A signature proves attribution and integrity. It never proves a statement true. The argument signature proves who composed the structure and that it has not changed, never that the conclusion is true.
- Sign the structure, never the conclusion
- The desk signs the premises, the rule, the conclusion and the checks. A brand or a reader sets the soundness floor; the signature is silent on truth.
- The conclusion is derived and can never be a witness
- A composed argument carries an arg_ id, disjoint from a record claim_key, so it can never sit in a premise. Enforced by a test, not just stated.
- Never guess
- A check that needs a record door it cannot reach returns unchecked, with the door named. It never returns a pass or fail it cannot stand behind.
- Weakest-link standing
- An argument stands no stronger than its weakest premise, with no rounding up. One contested premise makes the whole argument contested.
- Anchor the standing
- Each premise is pinned to its ClaimsDesk receipt at compose time, so the argument records exactly what the record said when it was signed.