English

A diagram model of linear dependent type theory

Logic 2018-06-29 v2

Abstract

We present a type theory dealing with non-linear, "ordinary" dependent types (which we will call cartesian) and linear types, where both constructs may depend on terms of the former. In the interplay between these, we find new type formers x:AB\sqcap_{x:A}B and x:AB\sqsubset_{x:A}B, akin to Π\Pi and Σ\Sigma, but where the dependent type BB, (and therefore the resulting construct) is a linear type. These can be seen as internalizing universal and existential quantification of linear predicates. We also consider two modalities, MM and LL, transforming linear types into cartesian types and vice versa. The theory is interpreted in a split comprehension category π:TC\pi:\mathcal{T}\to\mathcal{C}^\to accompanied by a split symmetric monoidal fibration, π:LC\pi: \mathcal{L}\to\mathcal{C}. This structure determines, for any context Γ\Gamma, fibers TΓ\mathcal{T}_\Gamma and LΓ\mathcal{L}_\Gamma; the category of cartesian types and the monoidal category of linear types over Γ\Gamma, respectively. Here, the type formers x:A\sqcap_{x:A} and x:A\sqsubset_{x:A} are understood as right and left adjoints of the monoidal reindexing functor πA:LΓLΓ.A\pi_A^*:\mathcal{L}_\Gamma\to\mathcal{L}_{\Gamma.A}. The operators MM and LL induce a fiberwise adjunction LML \dashv M between L\mathcal{L} and T\mathcal{T}, where the traditional exponential modality is understood as the comonad !=LM! = LM. We provide a model of this theory called the Diagram model, which extends the groupoid model of dependent type theory to accommodate linear types. Here, cartesian types are interpreted as a family of groupoids, while linear types are interpreted as diagrams A:ΓVA:\Gamma\to\mathcal{V} in any symmetric monoidal category V\mathcal{V}. We show that the diagrams model can under certain conditions support a linear analogue of the univalence axiom, and provide some discussion on the higher-dimensional nature of linear dependent types.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1806.09593,
  title  = {A diagram model of linear dependent type theory},
  author = {Martin Lundfall},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1806.09593},
  year   = {2018}
}

Comments

17 pages

R2 v1 2026-06-23T02:41:04.697Z