We propose a new type system for lambda-calculus ensuring that well-typed
programs can be executed in polynomial time: Dual light affine logic (DLAL).
DLAL has a simple type language with a linear and an intuitionistic type
arrow, and one modality. It corresponds to a fragment of Light affine logic
(LAL). We show that contrarily to LAL, DLAL ensures good properties on
lambda-terms: subject reduction is satisfied and a well-typed term admits a
polynomial bound on the reduction by any strategy. We establish that as LAL,
DLAL allows to represent all polytime functions. Finally we give a type
inference procedure for propositional DLAL.Comment: 20 pages (including 10 pages of appendix). (revised version; in
particular section 5 has been modified). A short version is to appear in the
proceedings of the conference LICS 2004 (IEEE Computer Society Press