Reference. Directed univalence in simplicial homotopy type theory
Simplicial type theory extends homotopy type theory with a directed path type which internalizes the notion of a homomorphism within a type. This concept has significant applications both within mathematics – where it allows for synthetic (higher) category theory – and programming languages – where it leads to a directed version of the structure identity principle. In this work, we construct the first types in simplicial type theory with non-trivial homomorphisms. We extend simplicial type theory with modalities and new reasoning principles to obtain triangulated type theory in order to construct the universe of discrete types . We prove that homomorphisms in this type correspond to ordinary functions of types i.e., that is directed univalent. The construction of is foundational for both of the aforementioned applications of simplicial type theory. We are able to define several crucial examples of categories and to recover important results from category theory. Using , we are also able to define various types whose usage is guaranteed to be functorial. These provide the first complete examples of the proposed directed structure identity principle.
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The ∞-Category of ∞-Categories in Simplicial Type Theory gratzer-2026-the
Simplicial type theory (STT) was introduced by Riehl and Shulman to leverage homotopy type theory to prove results about (∞,1)-categories. Initial work on simplicial type theory focused on “formal” arguments in higher category theory and, in particular, no non-trivial examples of ∞-category theory were constructible within STT. More recent work has changed this state of affairs by applying techniques developed initially for cubical type theory to construct the ∞-category of spaces. We complete this process by constructing the ∞-category of ∞-categories, recovering one of the main foundational results of ∞-category theory (straightening-unstraightening) purely type-theoretically. We also show how this construction enables new examples of the directed version of the structure identity principle: the structure homomorphism principle.
When is the partial map classifier a Sierpiński cone? pugh-2025-when
Cites 85 works (16 here)
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Normalization for multimodal type theory gratzer-2026-normalization
We prove normalization for MTT, a general multimodal dependent type theory capable of expressing modal type theories for guarded recursion, internalized parametricity, and various other prototypical modal situations. We prove that deciding type checking and conversion in MTT can be reduced to deciding the equality of modalities in the underlying modal situation, immediately yielding a type checking algorithm for all instantiations of MTT in the literature. This proof uses a generalization of synthetic Tait computability – an abstract approach to gluing proofs – to account for modalities. This extension is based on MTT itself, so that this proof also constitutes a significant case study of MTT.
The Yoneda embedding in simplicial type theory gratzer-2025-the
When is the partial map classifier a Sierpiński cone? pugh-2025-when
The Univalence Principle ahrens-2021-the
The Univalence Principle is the statement that equivalent mathematical structures are indistinguishable. We prove a general version of this principle that applies to all set-based, categorical, and higher-categorical structures defined in a non-algebraic and space-based style, as well as models of higher-order theories such as topological spaces. In particular, we formulate a general definition of indiscernibility for objects of any such structure, and a corresponding univalence condition that generalizes Rezk’s completeness condition for Segal spaces and ensures that all equivalences of structures are levelwise equivalences. Our work builds on Makkai’s First-Order Logic with Dependent Sorts, but is expressed in Voevodsky’s Univalent Foundations (UF), extending previous work on the Structure Identity Principle and univalent categories in UF. This enables indistinguishability to be expressed simply as identification, and yields a formal theory that is interpretable in classical homotopy theory, but also in other higher topos models. It follows that Univalent Foundations is a fully equivalence-invariant foundation for higher-categorical mathematics, as intended by Voevodsky.
Displayed type theory and semi-simplicial types kolomatskaia-2025-displayed
We introduce Displayed Type Theory (dTT) , a multi-modal homotopy type theory with discrete and simplicial modes. In the intended semantics, the discrete mode is interpreted by a model for an arbitrary -topos, while the simplicial mode is interpreted by Reedy fibrant augmented semi-simplicial diagrams in that model. This simplicial structure is represented inside the theory by a primitive notion of display or dependency , guarded by modalities, yielding a partially-internal form of unary parametricity. Using the display primitive, we then give a coinductive definition, at the simplicial mode, of a type of semi-simplicial types. Roughly speaking, a semi-simplicial type consists of a type together with, for each , a displayed semi-simplicial type over . This mimics how simplices can be generated geometrically through repeated cones, and is made possible by the display primitive at the simplicial mode. The discrete part of then yields the usual infinite indexed definition of semi-simplicial types, both semantically and syntactically. Thus, dTT enables working with semi-simplicial types in full semantic generality.
