In the first part of this paper we present a theory of proof nets for full
multiplicative linear logic, including the two units. It naturally extends the
well-known theory of unit-free multiplicative proof nets. A linking is no
longer a set of axiom links but a tree in which the axiom links are subtrees.
These trees will be identified according to an equivalence relation based on a
simple form of graph rewriting. We show the standard results of
sequentialization and strong normalization of cut elimination. In the second
part of the paper we show that the identifications enforced on proofs are such
that the class of two-conclusion proof nets defines the free *-autonomous
category.Comment: LaTeX, 44 pages, final version for LMCS; v2: updated bibliograph