Abstract. Deduction modulo is a way to remove computational arguments from proofs by reasoning modulo a congruence on propositions. Such a technique, issued from automated theorem proving, is of much wider interest because it permits to separate computations and deductions in a clean way. The first contribution of this paper is to define a sequent calculus modulo that gives a proof theoretic account of the combination of computations and deductions. The congruence on propositions is handled via rewrite rules and equational axioms. Rewrite rules apply to terms and also directly to atomic propositions. The second contribution is to give a complete proof search method, called Extended Narrowing and Resolution (ENAR), for theorem proving modulo such congruences. The completeness of this method is proved with respect to provability in sequent calculus modulo. An important application is that higher-order logic can be presented as a theory modulo. Applying the Extended Narrowing and Resolution method to this presentation of higher-order logic subsumes full higher-order resolution.

In predicate logic, the proof that a theorem P holds in a theory Th is typically conducted in natural deduction or in the sequent calculus using all the information contained in the theory in a uniform way. Introduced ten years ago, Deduction modulo allows us to make use of the computational part of the theory Th for true computations modulo which deductions are performed. Focussing on the sequent calculus, this paper presents and studies the dual concept where the theory is used to enrich the deduction system with new deduction rules in a systematic, correct and complete way. We call such a new deduction system “superdeduction”. We introduce a proof-term language and a cutelimination procedure both based on Christian Urban’s work on classical sequent calculus. Strong normalisation is proven under appropriate and natural hypothesis, therefore ensuring the consistency of the embedded theory and of the deduction system. The proofs obtained in such a new system are much closer to the human intuition and practice. We consequently show how superdeduction along with deduction modulo can be used to ground the formal foundations of new extendible proof assistants. We finally present lemuridæ, our current implementation of superdeduction modulo. 1

Abstract Superdeduction is a systematic way to extend a deduction system like the sequent calculus by new deduction rules computed from the user theory. We show how this could be done in a systematic, correct and complete way. We prove in detail the strong normalization of a proof term language that models appropriately superdeduction. We finaly examplify on several examples, including equality and noetherian induction, the usefulness of this approach which is implemented in the lemuridæ system, written in TOM. 1