Reference. A Modal Deconstruction of Löb Induction
We present a novel analysis of the fundamental Löb induction principle from guarded recursion. Taking advantage of recent work in modal type theory and univalent foundations, we derive Löb induction from a simpler and more conceptual set of primitives. We then capitalize on these insights to present Gatsby, the first guarded type theory capturing the rich modal structure of the topos of trees alongside Löb induction without immediately precluding canonicity or normalization. We show that Gatsby can recover many prior approaches to guarded recursion and use its additional power to improve on prior examples. We crucially rely on homotopical insights and Gatsby constitutes a new application of univalent foundations to the theory of programming languages.
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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.
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.
A Stratified Approach to Löb Induction gratzer-2022-a
Guarded type theory extends type theory with a handful of modalities and constants to encode productive recursion. While these theories have seen widespread use, the metatheory of guarded type theories, particularly guarded dependent type theories remains underdeveloped. We show that integrating Löb induction is the key obstruction to unifying guarded recursion and dependence in a well-behaved type theory and prove a no-go theorem sharply bounding such type theories. Based on these results, we introduce GuTT: a stratified guarded type theory. GuTT is properly two type theories, sGuTT and dGuTT. The former contains only propositional rules governing Löb induction but enjoys decidable type-checking while the latter extends the former with definitional equalities. Accordingly, dGuTT does not have decidable type-checking. We prove, however, a novel guarded canonicity theorem for dGuTT, showing that programs in dGuTT can be run. These two type theories work in concert, with users writing programs in sGuTT and running them in dGuTT.
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.
Transfinite Iris: resolving an existential dilemma of step-indexed separation logic spies-2021-transfinitex
Normalization for Cubical Type Theory sterling_angiuli_2021
We prove normalization for (univalent, Cartesian) cubical type theory, closing the last major open problem in the syntactic metatheory of cubical type theory. Our normalization result is reduction-free, in the sense of yielding a bijection between equivalence classes of terms in context and a tractable language of β/η-normal forms. As corollaries we obtain both decidability of judgmental equality and the injectivity of type constructors.
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.
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.
Guarded Cubical Type Theory birkedal-2018-guarded
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.
Productive coprogramming with guarded recursion atkey-2013-productive
First steps in synthetic guarded domain theory: step-indexing in the topos of trees birkedalFirstStepsSGDT2012
We present the topos S of trees as a model of guarded recursion. We study the internal dependently-typed higher-order logic of S and show that S models two modal operators, on predicates and types, which serve as guards in recursive definitions of terms, predicates, and types. In particular, we show how to solve recursive type equations involving dependent types. We propose that the internal logic of S provides the right setting for the synthetic construction of abstract versions of step-indexed models of programming languages and program logics. As an example, we show how to construct a model of a programming language with higher-order store and recursive types entirely inside the internal logic of S. Moreover, we give an axiomatic categorical treatment of models of synthetic guarded domain theory and prove that, for any complete Heyting algebra A with a well-founded basis, the topos of sheaves over A forms a model of synthetic guarded domain theory, generalizing the results for S.
Applicative programming with effects mcbride-2008-applicative
In this article, we introduce Applicative functors – an abstract characterisation of an applicative style of effectful programming, weaker than Monads and hence more widespread. Indeed, it is the ubiquity of this programming pattern that drew us to the abstraction. We retrace our steps in this article, introducing the applicative pattern by diverse examples, then abstracting it to define the Applicative type class and introducing a bracket notation that interprets the normal application syntax in the idiom of an Applicative functor. Furthermore, we develop the properties of applicative functors and the generic operations they support. We close by identifying the categorical structure of applicative functors and examining their relationship both with Monads and with Arrow.
External (33)
- Towards univalent reference types (2024)
- Syntax and semantics of modal type theory (2023)
- Denotational semantics of general store and polymorphism (2023)
- Towards third generation HoTT (slides) (2023)
- Classifying topoi in synthetic guarded domain theory (2022)
- Lecture Notes on Iris: Higher-Order Concurrent Separation Logic (2022)
- Greatest HITs: Higher inductive types in coinductive definitions via induction under clocks (2021)
- Two Guarded Recursive Powerdomains for Applicative Simulation (2021)
- Cubical Agda: A dependently typed programming language with univalence and higher inductive types (2021)
- Unifying Cubical Models of Univalent Type Theory (2020)
- Ticking clocks as dependent right adjoints: Denotational semantics for clocked type theory (2020)
- Formalizing 𝜋-calculus in guarded cubical Agda (2020)
- Modal dependent type theory and dependent right adjoints (2018)
- Denotational semantics for guarded dependent type theory (2018)
- A Generalized Modality for Recursion (2018)
- Bisimulation as path type for guarded recursive types (2018)
- Internal Universes in Models of Homotopy Type Theory (2018)
- The clocks are ticking: No more delays! (2017)
- Cubical Type Theory: a constructive interpretation of the univalence axiom (2017)
- Guarded Dependent Type Theory with Coinductive Types (2016)
- Adjoint Logic with a 2-Category of Modes (2016)
- Denotational semantics of recursive types in synthetic guarded domain theory (2016)
- Programming and Reasoning with Guarded Recursion for Coinductive Types (2015)
- The Frobenius condition, right properness, and uniform fibrations (2015)
- A Model of PCF in Guarded Type Theory (2015)
- A Model of Countable Nondeterminism in Guarded Type Theory (2014)
- A type theory for productive coprogramming via guarded recursion (2014)
- Intensional Type Theory with Guarded Recursive Types qua Fixed Points on Universes (2013)
- The category-theoretic solution of recursive metric-space equations (2010)
- Higher Topos Theory (2009)
- A modality for recursion (2000)
- Substitution calculus (lecture notes) (1992)
- Metric Interpretations of Infinite Trees and Semantics of non Deterministic Recursive Programs (1980)