Taming modal impredicativity: Superlazy reduction

Abstract

Pure, or type-free, Linear Logic proof nets are Turing complete once cut-elimination is considered as computation. We introduce modal impredicativity as a new form of impredicativity causing cutelimination to be problematic from a complexity point of view. Modal impredicativity occurs when, during reduction, the conclusion of a residual of a box b interacts with a node that belongs to the proof net inside another residual of b. Technically speaking, superlazy reduction is a new notion of reduction that allows to control modal impredicativity. More specifically, superlazy reduction replicates a box only when all its copies are opened. This makes the overall cost of reducing a proof net finite and predictable. Specifically, superlazy reduction applied to any pure proof nets takes primitive recursive time. Moreover, any primitive recursive function can be computed by a pure proof net via superlazy reduction. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009.