Unifying cubical and multimodal type theory aagaard-2024-unifying
In this paper we combine the principled approach to modalities from multimodal type theory (MTT) with the computationally well-behaved realization of identity types from cubical type theory (CTT). The result – cubical modal type theory (Cubical MTT) – has the desirable features of both systems. In fact, the whole is more than the sum of its parts: Cubical MTT validates desirable extensionality principles for modalities that MTT only supported through ad hoc means. We investigate the semantics of Cubical MTT and provide an axiomatic approach to producing models of Cubical MTT based on the internal language of topoi and use it to construct presheaf models. Finally, we demonstrate the practicality and utility of this axiomatic approach to models by constructing a model of (cubical) guarded recursion in a cubical version of the topos of trees. We then use this model to justify an axiomatization of Löb induction and thereby use Cubical MTT to smoothly reason about guarded recursion.
Semantics of multimodal adjoint type theory shulman-2023-semantics
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.
Bicategorical type theory: semantics and syntax ahrens-2023-bicategorical
We develop semantics and syntax for bicategorical type theory. Bicategorical type theory features contexts, types, terms, and directed reductions between terms. This type theory is naturally interpreted in a class of structured bicategories. We start by developing the semantics, in the form of comprehension bicategories . Examples of comprehension bicategories are plentiful; we study both specific examples as well as classes of examples constructed from other data. From the notion of comprehension bicategory, we extract the syntax of bicategorical type theory, that is, judgment forms and structural inference rules. We prove soundness of the rules by giving an interpretation in any comprehension bicategory. The semantic aspects of our work are fully checked in the Coq proof assistant, based on the UniMath library.
Multimodal Dependent Type Theory gratzerNutyzBirkedal2021
We introduce MTT, a dependent type theory which supports multiple modalities. MTT is parametrized by a mode theory which specifies a collection of modes, modalities, and transformations between them. We show that different choices of mode theory allow us to use the same type theory to compute and reason in many modal situations, including guarded recursion, axiomatic cohesion, and parametric quantification. We reproduce examples from prior work in guarded recursion and axiomatic cohesion, thereby demonstrating that MTT constitutes a simple and usable syntax whose instantiations intuitively correspond to previous handcrafted modal type theories. In some cases, instantiating MTT to a particular situation unearths a previously unknown type theory that improves upon prior systems. Finally, we investigate the metatheory of MTT. We prove the consistency of MTT and establish canonicity through an extension of recent type-theoretic gluing techniques. These results hold irrespective of the choice of mode theory, and thus apply to a wide variety of modal situations.
Internalizing representation independence with univalence angiuli-2021-internalizing
In their usual form, representation independence metatheorems provide an external guarantee that two implementations of an abstract interface are interchangeable when they are related by an operation-preserving correspondence. If our programming language is dependently-typed, however, we would like to appeal to such invariance results within the language itself, in order to obtain correctness theorems for complex implementations by transferring them from simpler, related implementations. Recent work in proof assistants has shown that Voevodsky’s univalence principle allows transferring theorems between isomorphic types, but many instances of representation independence in programming involve non-isomorphic representations. In this paper, we develop techniques for establishing internal relational representation independence results in dependent type theory, by using higher inductive types to simultaneously quotient two related implementation types by a heterogeneous correspondence between them. The correspondence becomes an isomorphism between the quotiented types, thereby allowing us to obtain an equality of implementations by univalence. We illustrate our techniques by considering applications to matrices, queues, and finite multisets. Our results are all formalized in Cubical Agda, a recent extension of Agda which supports univalence and higher inductive types in a computationally well-behaved way.
