Transporting functions across ornaments

DOI10.1017/S0956796814000069zbMATH Open1297.68047arXiv1212.3806MaRDI QIDQ2875233FDOQ2875233

Authors: Pierre-Évariste Dagand, Conor McBride

Publication date: 14 August 2014

Published in: Journal of Functional Programming (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Ornaments aim at taming the multiplication of special-purpose datatype in dependently-typed theory. In its original form, the definition of ornaments is tied to a particular universe of datatypes. Being a type theoretic object, constructions on ornaments are typically explained through an operational narrative. This overbearing concreteness calls for an abstract model of ornaments. In this paper, we give a categorical model of ornaments. As a necessary first step, we abstract the universe of datatypes using the theory of polynomial functors. We are then able to characterize ornaments as cartesian morphisms between polynomial functors. We thus gain access to powerful mathematical tools that shall help us understand and develop ornaments. We shall also illustrate the adequacy of our model. Firstly, we rephrase the standard ornamental constructions into our framework. Thanks to its conciseness, this process gives us a deeper understanding of the structures at play. Secondly, we develop new ornamental constructions, by translating categorical structures into type theoretic artifacts.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1212.3806

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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Functional programming and lambda calculus (68N18)

Cited In (7)

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