Conceptual dependency

A conceptual dependency is a relationship between formal structures where one structure requires another for its definition, motivation, or implementation. Conceptual dependencies constitute the backbone of the emsemioverse’s layered architecture.

Primary intension

A depends conceptually on B when A cannot be coherently stated without reference to vocabulary, structures, or principles that B provides.

Secondary intension

Distinguished from implementation dependency

An implementation dependency (plan X depends on plan Y) is about sequencing of work. A conceptual dependency is about the logical structure of ideas. Plan 0044 depends on plan 0045 (implementation); the agential semioverse depends on the interactive semioverse (conceptual). The first could be reordered; the second cannot.

Typed relationships

Conceptual dependencies vary in strength and kind:

• inspires: weakest; the dependent structure could exist without the inspiration but would not have been conceived
• grounds: formal dependency; the dependent structure uses vocabulary from the grounding structure
• extends: the dependent structure adds to the grounding structure while preserving all its properties
• instantiates: the dependent structure implements the grounding structure as a concrete system
• specifies-aspect-of: the dependent structure defines one dimension of a larger method
• practices: the dependent structure uses a specification as its method
• derives-from: the dependent structure draws substance, practice, or design patterns from a source

Directional

Conceptual dependency is directional: the agential semioverse depends on the interactive semioverse, not the reverse. This direction determines where content should live (it belongs at the level of its dependencies, not at the level that depends on it) and the order in which formalization should proceed (ground before you extend).

Distinguished from

• Implementation dependency (depends-on in plan frontmatter): sequencing of work, not logical structure
• requires (predicate graph edge): prerequisite for a page, which may be either conceptual or practical
• extends (predicate graph edge): already exists as a typed edge; conceptual dependency adds the full vocabulary of relationship types