Classical logic, continuation semantics and abstract machines

One of the goals of this paper is to demonstrate that denotational semantics is useful for operational issues like implementation of functional languages by abstract machines. This is exemplified in a tutorial way by studying the case of extensional untyped call-by-name λ-calculus with Felleisen's control operator 𝒞. We derive the transition rules for an abstract machine from a continuation semantics which appears as a generalization of the ¬¬-translation known from logic. The resulting abstract machine appears as an extension of Krivine's machine implementing head reduction. Though the result, namely Krivine's machine, is well known our method of deriving it from continuation semantics is new and applicable to other languages (as e.g. call-by-value variants). Further new results are that Scott's D∞-models are all instances of continuation models. Moreover, we extend our continuation semantics to Parigot's λμ-calculus from which we derive an extension of Krivine's machine for λμ-calculus. The relation between continuation semantics and the abstract machines is made precise by proving computational adequacy results employing an elegant method introduced by Pitts

On Various Negative Translations

Several proof translations of classical mathematics into intuitionistic mathematics have been proposed in the literature over the past century. These are normally referred to as negative translations or double-negation translations. Among those, the most commonly cited are translations due to Kolmogorov, Godel, Gentzen, Kuroda and Krivine (in chronological order). In this paper we propose a framework for explaining how these different translations are related to each other. More precisely, we define a notion of a (modular) simplification starting from Kolmogorov translation, which leads to a partial order between different negative translations. In this derived ordering, Kuroda and Krivine are minimal elements. Two new minimal translations are introduced, with Godel and Gentzen translations sitting in between Kolmogorov and one of these new translations.Comment: In Proceedings CL&C 2010, arXiv:1101.520

Relational Parametricity and Control

We study the equational theory of Parigot's second-order λμ-calculus in connection with a call-by-name continuation-passing style (CPS) translation into a fragment of the second-order λ-calculus. It is observed that the relational parametricity on the target calculus induces a natural notion of equivalence on the λμ-terms. On the other hand, the unconstrained relational parametricity on the λμ-calculus turns out to be inconsistent with this CPS semantics. Following these facts, we propose to formulate the relational parametricity on the λμ-calculus in a constrained way, which might be called ``focal parametricity''.Comment: 22 pages, for Logical Methods in Computer Scienc

A Direct Version of Veldman's Proof of Open Induction on Cantor Space via Delimited Control Operators

First, we reconstruct Wim Veldman's result that Open Induction on Cantor space can be derived from Double-negation Shift and Markov's Principle. In doing this, we notice that one has to use a countable choice axiom in the proof and that Markov's Principle is replaceable by slightly strengthening the Double-negation Shift schema. We show that this strengthened version of Double-negation Shift can nonetheless be derived in a constructive intermediate logic based on delimited control operators, extended with axioms for higher-type Heyting Arithmetic. We formalize the argument and thus obtain a proof term that directly derives Open Induction on Cantor space by the shift and reset delimited control operators of Danvy and Filinski

Continuation-passing Style Models Complete for Intuitionistic Logic

A class of models is presented, in the form of continuation monads polymorphic for first-order individuals, that is sound and complete for minimal intuitionistic predicate logic. The proofs of soundness and completeness are constructive and the computational content of their composition is, in particular, a $\beta$-normalisation-by-evaluation program for simply typed lambda calculus with sum types. Although the inspiration comes from Danvy's type-directed partial evaluator for the same lambda calculus, the there essential use of delimited control operators (i.e. computational effects) is avoided. The role of polymorphism is crucial -- dropping it allows one to obtain a notion of model complete for classical predicate logic. The connection between ours and Kripke models is made through a strengthening of the Double-negation Shift schema

Proving termination of evaluation for System F with control operators

We present new proofs of termination of evaluation in reduction semantics (i.e., a small-step operational semantics with explicit representation of evaluation contexts) for System F with control operators. We introduce a modified version of Girard's proof method based on reducibility candidates, where the reducibility predicates are defined on values and on evaluation contexts as prescribed by the reduction semantics format. We address both abortive control operators (callcc) and delimited-control operators (shift and reset) for which we introduce novel polymorphic type systems, and we consider both the call-by-value and call-by-name evaluation strategies.Comment: In Proceedings COS 2013, arXiv:1309.092