Modalities in homotopy type theory rijke-2020-modalities
Univalent homotopy type theory (HoTT) may be seen as a language for the category of -groupoids. It is being developed as a new foundation for mathematics and as an internal language for (elementary) higher toposes. We develop the theory of factorization systems, reflective subuniverses, and modalities in homotopy type theory, including their construction using a “localization” higher inductive type. This produces in particular the (-connected, -truncated) factorization system as well as internal presentations of subtoposes, through lex modalities. We also develop the semantics of these constructions.
Semantics of higher inductive types lumsdaine-2019-semantics
Higher inductive types are a class of type-forming rules, introduced to provide basic (and not-so-basic) homotopy-theoretic constructions in a type-theoretic style. They have proven very fruitful for the “synthetic” development of homotopy theory within type theory, as well as in formalising ordinary set-level mathematics in type theory. In this paper, we construct models of a wide range of higher inductive types in a fairly wide range of settings. We introduce the notion of cell monad with parameters : a semantically-defined scheme for specifying homotopically well-behaved notions of structure. We then show that any suitable model category has weakly stable typal initial algebras for any cell monad with parameters. When combined with the local universes construction to obtain strict stability, this specialises to give models of specific higher inductive types, including spheres, the torus, pushout types, truncations, the James construction and general localisations. Our results apply in any sufficiently nice Quillen model category, including any right proper, simplicially locally cartesian closed, simplicial Cisinski model category (such as simplicial sets) and any locally presentable locally cartesian closed category (such as sets) with its trivial model structure. In particular, any locally presentable locally cartesian closed (∞, 1)-category is presented by some model category to which our results apply.
All -toposes have strict univalent universes shulman-2019-all
We prove the conjecture that any Grothendieck -topos can be presented by a Quillen model category that interprets homotopy type theory with strict univalent universes. Thus, homotopy type theory can be used as a formal language for reasoning internally to -toposes, just as higher-order logic is used for 1-toposes. As part of the proof, we give a new, more explicit, characterization of the fibrations in injective model structures on presheaf categories. In particular, we show that they generalize the coflexible algebras of 2-monad theory.
A type theory for synthetic -categories riehl-2017-a
We propose foundations for a synthetic theory of -categories within homotopy type theory. We axiomatize a directed interval type, then define higher simplices from it and use them to probe the internal categorical structures of arbitrary types. We define Segal types, in which binary composites exist uniquely up to homotopy; this automatically ensures composition is coherently associative and unital at all dimensions. We define Rezk types, in which the categorical isomorphisms are additionally equivalent to the type-theoretic identities - a “local univalence” condition. And we define covariant fibrations, which are type families varying functorially over a Segal type, and prove a “dependent Yoneda lemma” that can be viewed as a directed form of the usual elimination rule for identity types. We conclude by studying homotopically correct adjunctions between Segal types, and showing that for a functor between Rezk types to have an adjoint is a mere proposition. To make the bookkeeping in such proofs manageable, we use a three-layered type theory with shapes, whose contexts are extended by polytopes within directed cubes, which can be abstracted over using “extension types” that generalize the path-types of cubical type theory. In an appendix, we describe the motivating semantics in the Reedy model structure on bisimplicial sets, in which our Segal and Rezk types correspond to Segal spaces and complete Segal spaces.
Brouwer’s fixed-point theorem in real-cohesive homotopy type theory shulman-2017-brouwer
We combine homotopy type theory with axiomatic cohesion, expressing the latter internally with a version of ‘adjoint logic’ in which the discretization and codiscretization modalities are characterized using a judgemental formalism of ‘crisp variables.’ This yields type theories that we call ‘spatial’ and ‘cohesive,’ in which the types can be viewed as having independent topological and homotopical structure. These type theories can then be used to study formally the process by which topology gives rise to homotopy theory (the ‘fundamental ∞-groupoid’ or ‘shape’), disentangling the ‘identifications’ of homotopy type theory from the ‘continuous paths’ of topology. In a further refinement called ‘real-cohesion,’ the shape is determined by continuous maps from the real numbers, as in classical algebraic topology. This enables us to reproduce formally some of the classical applications of homotopy theory to topology. As an example, we prove Brouwer’s fixed-point theorem.
