] [SSI:TITLE=STABILITY_AND_CHANGE;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-4-5] [SSM:SECTION=CONCEPT;INTENT=RATIONALE;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]

3.4.5 — Stability and Change​

SSB is designed to be stable, not editorial.

SSB should not change due to:

  • wording edits
  • formatting changes
  • added examples

SSB must change if:

  • the semantic subject changes
  • the section is split into distinct semantic units
  • the semantic role of the section changes

Stability enables safe reuse and comparison.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_BINDING.REUSE.APPLICATION.3-4-6] [SSI:TITLE=CROSS_DOCUMENT_REUSE;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-4-6] [SSM:SECTION=CONCEPT;INTENT=APPLICATION;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]

3.4.6 — Cross-Document Reuse​

SSB enables:

  • precise retrieval
  • semantic equivalence detection
  • cross-document linking
  • deduplication
  • version-aware reasoning

Two sections sharing the same SSB assert semantic equivalence, even if prose differs.

This is intentional and enforceable.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_BINDING.SYSTEM_USE.MODEL.3-4-7] [SSI:TITLE=SYSTEM_USE_OF_SSB;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-4-7] [SSM:SECTION=CONCEPT;INTENT=MODEL;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]

3.4.7 — How Systems Use SSB​

Systems rely on SSB to:

  • index sections deterministically
  • apply subject-aware retrieval
  • enforce semantic scope
  • detect duplication or conflict
  • explain why a section was returned

Without SSB, systems must infer meaning.
Inference breaks Semantic Binding.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_BINDING.RULES.CONSTRAINT.3-4-8] [SSI:TITLE=CANONICAL_SSB_RULES;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-4-8] [SSM:SECTION=DEFINITION;INTENT=CONSTRAINT;ABSTRACTION=MEDIUM]

3.4.8 — Canonical Rules for SSB​

  • Exactly one SSB per section
  • All six segments are required
  • CATEGORY declares subject, not intent
  • TYPE declares semantic role only
  • SSB must align with DSB
  • SSB must be machine-readable and stable
  • SSB must not encode intent or abstraction

Violations invalidate semantic addressability.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_BINDING.SUMMARY.RECAP.3-4-9] [SSI:TITLE=SUMMARY;AUTHORITY=SECONDARY;REF=3-4-9] [SSM:SECTION=SUMMARY;INTENT=SUMMARY;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]

3.4.9 — Summary​

Section Semantic Binding (SSB) provides the exact semantic coordinates of a section.

It ensures that:

  • meaning is explicitly located
  • retrieval is precise and safe
  • reuse is deliberate
  • semantic identity remains stable

SSB answers what a section is about,
and deliberately answers nothing else.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_BINDING.STATUS.DECLARATION.3-4-10] [SSI:TITLE=STATUS;AUTHORITY=SECONDARY;REF=3-4-10] [SSM:SECTION=STATUS;INTENT=STATUS;ABSTRACTION=LOW]

3.4.10 — Status​

Section Semantic Binding (SSB) is active, mandatory, and authoritative.

Every semantically bound section must declare exactly one SSB.

All retrieval, comparison, governance, and explainability mechanisms must treat SSB as the canonical semantic address of the section.

Without SSB, section-level meaning cannot be safely indexed, retrieved, compared, or reused.