Constructive foundations for featherweight java

Abstract

In this paper we present a recursion-theoretic denotational semantics for Featherweight Java. Our interpretation is based on a formalization of the object model of Castagna, Ghelli and Longo in a predicative theory of types and names. Although this theory is proof-theoretically weak, it allows to prove many properties of programs written in Featherweight Java. This underpins Feferman’s thesis that impredicative assumptions are not needed for computational practice.