Awodey, later with Newstead, showed how polynomial functors with extra structure (termed “natural models”) hold within them the categorical semantics for dependent type theory. Their work presented these ideas clearly but ultimately led them outside of the usual category of polynomial functors to a particular tricategory of polynomials in order to explain all of the structure possessed by such models. This paper builds off that work – explicating the categorical semantics of dependent type theory by axiomatizing them entirely in terms of the usual category of polynomial functors. In order to handle the higher-categorical coherences required for such an explanation, we work with polynomial functors in the language of Homotopy Type Theory (HoTT), which allows for higher-dimensional structures to be expressed purely within this category. The move to HoTT moreover enables us to express a key additional condition on polynomial functors – univalence – which is sufficient to guarantee that models of type theory expressed as univalent polynomials satisfy all higher coherences of their corresponding algebraic structures, purely in virtue of being closed under the usual constructors of dependent type theory. We call polynomial functors satisfying this condition polynomial universes. As an example of the simplification to the theory of natural models this enables, we highlight the fact that a polynomial universe being closed under dependent product types implies the existence of a distributive law of monads, which witnesses the usual distributivity of dependent products over dependent sums.

Domain theory has been developed as a mathematical theory of computation and to give a denotational semantics to programming languages. It helps us to fix the meaning of language concepts, to understand how programs behave and to reason about programs. At the same time it serves as a great theory to model various algebraic effects such as non-determinism, partial functions, side effects and numerous other forms of computation. In the present paper, we present a general framework to construct algebraic effects in domain theory, where our domains are DCPOs: directed complete partial orders. We first describe so called DCPO algebras for a signature, where the signature specifies the operations on the DCPO and the inequational theory they obey. This provides a method to represent various algebraic effects, like partiality. We then show that initial DCPO algebras exist by defining them as so called Quotient Inductive-Inductive Types (QIITs), known from homotopy type theory. A quotient inductive-inductive type allows one to simultaneously define an inductive type and an inductive relation on that type, together with equations on the type. We illustrate our approach by showing that several well-known constructions of DCPOs fit our framework: coalesced sums, smash products and free DCPOs (partiality and power domains). Our work makes use of various features of homotopy type theory and is formalized in Cubical Agda.

Parametricity is a key metatheoretic property of type systems, which implies strong uniformity & modularity properties of the structure of types within systems possessing it. In recent years, various systems of dependent type theory have emerged with the aim of expressing such parametric reasoning in their internal logic, toward the end of solving various problems arising from the complexity of higher-dimensional coherence conditions in type theory. This paper presents a first step toward the unification, simplification, and extension of these various methods for internalizing parametricity. Specifically, I argue that there is an essentially modal aspect of parametricity, which is intimately connected with the category-theoretic concept of cohesion. On this basis, I describe a general categorical semantics for modal parametricity, develop a corresponding framework of axioms (with computational interpretations) in dependent type theory that can be used to internally represent and reason about such parametricity, and show this in practice by implementing these axioms in Agda and using them to verify parametricity theorems therein. I then demonstrate the utility of these axioms in managing the complexity of higher-dimensional coherence by deriving induction principles for higher inductive types, and in closing, I sketch the outlines of a more general synthetic theory of parametricity, with applications in domains ranging from homotopy type theory to the analysis of program modules.

