Type theoretical databases

Abstract

We show how the display-map category of finite simplicial complexes can be seen as representing the totality of database schemas and instances in a single mathematical structure. We give a sound interpretation of a certain dependent type theory in this model, and show how it allows for the syntactic specification of schemas and instances and the manipulation of the same with the usual type-theoretic operations. We indicate how it allows for the posing of queries. A novelty of the type theory is that it has non-trivial context constants.