In this paper we present the algebraic--cube, an extension of Barendregt's -cube with first- and higherorder algebraic rewriting. We show that strong normalization is a modular property of all systems in the algebraic--cube, provided that the first-order rewrite rules are non-duplicating and the higher-order rules satisfy the general schema of Jouannaud and Okada. This result is proven for the algebraic extension of the Calculus of Constructions, which contains all the systems of the algebraic--cube. We also prove that local confluence is a modular property of all the systems in the algebraic--cube, provided that the higher-order rules do not introduce critical pairs. This property and the strong normalization result imply the modularity of confluence. 1 Introduction Many different computational models have been developed and studied by theoretical computer scientists. One of the main motivations for the development This research was partially supported by ESPRIT Basic Research Act...

The question of the decidability of the observational ordering of finitary PCF was raised [5] to give mathematical content to the full abstraction problem for PCF [9, 14]. We show that the ordering is in fact undecidable. This result places limits on how explicit a representation of the fully abstract model can be. It also gives a slight strengthening of the author’s earlier result on typed λ-definability [6].

Nominal rewriting is based on the observation that if we add support for alphaequivalence to first-order syntax using the nominal-set approach, then systems with binding, including higher-order reduction schemes such as lambda-calculus betareduction, can be smoothly represented. Nominal rewriting maintains a strict distinction between variables of the objectlanguage (atoms) and of the meta-language (variables or unknowns). Atoms may be bound by a special abstraction operation, but variables cannot be bound, giving the framework a pronounced first-order character, since substitution of terms for variables is not capture-avoiding. We show how good properties of first-order rewriting survive the extension, by giving an efficient rewriting algorithm, a critical pair lemma, and a confluence theorem

In this note we present a simple proof of a result of Toyama which states that the disjoint union of confluent term rewriting systems is confluent. 1985 Mathematics Subject Classification: 68Q50 1987 CR Categories: F.4.2 Key Words and Phrases: theory of computation, term rewriting systems, modularity, confluence Introduction The topic of modularity of properties of term rewriting systems has caught much attention recently. An introduction to this area can be found in Klop [6]. For an early survey one may consult Middeldorp [7]. Moreover, the topic has received a fruitful offspring in the study of the conservation of properties when adding algebraic rewrite rules to various (typed) lambda calculi, see e.g. Breazu-Tannen and Gallier [1, 2] and Jouannaud and Okada [5]. 5 Partially supported by ESPRIT Basic Research Action 3020, INTEGRATION. 6 Partially supported by ESPRIT Basic Research Action 3074, SEMAGRAPH. 7 Partially supported by grants from NWO, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam...

Let E be a first-order equational theory. A translation of typed higher-order E-unification problems into a typed combinatory logic framework is presented and justified. The case in which E admits presentation as a convergent term rewriting system is treated in detail: in this situation, a modification of ordinary narrowing is shown to be a complete method for enumerating higher-order E-unifiers. In fact, we treat a more general problem, in which the types of terms contain type variables. 1 Introduction Investigation of the interaction between first-order and higher-order equational reasoning has emerged as an active line of research. The collective import of a recent series of papers, originating with [Bre88] and including (among others) [Bar90], [BG91a], [BG91b], [Dou92], [JO91] and [Oka89], is that when various typed -calculi are enriched by first-order equational theories, the validity problem is well-behaved, and furthermore that the respective computational approaches to ...

We show that unary PCF, a very small fragment of Plotkin’s PCF [?], model is effectively presentable. This is in marked contrast to larger fragments, where corresponding results fail [?]. The techniques used are adaptions of those of Padovani [?], who applied them to the minimal model of the simply typed lambda calculus.

In this paper we present the algebraic-λ-cube, an extension of Barendregt's λ-cube with first- and higher-order algebraic rewriting. We show that strong normalization is a modular property of all systems in the algebraic-λ-cube, provided that the first-order rewrite rules are non-duplicating and the higher-order rules satisfy the general schema of Jouannaud and Okada. This result is proven for the algebraic extension of the Calculus of Constructions, which contains all the systems of the algebraic-λ-cube. We also prove that local confluence is a modular property of all the systems in the algebraic-λ-cube, provided that the higher-order rules do not introduce critical pairs. This property and the strong normalization result imply the modularity of confluence.

Abstract. We define two type assignment systems for first-order rewriting extended with application,-abstraction, and-reduction (TRS). The types used in these systems are a combination of (-free) intersection and polymorphic types. The first system is the general one, for which we prove a subject reduction theorem and show that all typeable terms are strongly normalisable. The second is a decidable subsystem of the first, by restricting types to Rank 2. For this system we define, using an extended notion of unification, a notion of principal type, and show that type assignment is decidable.

Abstract—We generalise the recursive path ordering (rpo) in order to deal with alpha-equivalence classes of terms, using the nominal approach. We then use the nominal rpo to check termination, and to design a completion procedure, for nominal rewriting systems. Completion of rewriting systems with binding is a notably difficult problem; no completion procedures are available so far for higher-order rewriting systems. Nominal rewriting generalises first-order rewriting by providing support for the specification of binding operators — alpha-equivalence is axiomatised, then higher-order reduction schemes such as lambda-calculus beta-reduction, can be smoothly represented.

Abstract Let R be a convergent term rewriting system, and let CR-equality on (simply typed) combinatory logic terms be the equality induced by βηRequality on terms of the (simply typed) lambda calculus under any of the standard translations between these two frameworks for higher-order reasoning. We generalize the classical notion of strong reduction to a reduction relation which generates CR-equality and whose irreducibles are exactly the translates of long βR-normal forms. The classical notion of strong normal form in combinatory logic is also generalized, yielding yet another description of these translates. Their resulting tripartite characterization extends to the combined first-order algebraic and higher-order setting the classical combinatory logic descriptions of the translates of long β-normal forms in the lambda calculus. As a consequence, the translates of long βR-normal forms are easily seen to serve as canonical representatives for CR-equivalence classes of combinatory logic terms for nonempty, as well as for empty, R. 573