diff --git a/docs/design_docs/README.md b/docs/design_docs/README.md
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--- a/docs/design_docs/README.md
+++ b/docs/design_docs/README.md
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ Backend-specific implementation design notes are organized by component under
 [`../developer_docs`](../developer_docs/README.md). They explain current Rust
 internals and are subordinate to the shared system contracts.
 
+Proposals for shared-contract review (not duplicate normative specifications):
+
+- [Self-Describing Summary (SDS)](self-describing-summary.md): Schema,
+  Dictionary and Record structure definitions.
+
 Backend-specific operating profiles:
 
 - [ASAPQuery compatibility profile](asapquery-compatibility-profile.md) defines
diff --git a/docs/design_docs/self-describing-summary.md b/docs/design_docs/self-describing-summary.md
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+++ b/docs/design_docs/self-describing-summary.md
@@ -0,0 +1,171 @@
+# Self-Describing Summary (SDS)
+
+This proposal defines three logical layers for summary producers and consumers.
+It does not change the current runtime or wire format.
+
+| Layer | Describes | Changes when |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| **Summary Descriptor** | Summary operator and fidelity guarantees | Algorithm, configuration or guarantee contract changes |
+| **Data Descriptor** | Summarized source and population | Source binding or population definition changes |
+| **Summary Instance** | Instance metadata and summary state | A concrete materialization is created or updated |
+
+Separating these layers lets many materialized instances reuse the same operator
+configuration and data scope. A new time interval creates a new instance without
+copying or redefining either descriptor.
+
+## Proposed ownership
+
+The descriptor vocabulary belongs in shared semantic contracts, suitable for
+Planner's shared types. Planner reasons about operators, fidelity, source and
+population semantics. The backend binds those descriptions to actual series,
+filters and grouping, and owns materialized instance state and its lifecycle.
+
+| Layer | Proposed responsibility |
+| --- | --- |
+| Summary Descriptor | Shared semantic definition used by Planner and backend |
+| Data Descriptor | Shared source/population definition; backend resolves concrete runtime bindings |
+| Summary Instance | Backend owns metadata, state, updates, storage and retirement |
+
+Planner may observe instance availability, covered time ranges and descriptor
+references as planning evidence. It does not need the encoded summary state.
+SDS describes summaries; an installed QueryPlan specifies how to execute a query
+using them. This ownership split is a proposal, not a claim that SDS types or
+interfaces already exist in either repository.
+
+## 1. Summary Descriptor
+
+A Summary Descriptor defines **how the data is summarized** and **which fidelity
+claims the summary supports**. It does not identify a source population or a
+particular time interval.
+
+| Field | Type | Definition |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| `summary_descriptor_id` | `QualifiedId` | Immutable descriptor identity |
+| `operator` | `SummaryOperator` | Algorithm, semantic version, parameters and supported operations |
+| `fidelity` | `FidelityGuarantee[]` | Exactness or error guarantees, with their scope and conditions |
+| `state_representation` | `StateRepresentation` | State type, codec and codec version |
+
+`SummaryOperator` contains an algorithm identifier, versioned semantics,
+type-specific parameters, and supported build/update/merge/readout signatures.
+Parameters and operation arguments depend on the summary type; `item` and
+`weight` are not mandatory common fields.
+
+For example, a KLL operator may specify `k: 200`. The value of `k` is an
+algorithm parameter, **not itself a numerical error guarantee**. Its fidelity
+contract separately identifies the supported rank-error bound or versioned
+bound derivation, probability of failure, readout scope and required conditions.
+If that guarantee is unavailable, fidelity is explicitly `Unknown`.
+
+A `FidelityGuarantee` contains:
+
+- The applicable operation and error quantity, such as quantile rank error.
+- A category: `Exact`, `DeterministicBound`, `ProbabilisticBound` or `Unknown`.
+- A bound or versioned bound derivation, and a failure probability when applicable.
+- The population/readout/evaluation scope and required assumptions.
+
+A `StateRepresentation` identifies the logical state type and versioned encoding.
+Compatible bytes alone do not establish that two operators have compatible
+semantics or guarantees.
+
+## 2. Data Descriptor
+
+A Data Descriptor defines **which data is summarized**. It is independent of the
+summary algorithm and of a particular materialized interval.