Multiplicative-Additive System Virtual (MAV) is a logic that extends Multiplicative-Additive Linear Logic with a self-dual non-commutative operator expressing the concept of “before” or “sequencing”. MAV is also an extenson of the the logic Basic System Virtual (BV) with additives. Formulas in BV have an appealing reading as processes with parallel and sequential composition. MAV adds internal and external choice operators. BV and MAV are also closely related to Concurrent Kleene Algebras. Proof systems for MAV and BV are Deep Inference systems, which allow inference rules to be applied anywhere inside a structure. As with any proof system, a key question is whether proofs in MAV can be reduced to a normal form, removing detours and the introduction of structures not present in the original goal. In Sequent Calcluli systems, this property is referred to as Cut Elimination. Deep Inference systems have an analogous Cut rule and other rules that are not present in normalised proofs. Cut Elimination for Deep Inference systems has the same metatheoretic benefits as for Sequent Calculi systems, including consistency and decidability. Proofs of Cut Elimination for BV, MAV, and other Deep Inference systems present in the literature have relied on intrincate syntactic reasoning and complex termination measures. We present a concise semantic proof that all MAV proofs can be reduced to a normal form avoiding the Cut rule and other “non analytic” rules. We also develop soundness and completeness proofs of MAV (and BV) with respect to a class of models. We have mechanised all our proofs in the Agda proof assistant, which provides both assurance of their correctness as well as yielding an executable normalisation procedure.- Our technique extends to include exponentials and the additive units.

Categories of lenses/optics and Dialectica categories are both comprised of bidirectional morphisms of basically the same form. In this work we show how they can be considered a special case of an overarching fibrational construction, generalizing Hofstra’s construction of Dialectica fibrations and Spivak’s construction of generalized lenses. This construction turns a tower of Grothendieck fibrations into another tower of fibrations by iteratively twisting each of the components, using the opposite fibration construction.

We study a cost-aware programming language for higher-order recursion dubbed ${\text{𝐏𝐂𝐅}}_{\text{𝖼𝗈𝗌𝗍}}$ in the setting of synthetic domain theory (SDT). Our main contribution relates the denotational cost semantics of ${\text{𝐏𝐂𝐅}}_{\text{𝖼𝗈𝗌𝗍}}$ to its computational cost semantics, a new kind of dynamic semantics for program execution that serves as a mathematically natural alternative to operational semantics in SDT. In particular we prove an internal, cost-sensitive version of Plotkin’s computational adequacy theorem, giving a precise correspondence between the denotational and computational semantics for complete programs at base type. The constructions and proofs of this paper take place in the internal dependent type theory of an SDT topos extended by a phase distinction in the sense of Sterling and Harper. By controlling the interpretation of cost structure via the phase distinction in the denotational semantics, we show that ${\text{𝐏𝐂𝐅}}_{\text{𝖼𝗈𝗌𝗍}}$ programs also evince a noninterference property of cost and behavior. We verify the axioms of the type theory by means of a model construction based on relative sheaf models of SDT.

Separation logic is used to reason locally about stateful programs. State of the art program logics for higher-order store are usually built on top of untyped operational semantics, in part because traditional denotational methods have struggled to simultaneously account for general references and parametric polymorphism. The recent discovery of simple denotational semantics for general references and polymorphism in synthetic guarded domain theory has enabled us to develop TULIP, a higher-order separation logic over the typed equational theory of higher-order store for a monadic version of System F{mu,ref}. The Tulip logic differs from operationally-based program logics in two ways: predicates range over the meanings of typed terms rather than over the raw code of untyped terms, and they are automatically invariant under the equational congruence of higher-order store, which applies even underneath a binder. As a result, “pure” proof steps that conventionally require focusing the Hoare triple on an operational redex are replaced by a simple equational rewrite in Tulip. We have evaluated Tulip against standard examples involving linked lists in the heap, comparing our abstract equational reasoning with more familiar operational-style reasoning. Our main result is the soundness of Tulip, which we establish by constructing a BI-hyperdoctrine over the denotational semantics of F{mu,ref} in an impredicative version of synthetic guarded domain theory.

We show that contrary to appearances, Multimodal Type Theory (MTT) over a 2-category M can be interpreted in any M-shaped diagram of categories having, and functors preserving, M-sized limits, without the need for extra left adjoints. This is achieved by a construction called “co-dextrification” that co-freely adds left adjoints to any such diagram, which can then be used to interpret the “context lock” functors of MTT. Furthermore, if any of the functors in the diagram have right adjoints, these can also be internalized in type theory as negative modalities in the style of FitchTT. We introduce the name Multimodal Adjoint Type Theory (MATT) for the resulting combined general modal type theory. In particular, we can interpret MATT in any finite diagram of toposes and geometric morphisms, with positive modalities for inverse image functors and negative modalities for direct image functors.

