Normalization by Evaluation in the Delay Monad: A Case Study for Coinduction via Copatterns and Sized Types

In this paper, we present an Agda formalization of a normalizer for simply-typed lambda terms. The normalizer consists of two coinductively defined functions in the delay monad: One is a standard evaluator of lambda terms to closures, the other a type-directed reifier from values to eta-long beta-normal forms. Their composition, normalization-by-evaluation, is shown to be a total function a posteriori, using a standard logical-relations argument. The successful formalization serves as a proof-of-concept for coinductive programming and reasoning using sized types and copatterns, a new and presently experimental feature of Agda.Comment: In Proceedings MSFP 2014, arXiv:1406.153

Foundational Extensible Corecursion

This paper presents a formalized framework for defining corecursive functions safely in a total setting, based on corecursion up-to and relational parametricity. The end product is a general corecursor that allows corecursive (and even recursive) calls under well-behaved operations, including constructors. Corecursive functions that are well behaved can be registered as such, thereby increasing the corecursor's expressiveness. The metatheory is formalized in the Isabelle proof assistant and forms the core of a prototype tool. The corecursor is derived from first principles, without requiring new axioms or extensions of the logic

Copatterns: programming infinite structures by observations

This article which will appear in the proceedings of POPL 2013 in January 2013, introduces the dual of pattern matching, as it is used in functional programming for defining functions, by copatterns. Whereas data types are eliminated by pattern matching, i.e. by giving giving a choice for each constructor, coalgebras are introduced by copatterns, namely by giving the result of each eliminator. Patterns and copatterns are entirely symmetrical. This article introduces a language which allows to define data types, coalgebras, and functions by nested pattern and copattern matching. An operational semantics is introduced, and type soundness and subject reduction is shown

Type-Theoretic Constructions of the Final Coalgebra of the Finite Powerset Functor

The finite powerset functor is a construct frequently employed for the specification of nondeterministic transition systems as coalgebras. The final coalgebra of the finite powerset functor, whose elements characterize the dynamical behavior of transition systems, is a well-understood object which enjoys many equivalent presentations in set-theoretic foundations based on classical logic. In this paper, we discuss various constructions of the final coalgebra of the finite powerset functor in constructive type theory, and we formalize our results in the Cubical Agda proof assistant. Using setoids, the final coalgebra of the finite powerset functor can be defined from the final coalgebra of the list functor. Using types instead of setoids, as it is common in homotopy type theory, one can specify the finite powerset datatype as a higher inductive type and define its final coalgebra as a coinductive type. Another construction is obtained by quotienting the final coalgebra of the list functor, but the proof of finality requires the assumption of the axiom of choice. We conclude the paper with an analysis of a classical construction by James Worrell, and show that its adaptation to our constructive setting requires the presence of classical axioms such as countable choice and the lesser limited principle of omniscience

Foundational extensible corecursion: a proof assistant perspective

This paper presents a formalized framework for defining corecursive functions safely in a total setting, based on corecursion up-to and relational parametricity. The end product is a general corecursor that allows corecursive (and even recursive) calls under “friendly” operations, including constructors. Friendly corecursive functions can be registered as such, thereby increasing the corecursor’s expressiveness. The metatheory is formalized in the Isabelle proof assistant and forms the core of a prototype tool. The corecursor is derived from first principles, without requiring new axioms or extensions of the logic

Guarded recursion in Agda via sized types

In type theory, programming and reasoning with possibly non-terminating programs and potentially infinite objects is achieved using coinductive types. Recursively defined programs of these types need to be productive to guarantee the consistency of the type system. Proof assistants such as Agda and Coq traditionally employ strict syntactic productivity checks, which often make programming with coinductive types convoluted. One way to overcome this issue is by encoding productivity at the level of types so that the type system forbids the implementation of non-productive corecursive programs. In this paper we compare two different approaches to type-based productivity: guarded recursion and sized types. More specifically, we show how to simulate guarded recursion in Agda using sized types. We formalize the syntax of a simple type theory for guarded recursion, which is a variant of Atkey and McBride\u27s calculus for productive coprogramming. Then we give a denotational semantics using presheaves over the preorder of sizes. Sized types are fundamentally used to interpret the characteristic features of guarded recursion, notably the fixpoint combinator

Foundational extensible corecursion: a proof assistant perspective

This paper presents a formalized framework for defining corecursive functions safely in a total setting, based on corecursion up-to and relational parametricity. The end product is a general corecursor that allows corecursive (and even recursive) calls under “friendly” operations, including constructors. Friendly corecursive functions can be registered as such, thereby increasing the corecursor’s expressiveness. The metatheory is formalized in the Isabelle proof assistant and forms the core of a prototype tool. The corecursor is derived from first principles, without requiring new axioms or extensions of the logic

Flexible Coinduction in Agda

We provide an Agda library for inference systems, also supporting their recent generalization allowing flexible coinduction, that is, interpretations which are neither inductive, nor purely coinductive. A specific inference system can be obtained as an instance by writing a set of meta-rules, in an Agda format which closely resembles the usual one. In this way, the user gets for free the related properties, notably the inductive and coinductive intepretation and the corresponding proof principles. Moreover, a significant modularity is achieved. Indeed, rather than being defined from scratch and with a built-in interpretation, an inference system can also be obtained by composition operators, such as union and restriction to a smaller universe, and its semantics can be modularly chosen as well. In particular, flexible coinduction is obtained by composing in a certain way the interpretations of two inference systems. We illustrate the use of the library by several examples. The most significant one is a big-step semantics for the ?-calculus, where flexible coinduction allows to obtain a special result (?) for all and only the diverging computations, and the proof of equivalence with small-step semantics is carried out by relying on the proof principles offered by the library

Turing-completeness totally free

In this paper, I show that general recursive definitions can be represented in the free monad which supports the ‘effect’ of making a recursive call, without saying how these calls should be executed. Diverse semantics can be given within a total framework by suitable monad morphisms. The Bove-Capretta construction of the domain of a general recursive function can be presented datatype-generically as an instance of this technique. The paper is literate Agda, but its key ideas are more broadly transferable