Type classes with existential types

1996 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 485-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantin Läufer
Keyword(s):  
Formal Semantics ◽  
Type System ◽  
Expressive Power ◽  
Type Inference ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Type Classes ◽  
Algebraic Data Types ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Existential Quantification

AbstractWe argue that the novel combination of type classes and existential types in a single language yields significant expressive power. We explore this combination in the context of higher-order functional languages with static typing, parametric polymorphism, algebraic data types and Hindley–Milner type inference. Adding existential types to an existing functional language that already features type classes requires only a minor syntactic extension. We first demonstrate how to provide existential quantification over type classes by extending the syntax of algebraic data type definitions, and give examples of possible uses. We then develop a type system and a type inference algorithm for the resulting language. Finally, we present a formal semantics by translation to an implicitly-typed second-order λ-calculus and show that the type system is semantically sound. Our extension has been implemented in the Chalmers Haskell B. system, and all examples from this paper have been developed using this system.

scholarly journals Stratified type inference for generalized algebraic data types

2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 232-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Pottier ◽  
Yann Régis-Gianas
Keyword(s):  
Type Inference ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Algebraic Data Types

scholarly journals How to make ad hoc proof automation less ad hoc

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
GEORGES GONTHIER ◽  
BETA ZILIANI ◽  
ALEKSANDAR NANEVSKI ◽  
DEREK DREYER
Keyword(s):  
Design Patterns ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Type System ◽  
Type Inference ◽  
Interactive Theorem Provers ◽  
Proof Automation ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Type Classes ◽  
Structure Programming ◽  
Base Logic

AbstractMost interactive theorem provers provide support for some form of user-customizable proof automation. In a number of popular systems, such as Coq and Isabelle, this automation is achieved primarily through tactics, which are programmed in a separate language from that of the prover's base logic. While tactics are clearly useful in practice, they can be difficult to maintain and compose because, unlike lemmas, their behavior cannot be specified within the expressive type system of the prover itself.We propose a novel approach to proof automation in Coq that allows the user to specify the behavior of custom automated routines in terms of Coq's own type system. Our approach involves a sophisticated application of Coq's canonical structures, which generalize Haskell type classes and facilitate a flexible style of dependently-typed logic programming. Specifically, just as Haskell type classes are used to infer the canonical implementation of an overloaded term at a given type, canonical structures can be used to infer the canonical proof of an overloaded lemma for a given instantiation of its parameters. We present a series of design patterns for canonical structure programming that enable one to carefully and predictably coax Coq's type inference engine into triggering the execution of user-supplied algorithms during unification, and we illustrate these patterns through several realistic examples drawn from Hoare Type Theory. We assume no prior knowledge of Coq and describe the relevant aspects of Coq type inference from first principles.

Lightweight family polymorphism

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHIERI SAITO ◽  
ATSUSHI IGARASHI ◽  
MIRKO VIROLI
Keyword(s):  
Type System ◽  
Object Oriented ◽  
Expressive Power ◽  
Type Inference ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Dependent Types ◽  
Parametric Methods ◽  
Complex Type ◽  
Original Proposal ◽  
Object Oriented Languages

AbstractFamily polymorphism has been proposed for object-oriented languages as a solution to supporting reusable yet type-safe mutually recursive classes. A key idea of family polymorphism is the notion of families, which are used to group mutually recursive classes. In the original proposal, due to the design decision that families are represented by objects, dependent types had to be introduced, resulting in a rather complex type system. In this article, we propose a simpler solution oflightweightfamily polymorphism, based on the idea that families are represented by classes rather than by objects. This change makes the type system significantly simpler without losing much expressive power of the language. Moreover, “family-polymorphic” methods now take a form of parametric methods; thus, it is easy to apply method type argument inference as in Java 5.0. To rigorously show that our approach is safe, we formalize the set of language features on top of Featherweight Java and prove that the type system is sound. An algorithm for type inference for family-polymorphic method invocations is also formalized and proved to be correct. Finally, a formal translation by erasure to Featherweight Java is presented; it is proved to preserve typing and execution results, showing that our new language features can be implemented in Java by simply extending the compiler.

scholarly journals Oblivious algebraic data types

2022 ◽  
Vol 6 (POPL) ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Qianchuan Ye ◽  
Benjamin Delaware
Keyword(s):  
Programming Languages ◽  
Type System ◽  
Secure Computation ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Sensitive Data ◽  
Private Data ◽  
Algebraic Data Types ◽  
Recursive Data Structures ◽  
Recursive Data ◽  
Cryptographic Techniques

Secure computation allows multiple parties to compute joint functions over private data without leaking any sensitive data, typically using powerful cryptographic techniques. Writing secure applications using these techniques directly can be challenging, resulting in the development of several programming languages and compilers that aim to make secure computation accessible. Unfortunately, many of these languages either lack or have limited support for rich recursive data structures, like trees. In this paper, we propose a novel representation of structured data types, which we call oblivious algebraic data types, and a language for writing secure computations using them. This language combines dependent types with constructs for oblivious computation, and provides a security-type system which ensures that adversaries can learn nothing more than the result of a computation. Using this language, authors can write a single function over private data, and then easily build an equivalent secure computation according to a desired public view of their data.

