Deciding Confluence and Normal Form Properties of Ground Term Rewrite Systems Efficiently

It is known that the first-order theory of rewriting is decidable for ground term rewrite systems, but the general technique uses tree automata and often takes exponential time. For many properties, including confluence (CR), uniqueness of normal forms with respect to reductions (UNR) and with respect to conversions (UNC), polynomial time decision procedures are known for ground term rewrite systems. However, this is not the case for the normal form property (NFP). In this work, we present a cubic time algorithm for NFP, an almost cubic time algorithm for UNR, and an almost linear time algorithm for UNC, improving previous bounds. We also present a cubic time algorithm for CR

Inductive-data-type Systems

In a previous work ("Abstract Data Type Systems", TCS 173(2), 1997), the last two authors presented a combined language made of a (strongly normalizing) algebraic rewrite system and a typed lambda-calculus enriched by pattern-matching definitions following a certain format, called the "General Schema", which generalizes the usual recursor definitions for natural numbers and similar "basic inductive types". This combined language was shown to be strongly normalizing. The purpose of this paper is to reformulate and extend the General Schema in order to make it easily extensible, to capture a more general class of inductive types, called "strictly positive", and to ease the strong normalization proof of the resulting system. This result provides a computation model for the combination of an algebraic specification language based on abstract data types and of a strongly typed functional language with strictly positive inductive types.Comment: Theoretical Computer Science (2002

Layer Systems for Proving Confluence

We introduce layer systems for proving generalizations of the modularity of confluence for first-order rewrite systems. Layer systems specify how terms can be divided into layers. We establish structural conditions on those systems that imply confluence. Our abstract framework covers known results like many-sorted persistence, layer-preservation and currying. We present a counterexample to an extension of the former to order-sorted rewriting and derive new sufficient conditions for the extension to hold

On the confluence of lambda-calculus with conditional rewriting

The confluence of untyped \lambda-calculus with unconditional rewriting is now well un- derstood. In this paper, we investigate the confluence of \lambda-calculus with conditional rewriting and provide general results in two directions. First, when conditional rules are algebraic. This extends results of M\"uller and Dougherty for unconditional rewriting. Two cases are considered, whether \beta-reduction is allowed or not in the evaluation of conditions. Moreover, Dougherty's result is improved from the assumption of strongly normalizing \beta-reduction to weakly normalizing \beta-reduction. We also provide examples showing that outside these conditions, modularity of confluence is difficult to achieve. Second, we go beyond the algebraic framework and get new confluence results using a restricted notion of orthogonality that takes advantage of the conditional part of rewrite rules

Termination of rewrite relations on λ\lambda-terms based on Girard's notion of reducibility

In this paper, we show how to extend the notion of reducibility introduced by Girard for proving the termination of $\beta$-reduction in the polymorphic $\lambda$-calculus, to prove the termination of various kinds of rewrite relations on $\lambda$-terms, including rewriting modulo some equational theory and rewriting with matching modulo $\beta$$\eta$, by using the notion of computability closure. This provides a powerful termination criterion for various higher-order rewriting frameworks, including Klop's Combinatory Reductions Systems with simple types and Nipkow's Higher-order Rewrite Systems

Polymorphic Rewriting Conserves Algebraic Confluence

We study combinations of many-sorted algebraic term rewriting systems and polymorphic lambda term rewriting. Algebraic and lambda terms are mixed by adding the symbols of the algebraic signature to the polymorphic lambda calculus, as higher-order constants. We show that if a many-sorted algebraic rewrite system R has the Church-Rosser property (is confluent), then R + β + type-β + type-η rewriting of mixed terms has the Church-Rosser property too. η reduction does not commute with algebraic reduction, in general. However, using long normal forms, we show that if R is canonical (confluent and strongly normalizing) then equational provability from R + β + η + type-β + type-η is still decidable

Polymorphic Rewriting Conserves Algebraic Strong Normalization and Confluence

We study combinations of many-sorted algebraic term rewriting systems and polymorphic lambda term rewriting. Algebraic and lambda terms are mixed by adding the symbols of the algebraic signature to the polymorphic lambda calculus, as higher-order constants. We show that if a many-sorted algebraic rewrite system R is strongly normalizing (terminating, noetherian), then R + β + η + type-β + type-η rewriting of mixed terms is also strongly normalizing. We obtain this results using a technique which generalizes Girard\u27s candidats de reductibilité , introduced in the original proof of strong normalization for the polymorphic lambda calculus. We also show that if a many-sorted algebraic rewrite system R has the Church-Rosser property (is confluent), then R + β + type-β + type-η rewriting of mixed terms has the Church- Rosser property too. Combining the two results, we conclude that if R is canonical (complete) on algebraic terms, then R + β + type-β + type-η is canonical on mixed terms. η reduction does not commute with a1gebraic reduction, in general. However, using long β- normal forms, we show that if R is canonical then R + β + η + type-β + type-η convertibility is still decidable

A Lambda-Free Higher-Order Recursive Path Order

International audienceWe generalize the recursive path order (RPO) to higher-order terms without λ-abstraction. This new order fully coincides with the standard RPO on first-order terms also in the presence of currying, distinguishing it from previous work. It has many useful properties, including well-foundedness, transitivity, stability under substitution, and the subterm property. It appears promising as the basis of a higher-order superposition calculus