Logical Relations for Monadic Types

Logical relations and their generalizations are a fundamental tool in proving properties of lambda-calculi, e.g., yielding sound principles for observational equivalence. We propose a natural notion of logical relations able to deal with the monadic types of Moggi's computational lambda-calculus. The treatment is categorical, and is based on notions of subsconing, mono factorization systems, and monad morphisms. Our approach has a number of interesting applications, including cases for lambda-calculi with non-determinism (where being in logical relation means being bisimilar), dynamic name creation, and probabilistic systems.Comment: 83 page

Introduction to Categories and Categorical Logic

The aim of these notes is to provide a succinct, accessible introduction to some of the basic ideas of category theory and categorical logic. The notes are based on a lecture course given at Oxford over the past few years. They contain numerous exercises, and hopefully will prove useful for self-study by those seeking a first introduction to the subject, with fairly minimal prerequisites. The coverage is by no means comprehensive, but should provide a good basis for further study; a guide to further reading is included. The main prerequisite is a basic familiarity with the elements of discrete mathematics: sets, relations and functions. An Appendix contains a summary of what we will need, and it may be useful to review this first. In addition, some prior exposure to abstract algebra - vector spaces and linear maps, or groups and group homomorphisms - would be helpful.Comment: 96 page

Order-preserving reflectors and injectivity

AbstractWe investigate a Galois connection in poset enriched categories between subcategories and classes of morphisms, given by means of the concept of right-Kan injectivity, and, specially, we study its relationship with a certain kind of subcategories, the KZ-reflective subcategories. A number of well-known properties concerning orthogonality and full reflectivity can be seen as a particular case of the ones of right-Kan injectivity and KZ-reflectivity. On the other hand, many examples of injectivity in poset enriched categories encountered in the literature are closely related to the above connection. We give several examples and show that some known subcategories of the category of T0-topological spaces are right-Kan injective hulls of a finite subcategory

Category Theory and Model-Driven Engineering: From Formal Semantics to Design Patterns and Beyond

There is a hidden intrigue in the title. CT is one of the most abstract mathematical disciplines, sometimes nicknamed "abstract nonsense". MDE is a recent trend in software development, industrially supported by standards, tools, and the status of a new "silver bullet". Surprisingly, categorical patterns turn out to be directly applicable to mathematical modeling of structures appearing in everyday MDE practice. Model merging, transformation, synchronization, and other important model management scenarios can be seen as executions of categorical specifications. Moreover, the paper aims to elucidate a claim that relationships between CT and MDE are more complex and richer than is normally assumed for "applied mathematics". CT provides a toolbox of design patterns and structural principles of real practical value for MDE. We will present examples of how an elementary categorical arrangement of a model management scenario reveals deficiencies in the architecture of modern tools automating the scenario.Comment: In Proceedings ACCAT 2012, arXiv:1208.430

Codensity, profiniteness and algebras of semiring-valued measures

We show that, if S is a finite semiring, then the free profinite S-semimodule on a Boolean Stone space X is isomorphic to the algebra of all S-valued measures on X, which are finitely additive maps from the Boolean algebra of clopens of X to S. These algebras naturally appear in the logic approach to formal languages as well as in idempotent analysis. Whenever S is a (pro)finite idempotent semiring, the S-valued measures are all given uniquely by continuous density functions. This generalises the classical representation of the Vietoris hyperspace of a Boolean Stone space in terms of continuous functions into the Sierpinski space. We adopt a categorical approach to profinite algebra which is based on profinite monads. The latter were first introduced by Adamek et al. as a special case of the notion of codensity monads.Comment: 21 pages. Presentation improved. To appear in the Journal of Pure and Applied Algebr