Date of Award

9-2010

Embargo Period

10-14-2011

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Computer Science

Advisor(s)

Frank Pfenning

Second Advisor

Karl Crary

Third Advisor

Robert Harper

Fourth Advisor

Adriana Compagnoni

Fifth Advisor

Carsten Schurmann

Abstract

The logical framework LF and its metalogic Twelf can be used to encode and reason about a wide variety of logics, languages, and other deductive systems in a formal, machine-checkable way.

Recent studies have shown that ML-like languages can profitably be extended with a notion of subtyping called refinement types. A refinement type discipline uses an extra layer of term classification above the usual type system to more accurately capture certain properties of terms.

I propose that adding refinement types to LF is both useful and practical. To support the claim, I exhibit an extension of LF with refinement types called LFR,work out important details of itsmetatheory, delineate a practical algorithmfor refinement type reconstruction, andpresent several case studies that highlight the utility of refinement types for formalized mathematics. In the end I find that refinement types and LF are a match made in heaven: refinements enable many rich new modes of expression, and the simplicity of LF ensures that they come at a modest cost.

Comments

CMU-CS-10-138


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