scholarly journals OutsideIn(X) Modular type inference with local assumptions

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 333-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
DIMITRIOS VYTINIOTIS ◽  
SIMON PEYTON JONES ◽  
TOM SCHRIJVERS ◽  
MARTIN SULZMANN
Keyword(s):  
General Framework ◽  
Type System ◽  
Type Inference ◽  
Inference Algorithm ◽  
System Specification ◽  
Program Correctness ◽  
Constraint Solver ◽  
Empirical Results ◽  
Local Type ◽  
Type Classes

AbstractAdvanced type system features, such as GADTs, type classes and type families, have proven to be invaluable language extensions for ensuring data invariants and program correctness. Unfortunately, they pose a tough problem for type inference when they are used as local type assumptions. Local type assumptions often result in the lack of principal types and cast the generalisation of local let-bindings prohibitively difficult to implement and specify. User-declared axioms only make this situation worse. In this paper, we explain the problems and – perhaps controversially – argue for abandoning local let-binding generalisation. We give empirical results that local let generalisation is only sporadically used by Haskell programmers. Moving on, we present a novel constraint-based type inference approach for local type assumptions. Our system, called OutsideIn(X), is parameterised over the particular underlying constraint domain X, in the same way as HM(X). This stratification allows us to use a common metatheory and inference algorithm. OutsideIn(X) extends the constraints of X by introducing implication constraints on top. We describe the strategy for solving these implication constraints, which, in turn, relies on a constraint solver for X. We characterise the properties of the constraint solver for X so that the resulting algorithm only accepts programs with principal types, even when the type system specification accepts programs that do not enjoy principal types. Going beyond the general framework, we give a particular constraint solver for X = type classes + GADTs + type families, a non-trivial challenge in its own right. This constraint solver has been implemented and distributed as part of GHC 7.

scholarly journals Proof-relevant Horn Clauses for Dependent Type Inference and Term Synthesis

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 484-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
FRANTIŠEK FARKA ◽  
EKATERINA KOMENDANTSKYA ◽  
KEVIN HAMMOND
Keyword(s):  
Logic Program ◽  
Type Inference ◽  
Synthesis Problem ◽  
Dependent Types ◽  
Horn Clause ◽  
Data Types ◽  
First Order ◽  
Type Classes ◽  
The Given ◽  
Dependent Type

AbstractFirst-order resolution has been used for type inference for many years, including in Hindley-Milner type inference, type-classes, and constrained data types. Dependent types are a new trend in functional languages. In this paper, we show that proof-relevant first-order resolution can play an important role in automating type inference and term synthesis for dependently typed languages. We propose a calculus that translates type inference and term synthesis problems in a dependently typed language to a logic program and a goal in the proof-relevant first-order Horn clause logic. The computed answer substitution and proof term then provide a solution to the given type inference and term synthesis problem. We prove the decidability and soundness of our method.

Generics for the masses

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 451-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
RALF HINZE
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Type System ◽  
Type Systems ◽  
Data Type ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Type Classes ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Masses ◽  
Language Construct

A generic function is a function that can be instantiated on many data types to obtain data type specific functionality. Examples of generic functions are the functions that can be derived in Haskell, such as show, read, and ‘==’. The recent years have seen a number of proposals that support the definition of generic functions. Some of the proposals define new languages, some define extensions to existing languages. As a common characteristic none of the proposals can be made to work within Haskell 98: they all require something extra, either a more sophisticated type system or an additional language construct. The purpose of this paper is to show that one can, in fact, program generically within Haskell 98 obviating to some extent the need for fancy type systems or separate tools. Haskell's type classes are at the heart of this approach: they ensure that generic functions can be defined succinctly and, in particular, that they can be used painlessly. We detail three different implementations of generics both from a practical and from a theoretical perspective.

A Set-theoretic Approach to Reasoning Services for the Description Logic 𝒟 ℒ D 4,×

2020 ◽  
Vol 176 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 349-384
Author(s):  
Domenico Cantone ◽  
Marianna Nicolosi-Asmundo ◽  
Daniele Francesco Santamaria
Keyword(s):  
Description Logic ◽  
Description Logics ◽  
Theoretic Approach ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
Rule Languages ◽  
Tableau System ◽  
High Scalability ◽  
Better Than

In this paper we consider the most common TBox and ABox reasoning services for the description logic 𝒟ℒ〈4LQSR,x〉(D) ( 𝒟 ℒ D 4,× , for short) and prove their decidability via a reduction to the satisfiability problem for the set-theoretic fragment 4LQSR. 𝒟 ℒ D 4,× is a very expressive description logic. It combines the high scalability and efficiency of rule languages such as the SemanticWeb Rule Language (SWRL) with the expressivity of description logics. In fact, among other features, it supports Boolean operations on concepts and roles, role constructs such as the product of concepts and role chains on the left-hand side of inclusion axioms, role properties such as transitivity, symmetry, reflexivity, and irreflexivity, and data types. We further provide a KE-tableau-based procedure that allows one to reason on the main TBox and ABox reasoning tasks for the description logic 𝒟 ℒ D 4,× . Our algorithm is based on a variant of the KE-tableau system for sets of universally quantified clauses, where the KE-elimination rule is generalized in such a way as to incorporate the γ-rule. The novel system, called KEγ-tableau, turns out to be an improvement of the system introduced in [1] and of standard first-order KE-tableaux [2]. Suitable benchmark test sets executed on C++ implementations of the three mentioned systems show that in several cases the performances of the KEγ-tableau-based reasoner are up to about 400% better than the ones of the other two systems.

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