+
+| Field | Type | Definition |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| `data_descriptor_id` | `QualifiedId` | Immutable data-scope identity |
+| `source` | `SourceBinding` | Metric/series or dataset, including its versioned field definitions |
+| `population` | `PopulationDefinition` | Selection predicate and grouping/entity scope |
+| `observation_semantics` | `SemanticContract` | Value projection, units and handling of missing, duplicate or invalid observations |
+
+For example, the source can be the metric `cpu_usage`, and the summarized
+population can be the series satisfying `container_type="login"`.
+
+`PopulationDefinition` records both selection and partitioning. It distinguishes
+one summary over all selected observations, independent summaries per series,
+and summaries grouped by specified label keys. Concrete group values belong in
+the instance metadata when one descriptor describes a reusable grouping rule.
+
+A population predicate is a typed, resolved data-selection definition. It is not
+an arbitrary executable program attached to a summary.
+
+## 3. Summary Instance
+
+A Summary Instance combines **instance metadata** with **the actual summary
+state**, referencing one Summary Descriptor and one Data Descriptor.
+
+| Field | Type | Definition |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| `instance_id` | `QualifiedId` | Materialized instance identity |
+| `summary_descriptor_id` | `QualifiedId` | Referenced operator/fidelity descriptor |
+| `data_descriptor_id` | `QualifiedId` | Referenced source/population descriptor |
+| `metadata` | `InstanceMetadata` | Concrete extent, population binding, completeness and provenance |
+| `state` | `SummaryState` | Materialized state encoded according to the Summary Descriptor |
+
+`InstanceMetadata` contains the concrete time range or dataset extent, any group
+values needed by the population rule, completeness (`Complete`, `Partial` or
+`Unknown`), producer/generation/sequence provenance and instance-specific fidelity
+evidence. Time ranges specify their clock, units and interval boundaries.
+Completeness is separate from mathematical approximation error.
+
+`SummaryState` is the state itself, not a quantile readout or other query result.
+If a transport carries a delta, it must identify its base instance/version and
+the descriptor's supported apply operation; it cannot be interpreted as a full
+state without that context.
+
+## Shared-descriptor example
+
+The following example summarizes `cpu_usage` observations from login containers
+using KLL with `k=200`. All three instances reuse the same Summary Descriptor and
+Data Descriptor; only the instance time range and state change.
+
+```yaml
+summary_descriptor:
+  summary_descriptor_id: example:kll-200-v1
+  operator:
+    algorithm: KLL
+    parameters: {k: 200}
+    semantics: example:kll-semantics-v1
+  fidelity:
+    - operation: quantile
+      error_quantity: rank_error
+      category: Unknown  # No numerical guarantee is inferred from k alone.
+  state_representation: example:kll-state-codec-v1
+
+data_descriptor:
+  data_descriptor_id: example:login-cpu-v1
+  source: {metric: cpu_usage}
+  population:
+    predicate: {container_type: {equals: login}}
+    grouping: global
+  observation_semantics: example:cpu-observations-v1
+
+instances:
+  - instance_id: example:login-cpu-0
+    summary_descriptor_id: example:kll-200-v1
+    data_descriptor_id: example:login-cpu-v1
+    metadata: {time_range: "[0,10)", clock: example:seconds}
+    state: S0
+  - instance_id: example:login-cpu-1
+    summary_descriptor_id: example:kll-200-v1
+    data_descriptor_id: example:login-cpu-v1
+    metadata: {time_range: "[10,20)", clock: example:seconds}
+    state: S1
+  - instance_id: example:login-cpu-2
+    summary_descriptor_id: example:kll-200-v1
+    data_descriptor_id: example:login-cpu-v1
+    metadata: {time_range: "[20,30)", clock: example:seconds}
+    state: S2
+```
+
+`S0`, `S1` and `S2` denote separate encoded KLL states. The example omits concrete
+payload bytes and producer evidence; it makes no completeness or numerical error
+claim. Descriptor references must resolve within the supplied context or a
+durably retained descriptor registry.
+
+Changing `k` creates a new Summary Descriptor. Changing the source or population
+creates a new Data Descriptor. Advancing the time range creates a new Summary
+Instance. Merge compatibility additionally requires the operator's merge rules,
+compatible data scopes and valid instance coverage; sharing descriptors alone
+does not authorize merging overlapping observations.