attractor-set · attractor-set · Aug 7, 2026 · Aug 7, 2026 · Aug 7, 2026 · Aug 7, 2026
diff --git a/MANIFEST.json b/MANIFEST.json
diff --git a/audit/ACTIVE_AUDIT_INDEX.json b/audit/ACTIVE_AUDIT_INDEX.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "active_candidate": {
-    "canon_package_digest": "sha256:392ff8e36eecb2bf6cfa9a6cbc76117025a4c7d8a170e8ddf562f1ea5df27d38",
+    "canon_package_digest": "sha256:0e1518c4ff6bd6b0da71089bfe5e1a9802929016c8ec2547024a1a0e2b84a19d",
     "extension_separation": "COMPLETE",
     "implementation_precedence": "NONE",
     "repository_role": "OPEN_IMPLEMENTATION_NEUTRAL_SPECIFICATION",
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
     "audit/PDCA-15-EXTENSION-EXTRACTION-CLOSURE.json",
     "audit/PDCA-15-EXTENSION-EXTRACTION-CLOSURE.md",
     "audit/REFACTORING_LOG.md",
-    "audit/PDCA-17-INVARIANT-CLOSURE.json",
-    "audit/PDCA-17-INVARIANT-CLOSURE.md"
+    "audit/PDCA-18-SEED-FINAL-SEMANTIC-CLEANUP.json",
+    "audit/PDCA-18-SEED-FINAL-SEMANTIC-CLEANUP.md"
   ],
   "classification_rules": [
     "Only active_controlling_records may support static claims about the current implementation-neutral candidate.",
@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@
     "audit/pdca/PDCA-11-PREFREEZE-BLOCKER-CLOSURE.md",
     "audit/pdca/PDCA-12-FINAL-PREFREEZE-ASSURANCE.md",
     "audit/pdca/PDCA-13-PROJECT-METADATA-AND-DOCUMENTATION-GENERATION.md",
-    "audit/pdca/PDCA-14-SEED-SEMANTIC-NUCLEUS.md"
+    "audit/pdca/PDCA-14-SEED-SEMANTIC-NUCLEUS.md",
+    "audit/PDCA-17-INVARIANT-CLOSURE.json",
+    "audit/PDCA-17-INVARIANT-CLOSURE.md"
   ],
   "index_exclusions": [
     "audit/README.md",

diff --git a/audit/ACTIVE_AUDIT_INDEX.md b/audit/ACTIVE_AUDIT_INDEX.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ This index separates the current implementation-neutral Seed candidate from hist
 
 The current candidate is Seed `0.3.0-alpha.1`. Its machine identity is [`seed/canonical/CANON_PACKAGE.json`](../seed/canonical/CANON_PACKAGE.json), and its repository claim boundary is [`REPOSITORY_STATUS.json`](../REPOSITORY_STATUS.json).
 
-Static controlling records are listed in [`ACTIVE_AUDIT_INDEX.json`](ACTIVE_AUDIT_INDEX.json). Candidate-specific executable evidence is generated under `dist/` by [`tools/repository_release_gate.py`](../tools/repository_release_gate.py). The active assurance line additionally requires complete invariant coverage and zero surviving semantic mutations as defined by [`PDCA-17-INVARIANT-CLOSURE.md`](PDCA-17-INVARIANT-CLOSURE.md).
+Static controlling records are listed in [`ACTIVE_AUDIT_INDEX.json`](ACTIVE_AUDIT_INDEX.json). Candidate-specific executable evidence is generated under `dist/` by [`tools/repository_release_gate.py`](../tools/repository_release_gate.py). The active assurance line is controlled by [`PDCA-18-SEED-FINAL-SEMANTIC-CLEANUP.md`](PDCA-18-SEED-FINAL-SEMANTIC-CLEANUP.md), which requires role-classified operation coverage, saturated finite-state exploration, zero surviving semantic mutations, TLC/TLAPS closure and standalone canon-to-TLA refinement.
 
