New tools are presented for reasoning about properties of recursively defined domains. We work within a general, category-theoretic framework for various notions of `relation' on domains and for actions of domain constructors on relations. Freyd's analysis of recursive types in terms of a property of mixed initiality/finality is transferred to a corresponding property of invariant relations. The existence of invariant relations is proved under completeness assumptions about the notion of relation. We show how this leads to simpler proofs of the computational adequacy of denotational semantics for functional programming languages with user-declared datatypes. We show how the initiality/finality property of invariant relations can be specialized to yield an induction principle for admissible subsets of recursively defined domains, generalizing the principle of structural induction for inductively defined sets. We also show how the initiality /finality property gives rise to the co-induct...

This thesis considers the problem of program correctness within a rich theory of dependent types, the Extended Calculus of Constructions (ECC). This system contains a powerful programming language of higher-order primitive recursion and higher-order intuitionistic logic. It is supported by Pollack's versatile LEGO implementation, which I use extensively to develop the mathematical constructions studied here. I systematically investigate Burstall's notion of deliverable, that is, a program paired with a proof of correctness. This approach separates the concerns of programming and logic, since I want a simple program extraction mechanism. The \Sigma-types of the calculus enable us to achieve this. There are many similarities with the subset interpretation of Martin-Lof type theory. I show that deliverables have a rich categorical structure, so that correctness proofs may be decomposed in a principled way. The categorical combinators which I define in the system package up much logical bo...

It is generally accepted that in principle it’s possible to formalize completely almost all of present-day mathematics. The practicability of actually doing so is widely doubted, as is the value of the result. But in the computer age we believe that such formalization is possible and desirable. In contrast to the QED Manifesto however, we do not offer polemics in support of such a project. We merely try to place the formalization of mathematics in its historical perspective, as well as looking at existing praxis and identifying what we regard as the most interesting issues, theoretical and practical.

This paper gives the first complete axiomatization for higher types in the refinement calculus of predicate transformers.

Connections between the sequentiality/concurrency distinction and the semantics of proofs are investigated, with particular reference to games and Linear Logic.

This paper is concerned with models of SDT encompassing traditional categories of domains used in denotational semantics [7,18], showing that the synthetic approach generalises the standard theory of domains and suggests new problems to it. Consider a (locally small) category of domains D with a (small) dense generator G equipped with a Grothendieck topology. Assume further that every cover in G is effective epimorphic in D. Then, by Yoneda, D embeds fully and faithfully in the topos of sheaves on G for the canonical topology, which thus provides a set-theoretic universe for our original category of domains. In this paper we explore such a situation for two traditional categories of domains and, in particular, show that the Grothendieck toposes so arising yield models of SDT. In a subsequent paper we will investigate intrinsic characterizations, within our models, of these categories of domains. First, we present a model of SDT embedding the category !-Cpo of posets with least upper bounds of countable chains (hence called !-complete) and

A program derivation is said to be polytypic if some of its parameters are data types. Often these data types are container types, whose elements store data. Polytypic program derivations necessitate a general, non-inductive definition of `container (data) type'. Here we propose such a definition: a container type is a relator that has membership. It is shown how this definition implies various other properties that are shared by all container types. In particular, all container types have a unique strength, and all natural transformations between container types are strong. Capsule Review Progress in a scientific dicipline is readily equated with an increase in the volume of knowledge, but the true milestones are formed by the introduction of solid, precise and usable definitions. Here you will find the first generic (`polytypic') definition of the notion of `container type', a definition that is remarkably simple and suitable for formal generic proofs (as is amply illustrated in t...

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An approach is described for the generation of certain mathematical objects (like sets, correspondences, mappings) in terms of relations using relation-algebraic descriptions of higher-order objects. From non-constructivecharacterizations executable relational specifications are obtained. We also showhowtodevelop more efficient algorithms from the frequently inefficient specifications within the calculus of binary relations.

Partial equivalence relations (and categories of these) are a standard tool in semantics of type theories and programming languages, since they often provide a cartesian closed category with extended definability. Using the theory of exact categories, we give a category-theoretic explanation of why the construction of a category of partial equivalence relations often produces a cartesian closed category. We show how several familiar examples of categories of partial equivalence relations fit into the general framework. 1 Introduction Partial equivalence relations (and categories of these) are a standard tool in semantics of programming languages, see e.g. [2, 5, 7, 9, 15, 17, 20, 22, 35] and [6, 29] for extensive surveys. They are usefully applied to give proofs of correctness and adequacy since they often provide a cartesian closed category with additional properties. Take for instance a partial equivalence relation on the set of natural numbers: a binary relation R ` N\ThetaN on th...