Syntax The classical approach to encoding languages involving names and binding is to model language expressions as algebraic terms, represent names using some infinite datatype such as string, and represent both bindings and references as concrete strings. Algebraic datatypes have a very clear and intuitive semantics based on many-sorted logic and algebraic specification [46] which supports reasoning by induction on the structure of terms.

Abstract. Nominal logic is an extension of first-order logic with features useful for reasoning about abstract syntax with bound names. For computational applications such as programming and formal reasoning, it is desirable to develop constructive type theories for nominal logic which extend standard type theories for propositional, first- or higher-order logic. This has proven difficult, largely because of complex interactions between nominal logic’s name-abstraction operation and ordinary functional abstraction. This difficulty already arises in the case of propositional logic and simple type theory. In this paper we show how this difficulty can be overcome, and present a simple nominal type theory which enjoys properties such as type soundness and strong normalization, and which can be soundly interpreted using existing nominal set models of nominal logic. We also sketch how recursion combinators for languages with binding structure can be provided. This is an important first step towards understanding the constructive content of nominal logic and incorporating it into existing logics and type theories. 1

Abstract. Pitts et al introduced a beautiful theory about names and binding based on the notions of permutation and support. The engineering challenge is to smoothly adapt this theory to a theorem prover environment, in our case Isabelle/HOL. We present a formalisation of this work that differs from our earlier approach in two important respects: First, instead of representing permutations as lists of pairs of atoms, we now use a more abstract representation based on functions. Second, whereas the earlier work modeled different sorts of atoms using different types, we now introduce a unified atom type that includes all sorts of atoms. Interestingly, we allow swappings, that is permutations build up by two atoms, to be ill-sorted. As a result of these design changes, we can iron out inconveniences for the user, considerably simplify proofs and also drastically reduce the amount of custom ML-code. Furthermore we can extend the capabilities of Nominal Isabelle to deal with variables that carry additional information. We end up with a pleasing and formalised theory of permutations and support, on which we can build an improved and more powerful version of Nominal Isabelle. 1

Permissive nominal terms and their unification: an infinite, co-infinite approach to nominal techniques

LF is a dependent type theory in which many other formal systems can be conveniently embedded. However, correct use of LF relies on nontrivial metatheoretic developments such as proofs of correctness of decision procedures for LF’s judgments. Although detailed informal proofs of these properties have been published, they have not been formally verified in a theorem prover. We have formalized these properties within Isabelle/HOL using the Nominal Datatype Package, closely following a recent article by Harper and Pfenning. In the process, we identified and resolved a gap in one of the proofs and a small number of minor lacunae in others. We also formally derive a version of the type checking algorithm from which Isabelle/HOL can generate executable code. Besides its intrinsic interest, our formalization provides a foundation for studying the adequacy of LF encodings, the correctness of Twelf-style metatheoretic reasoning, and the metatheory of extensions to LF.

Abstract. Gabbay and Pitts proved that lambda-terms up to alphaequivalence constitute an initial algebra for a certain endofunctor on the category of nominal sets. We show that the terms of the infinitary lambda-calculus form the final coalgebra for the same functor. This allows us to give a corecursion principle for alpha-equivalence classes of finite and infinite terms. As an application, we give corecursive definitions of substitution and of infinite normal forms (Böhm, Lévy-Longo and Berarducci trees). 1

We present a logical framework based on the nominal approach to representing syntax with binders. First we extend nominal terms, which have a built-in name-abstraction operator and a first-order notion of substitution for variables, with a capture-avoiding substitution operator for names. We then build a dependent type system for this extended syntax