[DSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING] [DSI:NAME=SECTION_SEMANTIC_IDENTITY;ROLE=LEARNING;AUTHOR=SIMON_MACFARLANE;VERSION=1_0] [DSM:SYSTEM=SEMANTIC_BINDING;AUDIENCE=PUBLIC,PROFESSIONAL,AUTHORING_SYSTEMS]
Page 3.5 — SSI — Section Semantic Identifier
[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_IDENTIFIER.IDENTITY.DEFINITION.3-5-1] [SSI:TITLE=WHAT_IS_SSI;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-5-1] [SSM:SECTION=DEFINITION;INTENT=DEFINITION;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]
3.5.1 — What SSI Is
Section Semantic Identity (SSI) declares how a section is identified and referenced.
It answers one—and only one—question:
“How do we name, label, and refer to this section?”
SSI provides stable identity, not meaning.
It exists so sections can be:
- referenced unambiguously
- cited consistently
- addressed independently of formatting or prose
[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_IDENTIFIER.IDENTITY.CONSTRAINT.3-5-2] [SSI:TITLE=WHAT_SSI_DOES_NOT_DO;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-5-2] [SSM:SECTION=DEFINITION;INTENT=CONSTRAINT;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]
3.5.2 — What SSI Does Not Do
SSI does not:
- declare what the section is about (that is SSB)
- declare why the section exists (that is SSM → INTENT)
- declare abstraction level (that is SSM → ABSTRACTION)
- enforce semantic meaning
SSI is identity only.
[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_IDENTIFIER.IDENTITY.COMPONENTS.3-5-3] [SSI:TITLE=SSI_COMPONENTS;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-5-3] [SSM:SECTION=DEFINITION;INTENT=DEFINITION;ABSTRACTION=MEDIUM]
3.5.3 — SSI Components
An SSI anchor may include:
- TITLE — a stable, human-readable label
- AUTHORITY — the normative weight of the section
- REF — a concise, stable reference identifier
Example: '[XXX:TITLE=SECTION_SEMANTIC_IDENTITY;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=10]'
These values are authoritative identifiers, not visual headings.
[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_IDENTIFIER.AUTHORITY.MODEL.3-5-3A] [SSI:TITLE=SSI_AUTHORITY_LEVELS;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-5-3A] [SSM:SECTION=DEFINITION;INTENT=MODEL;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]
3.5.3A — SSI Authority Levels
SSI includes an AUTHORITY attribute that declares the semantic weight of a section relative to other sections addressing the same concept.
Authority does not describe reader importance.
It describes normative authority for retrieval, grounding, and citation.
Authority must be explicitly authored.
Systems must never infer it.
[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_IDENTIFIER.AUTHORITY.DEFINITION.3-5-3B] [SSI:TITLE=AUTHORITY_LEVELS_DEFINED;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-5-3B] [SSM:SECTION=DEFINITION;INTENT=DEFINITION;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]
3.5.3B — Authority Levels Defined
SSI supports exactly three authority levels:
PRIMARY
Canonical, definition-bearing authority.
Must be preferred whenever present.
SECONDARY
Contextual or orienting material.
Eligible only if no PRIMARY exists.
SUPPORTING
Explanatory or illustrative material.
Never sufficient on its own.
Authority is a retrieval constraint, not a ranking hint.
[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_IDENTIFIER.AUTHORITY.COMPARISON.3-5-3C] [SSI:TITLE=AUTHORITY_VS_INTENT;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-5-3C] [SSM:SECTION=CONCEPT;INTENT=COMPARISON;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]
3.5.3C — Authority vs Intent vs Abstraction
- SSB → what the section is about
- SSM → INTENT → what semantic work it performs
- SSM → ABSTRACTION → how conceptual it is
- SSI → AUTHORITY → whether it is normatively definitive
Authority answers:
“If multiple sections could answer this question, which one must be preferred?”
[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_IDENTIFIER.AUTHORITY.CONSTRAINT.3-5-3D] [SSI:TITLE=AUTHORITY_ENFORCEMENT_RULES;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-5-3D] [SSM:SECTION=DEFINITION;INTENT=CONSTRAINT;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]
3.5.3D — Authority Enforcement Rules
- PRIMARY always outranks others
- SECONDARY only if no PRIMARY exists
- SUPPORTING never used alone
- Missing authority defaults to SECONDARY
Violations cause semantic dilution and unsafe grounding.
[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_IDENTIFIER.IDENTITY.STABILITY.3-5-4] [SSI:TITLE=STABILITY_OVER_EDITING;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-5-4] [SSM:SECTION=CONCEPT;INTENT=RATIONALE;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]
3.5.4 — Stability Over Editing
SSI must remain stable across:
- wording changes
- formatting changes
- heading rewrites
If meaning changes → update SSB
If purpose changes → update SSM
If reference changes → update SSI
[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_IDENTIFIER.IDENTITY.COMPARISON.3-5-5] [SSI:TITLE=SSI_VS_VISUAL_HEADINGS;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-5-5] [SSM:SECTION=CONCEPT;INTENT=COMPARISON;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]
3.5.5 — SSI vs Visual Headings
| Aspect | SSI | Visual Heading |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Identity | Presentation |
| Stability | Required | Optional |
| Used by systems | Yes | No |
| Semantically binding | Yes | No |
[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_IDENTIFIER.IDENTITY.SYSTEM_USE.3-5-6] [SSI:TITLE=SYSTEM_USE_OF_SSI;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-5-6] [SSM:SECTION=DEFINITION;INTENT=MODEL;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]
3.5.6 — How Systems Use SSI
Systems rely on SSI to:
- cite sections
- anchor explanations
- track revisions
- align cross-document references
SSI provides referential integrity.
[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_IDENTIFIER.IDENTITY.CONSTRAINT.3-5-7] [SSI:TITLE=CANONICAL_SSI_RULES;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=3-5-7] [SSM:SECTION=DEFINITION;INTENT=CONSTRAINT;ABSTRACTION=MEDIUM]
3.5.7 — Canonical Rules for SSI
- Exactly one SSI per section
- TITLE must be stable and human-readable
- REF must be concise and unique
- SSI must not encode meaning, intent, or abstraction
[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_IDENTIFIER.IDENTITY.SUMMARY.3-5-8] [SSI:TITLE=SUMMARY;AUTHORITY=SECONDARY;REF=3-5-8] [SSM:SECTION=SUMMARY;INTENT=SUMMARY;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]
3.5.8 — Summary
Section Semantic Identity (SSI) provides identity without meaning.
It ensures sections can be named, cited, and tracked
without affecting semantic interpretation.
[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.SECTION_SEMANTIC_IDENTIFIER.IDENTITY.STATUS.3-5-9] [SSI:TITLE=STATUS;AUTHORITY=SECONDARY;REF=3-5-9] [SSM:SECTION=STATUS;INTENT=STATUS;ABSTRACTION=LOW]
3.5.9 — Status
Section Semantic Identity (SSI) is active, mandatory, and authoritative.
All systems must treat SSI as the canonical reference handle for citation, linkage, and audit.
Without SSI, section-level references become unstable and unsafe.