 ## Historical records
 

diff --git a/audit/PDCA-18-SEED-FINAL-SEMANTIC-CLEANUP.json b/audit/PDCA-18-SEED-FINAL-SEMANTIC-CLEANUP.json
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+{
+  "act": {
+    "freeze_rule": "After this cleanup, further Seed changes should strengthen assurance or fix demonstrated semantic defects; new capabilities belong in extensions.",
+    "release_rule": "The exact candidate must pass canon validation, saturated finite-state exploration, semantic mutations, operation coverage, TLC, TLAPS, standalone canon-to-TLA refinement and the repository release gate."
+  },
+  "candidate": "ASET-SEED-RESOLUTION-CANON-0.3-ALPHA1",
+  "check": {
+    "required_results": {
+      "canon_operations": "3 = 2 state transitions + 1 observer",
+      "invariants": "12/12",
+      "requirements": "12/12",
+      "semantic_mutations": "13/13 killed",
+      "standalone_projection": "V5 parity + TLAPS refinement proof",
+      "tlaps": "REQUIRED_BY_RELEASE_GATE",
+      "tlc": "REQUIRED_BY_RELEASE_GATE"
+    }
+  },
+  "cycle_id": "PDCA-18",
+  "do": {
+    "changes": [
+      "unified request and terminal Authority admission under RecognizedAuthorityBindings",
+      "restricted conflict observation to already accepted terminal resolutions",
+      "renamed terminal uniqueness to AcceptedTerminalUnique and strengthened conflict semantics as ConflictSound",
+      "replaced the machine-canon transitions catalogue with a role-classified operations catalogue",
+      "moved operation identifiers from SEED-TX-* to SEED-OP-*",
+      "advanced the standalone canon-to-TLA projection profile to V5",
+      "updated active black-box audit methodology and made that methodology part of the audited documentation surface",
+      "recorded the cleanup in ADR-010 and the active audit line"
+    ]
+  },
+  "document_type": "aset-pdca-seed-final-semantic-cleanup",
+  "plan": {
+    "constraints": [
+      "do not add new Seed capabilities",
+      "preserve implementation neutrality",
+      "preserve the wire-level single AuthorityBinding semantics",
+      "preserve historical RC11/RC12 evidence as non-controlling history"
+    ],
+    "objective": "Remove the final formal/wire and terminology mismatches from the Seed 0.3 minimal resolution kernel."
+  },
+  "schema_version": 1,
+  "verdict": "FINAL_SEMANTIC_CLEANUP_DEFINED"
+}
diff --git a/audit/PDCA-18-SEED-FINAL-SEMANTIC-CLEANUP.md b/audit/PDCA-18-SEED-FINAL-SEMANTIC-CLEANUP.md
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# PDCA-18 — Seed final semantic cleanup
+
+## Plan
+
+Remove the remaining mismatches between the active machine canon, wire
+semantics and formal model without adding new Seed capabilities.
+
+## Do
+
+The candidate:
+
+- uses one `RecognizedAuthorityBindings` relation for both request and terminal
+  admission;
+- admits conflict observation only for an already accepted terminal resolution;
+- distinguishes `AcceptedTerminalUnique` from external conflicting valid
+  material and expresses the latter through `ConflictSound`;
+- publishes three role-classified operations, not three transitions;
+- uses `SEED-OP-*` identifiers for two state transitions and one observer;
+- advances the standalone canon projection to profile V5;
+- replaces the obsolete RC12 runtime black-box methodology with the actual
+  active specification-repository audit boundary.
+
+## Check
+
+The exact candidate is required to close:
+
+```text
+requirements = 12/12
+invariants = 12/12
+operations = 3/3
+semantic mutations killed = 13/13
+finite model saturated = true
+TLC = PASS
+TLAPS = PASS
+canon-to-TLA refinement = PASS
+repository release gate = PASS
+```
+
+## Act
+
+Once those gates pass, Seed 0.3 should be treated as semantically stabilized.
+Further capability growth belongs in extensions; further Seed changes should
+be limited to demonstrated defects or assurance strengthening.
diff --git a/audit/REFACTORING_LOG.md b/audit/REFACTORING_LOG.md
@@ -24,3 +24,11 @@
 - Rephrased the active System Composition environment invariant so that it binds an externally committed assurance-toolchain and dependency closure without prescribing Python or any implementation runtime.
 - Replaced Python-specific environment descriptions in active component and system verification cases with implementation-neutral assurance-toolchain descriptions; frozen rc11 source evidence remains unchanged.
 - Linked the separate non-normative [`aset-python-sqlite`](https://github.com/attractor-set/aset-python-sqlite) reference implementation from all curated root README editions and the roadmap without granting it semantic precedence.
+
+## Seed final semantic cleanup
+
+- Unified request and terminal admission under one `RecognizedAuthorityBindings` relation to match the single wire AuthorityBinding semantics.
+- Restricted conflict observation to already accepted terminal resolutions, eliminating impossible pre-terminal conflict states.
+- Distinguished accepted terminal uniqueness from external valid conflict material through `AcceptedTerminalUnique` and `ConflictSound`.
+- Reclassified the machine-canon catalogue as three operations: two state transitions and one observer, with `SEED-OP-*` identifiers.
+- Advanced the standalone canon-to-TLA projection to V5 and updated the active audit methodology and evidence line.
diff --git a/docs/architecture/SEED_ROLE.md b/docs/architecture/SEED_ROLE.md
@@ -13,8 +13,7 @@ conflict observations, policy results or cryptographic proofs.
 
