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[DSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING] [DSI:NAME=ABSTRACTION_IN_SEMANTIC_BINDING;ROLE=LEARNING;AUTHOR=SIMON_MACFARLANE;VERSION=1_0;DATE=DEC2025] [DSM:SYSTEM=SEMANTIC_BINDING;AUDIENCE=PUBLIC,PROFESSIONAL,AUTHORING_SYSTEMS]

Page 4 — Abstraction in Semantic Binding​

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.ABSTRACTION.PURPOSE.OVERVIEW.4-1] [SSI:TITLE=PURPOSE_AND_POSITIONING;AUTHORITY=SECONDARY;REF=4-1] [SSM:SECTION=CONCEPT;INTENT=DEFINITION;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]

4.1 - Purpose & Positioning​

This document defines abstraction as a first-class concept within Semantic Binding.

Abstraction specifies the conceptual level at which content is intended to be understood, retrieved, and reasoned over. It declares whether content represents:

  • a governing principle
  • an applied explanation
  • or a concrete instruction

This document explains:

  • what abstraction is
  • why it must be explicit
  • how it shapes retrieval and knowledge growth

It does not define enforcement rules or authoring syntax for abstraction metadata.
Those concerns are addressed in the Section Semantic Metadata (SSM) specification.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.ABSTRACTION.DEFINITION.CANONICAL.4-2] [SSI:TITLE=DEFINITION_OF_ABSTRACTION;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=4-2] [SSM:SECTION=CONCEPT;INTENT=DEFINITION;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]

4.2 - What Abstraction Is in Semantic Binding​

In Semantic Binding, abstraction is the explicit declaration of a section’s conceptual distance from execution.

It defines whether content represents:

  • a governing principle
  • an applied explanation
  • or a concrete instruction

and constrains how that content may be:

  • retrieved
  • combined
  • reasoned over
  • or acted upon by AI systems

Abstraction is a control signal, not an interpretive label.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.ABSTRACTION.RATIONALE.EXPLICITNESS.4-3] [SSI:TITLE=WHY_ABSTRACTION_MUST_BE_EXPLICIT;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=4-3] [SSM:SECTION=RATIONALE;INTENT=RATIONALE;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]

4.3 - Why Abstraction Must Be Explicit​

When abstraction is not declared, intelligent systems must infer intent.

This leads to predictable failures:

  • returning instructions when an explanation was requested
  • mixing principles with procedures
  • summarising when operational detail is required

Abstraction removes this ambiguity by declaring the intended cognitive altitude of content.

In Semantic Binding, abstraction is declared, not inferred.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.ABSTRACTION.MODEL.LEVELS.4-4] [SSI:TITLE=ABSTRACTION_LEVELS;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=4-4] [SSM:SECTION=MODEL;INTENT=MODEL;ABSTRACTION=MEDIUM]

4.4 - The Abstraction Model​

Semantic Binding defines three abstraction levels, based on distance from execution, not importance.

Low Abstraction​

  • Concrete and operational
  • Instructions, steps, commands, worked examples

Medium Abstraction​

  • Applied explanation and rationale
  • Behavioural descriptions, comparisons, system interactions

High Abstraction​

  • Principles and definitions
  • Governing rules, theory, conceptual models

These levels may coexist safely within the same knowledge base only when explicitly declared.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.ABSTRACTION.APPLICATION.RETRIEVAL.4-5] [SSI:TITLE=ABSTRACTION_IN_RETRIEVAL;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=4-5] [SSM:SECTION=APPLICATION;INTENT=APPLICATION;ABSTRACTION=MEDIUM]

4.5 - Abstraction in Retrieval Behaviour​

Declared abstraction allows retrieval systems to align responses to user intent, not just semantic similarity.

Examples:

  • “What is Semantic Binding?” → High abstraction
  • “Why does Semantic Binding scale?” → Medium abstraction
  • “How do I implement Semantic Binding?” → Low abstraction

Abstraction enables:

  • intent-aligned retrieval
  • explainable selection decisions
  • prevention of incompatible content mixing

Abstraction is therefore a first-class retrieval signal.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.ABSTRACTION.APPLICATION.SCALING.4-6] [SSI:TITLE=ABSTRACTION_AND_KNOWLEDGE_GROWTH;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=4-6] [SSM:SECTION=APPLICATION;INTENT=APPLICATION;ABSTRACTION=MEDIUM]

4.6 - Abstraction and Knowledge Growth​

As knowledge bases grow, abstraction prevents conceptual collapse.

New material can:

  • add operational detail (low abstraction)
  • expand explanation (medium abstraction)
  • refine principles (high abstraction)

without reinterpreting or destabilising existing content.

Explicit abstraction allows knowledge to grow incrementally, safely, and predictably.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.ABSTRACTION.CONTRACT.SEMANTIC.4-7] [SSI:TITLE=ABSTRACTION_AS_A_SEMANTIC_CONTRACT;AUTHORITY=PRIMARY;REF=4-7] [SSM:SECTION=CONSTRAINT;INTENT=CONSTRAINT;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]

4.7 - Abstraction as a Semantic Contract​

Abstraction is part of the semantic contract between:

  • the author, who declares intent
  • the system, which enforces structure
  • the AI agent, which retrieves and reasons

In Semantic Binding:

  • abstraction is declared, not inferred
  • behaviour is predictable, not heuristic
  • knowledge remains stable as it scales

Abstraction is not optional.
It is required for trustworthy, explainable knowledge systems.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.ABSTRACTION.SUMMARY.RECAP.4-8] [SSI:TITLE=SUMMARY;AUTHORITY=SECONDARY;REF=4-8] [SSM:SECTION=SUMMARY;INTENT=SUMMARY;ABSTRACTION=HIGH]

4.8 - Summary​

Abstraction defines the conceptual altitude at which content may be interpreted and used.

By declaring abstraction explicitly, Semantic Binding:

  • removes the need for intent inference
  • prevents instruction leakage
  • enables intent-aligned retrieval
  • supports safe, scalable knowledge growth

Abstraction ensures that content is retrieved, combined, and acted upon
only at the level it was authored to support.

[SSB:THEORY.SEMANTIC_BINDING.ABSTRACTION.STATUS.DECLARATION.4-9] [SSI:TITLE=STATUS;AUTHORITY=SECONDARY;REF=4-9] [SSM:SECTION=STATUS;INTENT=STATUS;ABSTRACTION=LOW]

4.9 - Status​

This document is active and authoritative.

Its definition of abstraction is normative for all Semantic Binding authoring, retrieval, reasoning, and agent behaviour.