Multi-level Contextual Type Theory

Contextual type theory distinguishes between bound variables and meta-variables to write potentially incomplete terms in the presence of binders. It has found good use as a framework for concise explanations of higher-order unification, characterize holes in proofs, and in developing a foundation for programming with higher-order abstract syntax, as embodied by the programming and reasoning environment Beluga. However, to reason about these applications, we need to introduce meta^2-variables to characterize the dependency on meta-variables and bound variables. In other words, we must go beyond a two-level system granting only bound variables and meta-variables. In this paper we generalize contextual type theory to n levels for arbitrary n, so as to obtain a formal system offering bound variables, meta-variables and so on all the way to meta^n-variables. We obtain a uniform account by collapsing all these different kinds of variables into a single notion of variabe indexed by some level k. We give a decidable bi-directional type system which characterizes beta-eta-normal forms together with a generalized substitution operation.Comment: In Proceedings LFMTP 2011, arXiv:1110.668

Towards a canonical classical natural deduction system

Preprint submitted to Elsevier, 6 July 2012This paper studies a new classical natural deduction system, presented as a typed calculus named lambda-mu- let. It is designed to be isomorphic to Curien and Herbelin's lambda-mu-mu~-calculus, both at the level of proofs and reduction, and the isomorphism is based on the correct correspondence between cut (resp. left-introduction) in sequent calculus, and substitution (resp. elimination) in natural deduction. It is a combination of Parigot's lambda-mu -calculus with the idea of "coercion calculus" due to Cervesato and Pfenning, accommodating let-expressions in a surprising way: they expand Parigot's syntactic class of named terms. This calculus and the mentioned isomorphism Theta offer three missing components of the proof theory of classical logic: a canonical natural deduction system; a robust process of "read-back" of calculi in the sequent calculus format into natural deduction syntax; a formalization of the usual semantics of the lambda-mu-mu~-calculus, that explains co-terms and cuts as, respectively, contexts and hole- filling instructions. lambda-mu-let is not yet another classical calculus, but rather a canonical reflection in natural deduction of the impeccable treatment of classical logic by sequent calculus; and provides the "read-back" map and the formalized semantics, based on the precise notions of context and "hole-expression" provided by lambda-mu-let. We use "read-back" to achieve a precise connection with Parigot's lambda-mu , and to derive lambda-calculi for call-by-value combining control and let-expressions in a logically founded way. Finally, the semantics , when fully developed, can be inverted at each syntactic category. This development gives us license to see sequent calculus as the semantics of natural deduction; and uncovers a new syntactic concept in lambda-mu-mu~ ("co-context"), with which one can give a new de nition of eta-reduction

CAN FOOD PROCESSORS USE CONTRACTS TO INFLUENCE FARM CASH PRICES? THE COMPETITIVE IMPLICATIONS OF TOP-OF-THE-MARKET AND RELATED PRICING CLAUSES

When contract production is marketed contemporaneously with production sold through a spot market, it is conveninet to specify the contract price in terms of the subsequent cash price. This paper examines the competitive implications of such pricing arrangements, focusing in particular upon so-called "top-of-the-market (TOMP) pricing in cattle procurement, wherein the contract guarantees the producer the highest cash price prevailing at the time of delivery. We show that these contracts have anticompetitive consequences when the same buyers who purchase cattle with the TOMP clause also compete to procure cattle in the subsequent spot market. By committing to purchase cattle at a price to be determined later, beef packers' incentives to compete aggressively in the spot market are attenuated. Although TOMP pricing is not in producers' collective interest, rational sellers may nonetheless sign these contracts, in some cases with little or no financial inducement.Demand and Price Analysis,

GSOS for non-deterministic processes with quantitative aspects

Recently, some general frameworks have been proposed as unifying theories for processes combining non-determinism with quantitative aspects (such as probabilistic or stochastically timed executions), aiming to provide general results and tools. This paper provides two contributions in this respect. First, we present a general GSOS specification format (and a corresponding notion of bisimulation) for non-deterministic processes with quantitative aspects. These specifications define labelled transition systems according to the ULTraS model, an extension of the usual LTSs where the transition relation associates any source state and transition label with state reachability weight functions (like, e.g., probability distributions). This format, hence called Weight Function SOS (WFSOS), covers many known systems and their bisimulations (e.g. PEPA, TIPP, PCSP) and GSOS formats (e.g. GSOS, Weighted GSOS, Segala-GSOS, among others). The second contribution is a characterization of these systems as coalgebras of a class of functors, parametric on the weight structure. This result allows us to prove soundness of the WFSOS specification format, and that bisimilarities induced by these specifications are always congruences.Comment: In Proceedings QAPL 2014, arXiv:1406.156