 ## Environment and observers
 
-Conflict is environment state because an independently established conflict
-between valid terminal records changes the derived resolution to `UNKNOWN`.
+Conflict is environment state because additional distinct valid terminal material for an already accepted terminal resolution changes the derived resolution to `UNKNOWN`. Conflict observation is not admissible before an accepted terminal record exists.
 `EVALUATE_RESOLUTION` is a pure observer and never mutates Seed-owned state.
 
 Invalid, malformed or non-authoritative material has no Seed state slot. It may
@@ -23,10 +22,7 @@ Authority, `ALLOW` or a conflict by mere presence.
 
 ## Authority boundary
 
-Seed requires an exact-binding Authority to be explicitly recognized by the
-local Context. How that recognition is established—signature, certificate,
-delegation chain, hardware root, external verifier or another mechanism—is a
-profile concern. Opaque evidence references are not Authority by themselves.
+Seed consumes one exact-binding Authority-recognition relation for both request registration and terminal submission. How recognition is established—signature, certificate, delegation mechanism, hardware root, external verifier or another mechanism—is a profile concern. Opaque evidence references are not Authority by themselves.
 
 ## Outside Seed
 

diff --git a/docs/architecture/SEED_STATE_MINIMIZATION.md b/docs/architecture/SEED_STATE_MINIMIZATION.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ environment dimension:
 
 1. `requestMeta` — partial map of admitted request metadata;
 2. `terminalMeta` — partial map of accepted terminal metadata;
-3. `conflicts` — environment observation state.
+3. `conflicts` — environment observation state constrained to accepted terminal requests.
 
 `seedVars == <<requestMeta, terminalMeta>>`; conflict is deliberately excluded
 from Seed-owned state.
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@ separate provenance refinement is specified and proved.
 
 Invalid/non-authoritative material has no artificial stutter action. It remains
 outside the abstract state machine. The executable admission boundary verifies
-that it cannot create accepted state. Valid conflict observation is modeled
-separately as environment state and is proved not to mutate Seed-owned state.
+that it cannot create accepted state. Valid conflict observation is modeled separately as environment state, is admissible only after an accepted terminal record exists, and is proved not to mutate Seed-owned state.
 
 No Merkle tree, MMR, signature algorithm or accumulator is introduced into the
 Seed core.
diff --git a/docs/generated/en/ASET_Seed_Next.md b/docs/generated/en/ASET_Seed_Next.md