Linear Logic and Strong Normalization

Strong normalization for linear logic requires elaborated rewriting techniques. In this paper we give a new presentation of MELL proof nets, without any commutative cut-elimination rule. We show how this feature induces a compact and simple proof of strong normalization, via reducibility candidates. It is the first proof of strong normalization for MELL which does not rely on any form of confluence, and so it smoothly scales up to full linear logic. Moreover, it is an axiomatic proof, as more generally it holds for every set of rewriting rules satisfying three very natural requirements with respect to substitution, commutation with promotion, full composition, and Kesner\u27s IE property. The insight indeed comes from the theory of explicit substitutions, and from looking at the exponentials as a substitution device

Explicit substitutions and all that

Explicit substitution calculi are extensions of the λ-calculus where the substitution mechanism is internalized into the theory. This feature makes them suitable for implementation and theoretical study of logic based tools as strongly typed programming languages and proof assistant systems. In this paper we explore new developments on two of the most successful styles of explicit substitution calculi: theλσ and λse-calculi

Lambda Calculus with Explicit Recursion

AbstractThis paper is concerned with the study ofλ-calculus with explicit recursion, namely of cyclicλ-graphs. The starting point is to treat aλ-graph as a system of recursion equations involvingλ-terms and to manipulate such systems in an unrestricted manner, using equational logic, just as is possible for first-order term rewriting. Surprisingly, now the confluence property breaks down in an essential way. Confluence can be restored by introducing a restraining mechanism on the substitution operation. This leads to a family ofλ-graph calculi, which can be seen as an extension of the family ofλσ-calculi (λ-calculi with explicit substitution). While theλσ-calculi treat the let-construct as a first-class citizen, our calculi support the letrec, a feature that is essential to reason about time and space behavior of functional languages and also about compilation and optimizations of program

A Theory of Explicit Substitutions with Safe and Full Composition

Many different systems with explicit substitutions have been proposed to implement a large class of higher-order languages. Motivations and challenges that guided the development of such calculi in functional frameworks are surveyed in the first part of this paper. Then, very simple technology in named variable-style notation is used to establish a theory of explicit substitutions for the lambda-calculus which enjoys a whole set of useful properties such as full composition, simulation of one-step beta-reduction, preservation of beta-strong normalisation, strong normalisation of typed terms and confluence on metaterms. Normalisation of related calculi is also discussed.Comment: 29 pages Special Issue: Selected Papers of the Conference "International Colloquium on Automata, Languages and Programming 2008" edited by Giuseppe Castagna and Igor Walukiewic

Strong Normalization of the Typed lambda_ws-calculus

International audienceThe lambda_ws-calculus is a lambda-calculus with explicit substitutions that satisfies the desired properties of such a calculus: step by step simulation of beta, confluence on terms with meta-variables and preservation of the strong normalization. It was conjectured that simply typed terms of lambda_ws are strongly normalizable. This was proved in by Di Cosmo & al. by using a translation of lambda_ws into the proof nets of linear logic. We give here a direct and elementary proof of this result. The strong normalization is also proved for terms typable with second order types (the extension of Girard's system~F). This is a new result

A direct proof of the confluence of combinatory strong reduction

I give a proof of the confluence of combinatory strong reduction that does not use the one of lambda-calculus. I also give simple and direct proofs of a standardization theorem for this reduction and the strong normalization of simply typed terms.Comment: To appear in TC

Strong Normalization through Intersection Types and Memory

AbstractWe characterize β-strongly normalizing λ-terms by means of a non-idempotent intersection type system. More precisely, we first define a memory calculus K together with a non-idempotent intersection type system K, and we show that a K-term t is typable in K if and only if t is K-strongly normalizing. We then show that β-strong normalization is equivalent to K-strong normalization. We conclude since λ-terms are strictly included in K-terms