Partial functions and recursion in univalent type theory

We investigate partial functions and computability theory from within a constructive, univalent type theory. The focus is on placing computability into a larger mathematical context, rather than on a complete development of computability theory. We begin with a treatment of partial functions, using the notion of dominance, which is used in synthetic domain theory to discuss classes of partial maps. We relate this and other ideas from synthetic domain theory to other approaches to partiality in type theory. We show that the notion of dominance is difficult to apply in our setting: the set of �0 1 propositions investigated by Rosolini form a dominance precisely if a weak, but nevertheless unprovable, choice principle holds. To get around this problem, we suggest an alternative notion of partial function we call disciplined maps. In the presence of countable choice, this notion coincides with Rosolini’s. Using a general notion of partial function,we take the first steps in constructive computability theory. We do this both with computability as structure, where we have direct access to programs; and with computability as property, where we must work in a program-invariant way. We demonstrate the difference between these two approaches by showing how these approaches relate to facts about computability theory arising from topos-theoretic and typetheoretic concerns. Finally, we tie the two threads together: assuming countable choice and that all total functions N - N are computable (both of which hold in the effective topos), the Rosolini partial functions, the disciplined maps, and the computable partial functions all coincide. We observe, however, that the class of all partial functions includes non-computable partial functions

Church's thesis and related axioms in Coq's type theory

"Church's thesis" ($\mathsf{CT}$) as an axiom in constructive logic states that every total function of type $\mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{N}$ is computable, i.e. definable in a model of computation. $\mathsf{CT}$ is inconsistent in both classical mathematics and in Brouwer's intuitionism since it contradicts Weak K\"onig's Lemma and the fan theorem, respectively. Recently, $\mathsf{CT}$ was proved consistent for (univalent) constructive type theory. Since neither Weak K\"onig's Lemma nor the fan theorem are a consequence of just logical axioms or just choice-like axioms assumed in constructive logic, it seems likely that $\mathsf{CT}$ is inconsistent only with a combination of classical logic and choice axioms. We study consequences of $\mathsf{CT}$ and its relation to several classes of axioms in Coq's type theory, a constructive type theory with a universe of propositions which does neither prove classical logical axioms nor strong choice axioms. We thereby provide a partial answer to the question which axioms may preserve computational intuitions inherent to type theory, and which certainly do not. The paper can also be read as a broad survey of axioms in type theory, with all results mechanised in the Coq proof assistant

Injective types in univalent mathematics

We investigate the injective types and the algebraically injective types in univalent mathematics, both in the absence and in the presence of propositional resizing. Injectivity is defined by the surjectivity of the restriction map along any embedding, and algebraic injectivity is defined by a given section of the restriction map along any embedding. Under propositional resizing axioms, the main results are easy to state: (1) Injectivity is equivalent to the propositional truncation of algebraic injectivity. (2) The algebraically injective types are precisely the retracts of exponential powers of universes. (2a) The algebraically injective sets are precisely the retracts of powersets. (2b) The algebraically injective $(n+1)$-types are precisely the retracts of exponential powers of universes of $n$-types. (3) The algebraically injective types are also precisely the retracts of algebras of the partial-map classifier. From (2) it follows that any universe is embedded as a retract of any larger universe. In the absence of propositional resizing, we have similar results which have subtler statements that need to keep track of universe levels rather explicitly, and are applied to get the results that require resizing.Comment: Includes revisions after review proces

Predicative aspects of order theory in univalent foundations

We investigate predicative aspects of order theory in constructive univalent foundations. By predicative and constructive, we respectively mean that we do not assume Voevodsky’s propositional resizing axioms or excluded middle. Our work complements existing work on predicative mathematics by exploring what cannot be done predicatively in univalent foundations. Our first main result is that nontrivial (directed or bounded) complete posets are necessarily large. That is, if such a nontrivial poset is small, then weak propositional resizing holds. It is possible to derive full propositional resizing if we strengthen nontriviality to positivity. The distinction between nontriviality and positivity is analogous to the distinction between nonemptiness and inhabitedness. We prove our results for a general class of posets, which includes directed complete posets, bounded complete posets and sup-lattices, using a technical notion of a δ_V-complete poset. We also show that nontrivial locally small δ_V-complete posets necessarily lack decidable equality. Specifically, we derive weak excluded middle from assuming a nontrivial locally small δ_V-complete poset with decidable equality. Moreover, if we assume positivity instead of nontriviality, then we can derive full excluded middle. Secondly, we show that each of Zorn’s lemma, Tarski’s greatest fixed point theorem and Pataraia’s lemma implies propositional resizing. Hence, these principles are inherently impredicative and a predicative development of order theory must therefore do without them. Finally, we clarify, in our predicative setting, the relation between the traditional definition of sup-lattice that requires suprema for all subsets and our definition that asks for suprema of all small families

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

Sheaf semantics of termination-insensitive noninterference

We propose a new sheaf semantics for secure information flow over a space of abstract behaviors, based on synthetic domain theory: security classes are open/closed partitions, types are sheaves, and redaction of sensitive information corresponds to restricting a sheaf to a closed subspace. Our security-aware computational model satisfies termination-insensitive noninterference automatically, and therefore constitutes an intrinsic alternative to state of the art extrinsic/relational models of noninterference. Our semantics is the latest application of Sterling and Harper's recent re-interpretation of phase distinctions and noninterference in programming languages in terms of Artin gluing and topos-theoretic open/closed modalities. Prior applications include parametricity for ML modules, the proof of normalization for cubical type theory by Sterling and Angiuli, and the cost-aware logical framework of Niu et al. In this paper we employ the phase distinction perspective twice: first to reconstruct the syntax and semantics of secure information flow as a lattice of phase distinctions between "higher" and "lower" security, and second to verify the computational adequacy of our sheaf semantics vis-\`a-vis an extension of Abadi et al.'s dependency core calculus with a construct for declassifying termination channels.Comment: Extended version of FSCD '22 paper with full technical appendice