Type refinements combine the compositionality of typechecking with the expressivity of program logics, offering a synergistic approach to program verification. In this paper we apply dependent type refinements to SAX, a futures-based process calculus that arises from the Curry-Howard interpretation of the intuitionistic semi-axiomatic sequent calculus and includes unrestricted recursion both at the level of types and processes. With our type refinement system, we can reason about the partial correctness of SAX programs, complementing prior work on sized type refinements that supports reasoning about termination. Our design regime synthesizes the infinitary proof theory of SAX with that of bidirectional typing and Hoare logic, deriving some standard reasoning principles for data and (co)recursion while enabling information hiding for codata. We prove syntactic type soundness, which entails a notion of partial correctness that respects codata encapsulation. We illustrate our language through a few simple examples.

The specifics of data layout can be important for the efficiency of functional programs and interaction with external libraries. In this paper, we develop a type-theoretic approach to data layout that could be used as a typed intermediate language in a compiler or to give a programmer more control. Our starting point is a computational interpretation of the semi-axiomatic sequent calculus for intuitionistic logic that defines abstract notions of cells and addresses. We refine this semantics so addresses have more structure to reflect possible alternative layouts without fundamentally departing from intuitionistic logic. We then add recursive types and explore example programs and properties of the resulting language.

Several different topoi have played an important role in the development and applications of synthetic guarded domain theory (SGDT), a new kind of synthetic domain theory that abstracts the concept of guarded recursion frequently employed in the semantics of programming languages. In order to unify the accounts of guarded recursion and coinduction, several authors have enriched SGDT with multiple “clocks” parameterizing different time-streams, leading to more complex and difficult to understand topos models. Until now these topoi have been understood very concretely qua categories of presheaves, and the logico-geometrical question of what theories these topoi classify has remained open. We show that several important topos models of SGDT classify very simple geometric theories, and that the passage to various forms of multi-clock guarded recursion can be rephrased more compositionally in terms of the lower bagtopos construction of Vickers and variations thereon due to Johnstone. We contribute to the consolidation of SGDT by isolating the universal property of multi-clock guarded recursion as a modular construction that applies to any topos model of single-clock guarded recursion.

We begin by explaining how any context-free grammar encodes a functor of operads from a freely generated operad into a certain “operad of spliced words”. This motivates a more general notion of CFG over any category $𝐶$, defined as a finite species $𝑆$ equipped with a color denoting the start symbol and a functor of operads $𝑝:𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑒[𝑆]\to 𝑊[𝐶]$ into the operad of spliced arrows in $𝐶$. We show that many standard properties of CFGs can be formulated within this framework, and that usual closure properties of CF languages generalize to CF languages of arrows. We also discuss a dual fibrational perspective on the functor $𝑝$ via the notion of “displayed” operad, corresponding to a lax functor of operads $𝑊[𝐶]\to 𝑆𝑝𝑎𝑛(𝑆𝑒𝑡)$.

We then turn to the Chomsky-Schützenberger Representation Theorem. We describe how a non-deterministic finite state automaton can be seen as a category $𝑄$ equipped with a pair of objects denoting initial and accepting states and a functor of categories $𝑄\to 𝐶$ satisfying the unique lifting of factorizations property and the finite fiber property. Then, we explain how to extend this notion of automaton to functors of operads, which generalize tree automata, allowing us to lift an automaton over a category to an automaton over its operad of spliced arrows. We show that every CFG over a category can be pulled back along a ND finite state automaton over the same category, and hence that CF languages are closed under intersection with regular languages. The last important ingredient is the identification of a left adjoint $𝐶[-]:𝑂𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑑\to 𝐶𝑎𝑡$ to the operad of spliced arrows functor, building the “contour category” of an operad. Using this, we generalize the C-S representation theorem, proving that any context-free language of arrows over a category $𝐶$ is the functorial image of the intersection of a $𝐶$-chromatic tree contour language and a regular language.