Domain Theory in Constructive and Predicative Univalent Foundations

We develop domain theory in constructive univalent foundations without Voevodsky's resizing axioms. In previous work in this direction, we constructed the Scott model of PCF and proved its computational adequacy, based on directed complete posets (dcpos). Here we further consider algebraic and continuous dcpos, and construct Scott's $D_\infty$ model of the untyped $\lambda$-calculus. A common approach to deal with size issues in a predicative foundation is to work with information systems or abstract bases or formal topologies rather than dcpos, and approximable relations rather than Scott continuous functions. Here we instead accept that dcpos may be large and work with type universes to account for this. For instance, in the Scott model of PCF, the dcpos have carriers in the second universe $\mathcal{U}_1$ and suprema of directed families with indexing type in the first universe $\mathcal{U}_0$. Seeing a poset as a category in the usual way, we can say that these dcpos are large, but locally small, and have small filtered colimits. In the case of algebraic dcpos, in order to deal with size issues, we proceed mimicking the definition of accessible category. With such a definition, our construction of Scott's $D_\infty$ again gives a large, locally small, algebraic dcpo with small directed suprema.Comment: A shorter version of this paper will appear in the proceedings of CSL 2021, volume 183 of LIPIc

Apartness, sharp elements, and the Scott topology of domains

Working constructively, we study continuous directed complete posets (dcpos) and the Scott topology. Our two primary novelties are a notion of intrinsic apartness and a notion of sharp elements. Being apart is a positive formulation of being unequal, similar to how inhabitedness is a positive formulation of nonemptiness. To exemplify sharpness, we note that a lower real is sharp if and only if it is located. Our first main result is that for a large class of continuous dcpos, the Bridges-Vîţǎ apartness topology and the Scott topology coincide. Although we cannot expect a tight or cotransitive apartness on nontrivial dcpos, we prove that the intrinsic apartness is both tight and cotransitive when restricted to the sharp elements of a continuous dcpo. These include the strongly maximal elements, as studied by Smyth and Heckmann. We develop the theory of strongly maximal elements highlighting its connection to sharpness and the Lawson topology. Finally, we illustrate the intrinsic apartness, sharpness, and strong maximality by considering several natural examples of continuous dcpos: the Cantor and Baire domains, the partial Dedekind reals, the lower reals and, finally, an embedding of Cantor space into an exponential of lifted sets

Domain Theory in Constructive and Predicative Univalent Foundations

We develop domain theory in constructive and predicative univalent foundations (also known as homotopy type theory). That we work predicatively means that we do not assume Voevodsky's propositional resizing axioms. Our work is constructive in the sense that we do not rely on excluded middle or the axiom of (countable) choice. Domain theory studies so-called directed complete posets (dcpos) and Scott continuous maps between them and has applications in programming language semantics, higher-type computability and topology. A common approach to deal with size issues in a predicative foundation is to work with information systems, abstract bases or formal topologies rather than dcpos, and approximable relations rather than Scott continuous functions. In our type-theoretic approach, we instead accept that dcpos may be large and work with type universes to account for this. A priori one might expect that complex constructions of dcpos result in a need for ever-increasing universes and are predicatively impossible. We show that such constructions can be carried out in a predicative setting. We illustrate the development with applications in the semantics of programming languages: the soundness and computational adequacy of the Scott model of PCF and Scott's $D_\infty$ model of the untyped $\lambda$-calculus. We also give a predicative account of continuous and algebraic dcpos, and of the related notions of a small basis and its rounded ideal completion. The fact that nontrivial dcpos have large carriers is in fact unavoidable and characteristic of our predicative setting, as we explain in a complementary chapter on the constructive and predicative limitations of univalent foundations. Our account of domain theory in univalent foundations is fully formalised with only a few minor exceptions. The ability of the proof assistant Agda to infer universe levels has been invaluable for our purposes.Comment: PhD thesis, extended abstract in the pdf. v5: Fixed minor typos in 6.2.18, 6.2.19 and 6.4.

Exponentiation of Scott formal topologies

We prove that Scott formal topologies are exponentiable in the category of inductively generated formal topologies. From an impredicative point of view, this means that Scott domains are exponentiable in the category of open locales