External (69)
- Liberating synthetic quasi-coherence from forcing (2025)
- Cocompleteness of synthetic (∞,1)-categories (2025)
- Limits and colimits in synthetic ∞-categories (2025)
- A Generalized Algebraic Theory of Directed Equality (2025)
- Simplicial Homotopy Type Theory is not just Simplicial: What are ∞-Categories? (2025)
- Synthetic perspectives on spaces and categories (2025)
- Projective Presentations of Lex Modalities (2025)
- Generalized Chevalley criteria in simplicial homotopy type theory (2024)
- A Type Theory with a Tiny Object (2024)
- Internal sums for synthetic fibered (∞,1)-categories (2024)
- Two-sided cartesian fibrations of synthetic (∞,1)-categories (2024)
- Formalization of Higher Categories (2024)
- Exponentiable functors between synthetic ∞-categories (2024)
- The Category Interpretation of Directed Type Theory (2024)
- Formalizing the ∞-Categorical Yoneda Lemma (2023)
- A foundation for synthetic algebraic geometry (2023)
- Could ∞-Category Theory Be Taught to Undergraduates? (2023)
- Synthetic fibered (∞,1)-category theory (2023)
- Syntax and semantics of modal type theory (2023)
- Commuting Cohesions (2023)
- Elements of ∞-Category Theory (2022)
- Yoneda's lemma for internal higher categories (2021)
- Abstract and Concrete Type Theories (2021)
- A cubical approach to straightening (2020)
- A Constructive Model of Directed Univalence in Bicubical Sets (2020)
- Fibrations of ∞-categories (2020)
- A Vision for Natural Type Theory (2020)
- Simplicial sets inside cubical sets (2019)
- An introduction to higher categorical algebra (2019)
- Classifying Types (2019)
- Higher Categories and Homotopical Algebra (2019)
- A QUANTUM OF DIRECTION (2019)
- On the Formalization of Higher Inductive Types and Synthetic Homotopy Theory (2018)
- Towards a directed homotopy type theory (2018)
- Higher Structures in Homotopy Type Theory (2018)
- Idempotent completion of cubes in posets (2018)
- Internal Universes in Models of Homotopy Type Theory (2018)
- On the directed univalence axiom (2018)
- Natural models of homotopy type theory (2018)
- A Fibrational Framework for Substructural and Modal Logics (2017)
- The Equivalence Extension Property and Model Structures (2017)
- Cubical sets and the topological topos (2016)
- Left fibrations and homotopy colimits II (2016)
- Cubical Type Theory: A Constructive Interpretation of the Univalence Axiom (2015)
- The local universes model, an overlooked coherence construction for dependent type theories (2015)
- Quantum Gauge Field Theory in Cohesive Homotopy Type Theory (2014)
- Univalent universes for elegant models of homotopy types (2014)
- Duality for generic algebras (2014)
- Isomorphism is equality (2013)
- Differential cohomology in a cohesive infinity-topos (2013)
- The univalence axiom for elegant Reedy presheaves (2013)
- Voevodsky's Univalence Axiom in homotopy type theory (2013)
- Cohomology (blog post) (2013)
- Directed type theory (seminar talk) (2013)
- The simplicial model of Univalent Foundations (after Voevodsky) (2012)
- 2-Dimensional Directed Type Theory (2011)
- Higher Topos Theory (2009)
- Weak ω-Categories from Intensional Type Theory (2009)
- The Theory of Quasi-Categories (2008)
- Homotopy theoretic models of identity types (2007)
- A model for the homotopy theory of homotopy theory (1998)
- Internal type theory (1996)
- Theorems for free! (1989)
- Categories and cohomology theories (1974)
- Internal higher topos
- Directed univalence and the category of categories
- The universal coCartesian fibration
- Strict stability of extension types
- A general Nullstellensatz for generalized spaces