Termination proofs by multiset path orderings imply primitive recursive derivation lengths (Q1200982)

It is shown that a termination proof for a term rewriting system using multiset path orderings (i.e. recursive path orderings with multiset status only) yields a primitive recursive bound on the length of derivations, measured in the size of the starting term, confirming a conjecture of \textit{D. Plaisted} [A recursively defined ordering for proving termination of term rewriting systems, Report UIUCDCS-R-78-943, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL (1978)]. The result is essentially optimal as such derivation lengths can be found in each level of the Grzegorczyk hierarchy, even for string rewriting systems.