We present a game semantics for Linear Logic, in which formulas denote games and proofs denote winning strategies. We show that our semantics yields a categorical model of Linear Logic and prove full completeness for Multiplicative Linear Logic with the MIX rule: every winning strategy is the denotation of a unique cut-free proof net. A key role is played by the notion of history-free strategy; strong connections are made between history-free strategies and the Geometry of Interaction. Our semantics incorporates a natural notion of polarity, leading to a refined treatment of the additives. We make comparisons with related work by Joyal, Blass et al.

. We present a general semantic universe of call-by-value computation based on elements of game semantics, and validate its appropriateness as a semantic universe by the full abstraction result for call-by-value PCF, a generic typed programming language with call-by-value evaluation. The key idea is to consider the distinction between call-by-name and call-by-value as that of the structure of information flow, which determines the basic form of games. In this way the call-by-name computation and call-by-value computation arise as two independent instances of sequential functional computation with distinct algebraic structures. We elucidate the type structures of the universe following the standard categorical framework developed in the context of domain theory. Mutual relationship between the presented category of games and the corresponding call-by-name universe is also clarified. 1. Introduction The call-by-value is a mode of calling procedures widely used in imperative and function...

An overview of linear logic is given, including an extensive bibliography and a simple example of the close relationship between linear logic and computation.

A new concurrent form of game semantics is introduced. This overcomes the problems which had arisen with previous, sequential forms of game semantics in modelling Linear Logic. It also admits an elegant and robust formalization. A Full Completeness Theorem for MultiplicativeAdditive Linear Logic is proved for this semantics. 1 Introduction This paper contains two main contributions: ffl the introduction of a new form of game semantics, which we call concurrent games. ffl a proof of full completeness of this semantics for Multiplicative-Additive Linear Logic. We explain the significance of each of these in turn. Concurrent games Traditional forms of game semantics which have appeared in logic and computer science have been sequential in format: a play of the game is formalized as a sequence of moves. The key feature of this sequential format is the existence of a global schedule (or polarization) : in each (finite) position, it is (exactly) one player's turn to move 1 . This seq...

This paper is an overview of existing applications of Linear Logic (LL) to issues of computation. After a substantial introduction to LL, it discusses the implications of LL to functional programming, logic programming, concurrent and object-oriented programming and some other applications of LL, like semantics of negation in LP, non-monotonic issues in AI planning, etc. Although the overview covers pretty much the state-of-the-art in this area, by necessity many of the works are only mentioned and referenced, but not discussed in any considerable detail. The paper does not presuppose any previous exposition to LL, and is addressed more to computer scientists (probably with a theoretical inclination) than to logicians. The paper contains over 140 references, of which some 80 are about applications of LL. 1 Linear Logic Linear Logic (LL) was introduced in 1987 by Girard [62]. From the very beginning it was recognized as relevant to issues of computation (especially concurrency and stat...

We introduce a new category of finite, fair games, and winning strategies, and use it to provide a semantics for the multiplicative fragment of Linear Logic (mll) in which formulae are interpreted as games, and proofs as winning strategies. This interpretation provides a categorical model of mll which satisfies the property that every (history-free, uniformly) winning strategy is the denotation of a unique cut-free proof net. Abramsky and Jagadeesan first proved a result of this kind and they refer to this property as full completeness. Our result differs from theirs in one important aspect: the mix-rule, which is not part of Girard's Linear Logic, is invalidated in our model. We achieve this sharper characterization by considering fair games. A finite, fair game is specified by the following data: ffl moves which Player can play, ffl moves which Opponent can play, and ffl a collection of finite sequences of maximal (or terminal) positions of the game which are deemed to be fair. N...

This paper is an elaborated version of the work presented in Barendsen and Smetsers (1995a) and Barendsen and Smetsers (1995c). 2. Term graph rewriting

This thesis examines the use of denotational semantics to reason about control flow in sequential, basically functional languages. It extends recent work in game semantics, in which programs are interpreted as strategies for computation by interaction with an environment. Abramsky has suggested that an intensional hierarchy of computational features such as state, and their fully abstract models, can be captured as violations of the constraints on strategies in the basic functional model. Non-local control flow is shown to fit into this framework as the violation of strong and weak ‘bracketing ’ conditions, related to linear behaviour. The language µPCF (Parigot’s λµ with constants and recursion) is adopted as a simple basis for higher-type, sequential computation with access to the flow of control. A simple operational semantics for both call-by-name and call-by-value evaluation is described. It is shown that dropping the bracketing condition on games models of PCF yields fully abstract models of µPCF.

The paper expounds geometry of interaction, for the first time in the full case, i.e. for all connectives of linear logic, including additives and constants. The interpretation is done within a C ∗-algebra which is induced by the rule of resolution of logic programming, and therefore the execution formula can be presented as a simple logic programming loop. Part of the data is public (shared channels) but part of it can be viewed as private dialect (defined up to isomorphism) that cannot be shared during interaction, thus illustrating the theme of communication without understanding. One can prove a nilpotency (i.e. termination) theorem for this semantics, and also its soundness w.r.t. a slight modification of familiar sequent calculus in the case of exponential-free conclusions. 1

We relate two sequential models of PCF: the sequential algorithm model due to Berry and Curien and the strongly stable model due to Bucciarelli and the author. More precisely, we show that all the morphisms araising in the strongly stable model of PCF are sequential in the sense that they are the "extensional projections" of some sequential algorithms. We define a model of PCF where morphisms are "extensional" sequential algorithms and prove that any equation between PCF terms which holds in this model also holds in the strongly stable model.