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Evaluating untyped lambda terms via traversals

This project hosts implementations in TypeScript and Rust of lambda calculus term evaluation algorithm from the TCS paper Evaluating lambda terms with traversals.

The rust version also has an option to implement traversals that are significantly more succinct than the ones from the paper by pumping out redundant ghost internal node occurrences.

Updates

  • May 2021, Added Rust implementation
  • June 2019, TypeScript implementation
  • Jan-April 2018, Ocaml/F# implementation for untyped lambda calculus in https://github.com/blumu/dphil.tools/tree/master/HOG
  • 2008, Original Ocaml/F# implementation of traversals for simply-typed terms (without automated readout)

TypeScript implementation

Installation and usage

After cloning the git repository install nodejs and TypeScript (tested with TypeScript 4.2.4.)

npm install -D typescript

Build the TypeScript sources with:

tsc

Run all tests with:

node out\all_tests.js

In the TypeScript implementation, lambda terms are defined in the code using combinators, for instance:

let varity =
  abs(['t'], app('t', [abs(['n', 'a', 'x'], app('n', abs(['s', 'z'], app('a', [app('s'), app('x', [app('s'), app('z')])])))),
  abs(['a'], 'a'),
  abs(['z0'], 'z0')
  ]))
let two = abs(['s2', 'z2'], app('s2', app('s2', 'z2')))
let varity_two = app(varity, two)

See all_tests.ts for more examples.

Example: Enumerating all traversals

(lambda u.u (x u))(lambda v.v y)

|Depth:0|External variable reached with 2 branch(es):[]--@--[u](1,0)--u(1,1)--[v](3,1)--v(1,1)--[](3,1)--x(7,1)
|Depth:0|Choice:1|Trav: []--@--[u](1,0)--u(1,1)--[v](3,1)--v(1,1)--[](3,1)--x(7,1) |Occurrence: [](1,1)
  |Depth:1|External variable reached with 1 branch(es):[]--@--[u](1,0)--u(1,1)--[v](3,1)--v(1,1)--[](3,1)--x(7,1)--[](1,1)--u(7,1)--[v](9,1)--v(1,1)--$[](3,1)--#(5,1)
  |Depth:1|Choice:1|Trav: []--@--[u](1,0)--u(1,1)--[v](3,1)--v(1,1)--[](3,1)--x(7,1)--[](1,1)--u(7,1)--[v](9,1)--v(1,1)--$[](3,1)--#(5,1) |Occurrence: $[](1,1)
    |Depth:2|Maximal traversal:[]--@--[u](1,0)--u(1,1)--[v](3,1)--v(1,1)--[](3,1)--x(7,1)--[](1,1)--u(7,1)--[v](9,1)--v(1,1)--$[](3,1)--#(5,1)--$[](1,1)--#(3,1)--[](5,1)--y(17,2)
    |               projection:[]--x(1,1)--[v](1,1)--#(1,1)--$[](1,1)--y(5,2)
|Depth:0|Choice:2|Trav: []--@--[u](1,0)--u(1,1)--[v](3,1)--v(1,1)--[](3,1)--x(7,1) |Occurrence: $[](1,2)
  |Depth:1|Maximal traversal:[]--@--[u](1,0)--u(1,1)--[v](3,1)--v(1,1)--[](3,1)--x(7,1)--$[](1,2)--#(3,1)--[](5,1)--y(11,2)
  |               projection:[]--x(1,1)--$[](1,2)--y(3,2)

Examples: Evaluation with name-preserving resolution

(lambda u.u (x u))(lambda v.v y)

evaluateAndPrintNormalForm(app(abs(['u'], app('u', app('x', 'u'))), abs(['v'], app('v', 'y'))))
Evaluating (lambda u.u (x u))(lambda v.v y)
x (lambda v.v y) y

(lambda t.t (lambda n a x.n (lambda s z.a s (x s z))) (lambda a.a) (lambda z0.z0))(lambda s2 z2.s2 (s2 z2))

let varity =
  abs(['t'], app('t', [abs(['n', 'a', 'x'], app('n', abs(['s', 'z'], app('a', [app('s'), app('x', [app('s'), app('z')])])))),
  abs(['a'], 'a'),
  abs(['z0'], 'z0')
  ]))
let two = abs(['s2', 'z2'], app('s2', app('s2', 'z2')))
evaluateAndPrintNormalForm(app(varity, two))
Evaluating (lambda t.t (lambda n a x.n (lambda s z.a s (x s z))) (lambda a.a) (lambda z0.z0))(lambda s2 z2.s2 (s2 z2))
lambda x x' s z.s (x s (x' s z))

Some raw ideas for future improvements

  • Package a smaller implementation: if reading out the normalized term with names is not needed then the normalization procedure working on the DeBruijn-based AST fits in about 500 LOC.
  • A justification pointer is not needed for free variable occurrences. The reference to the tree node alone suffices. We could encode them with a new type FreeVarOccurrence<T> with no associated pointer. Need to investigate if this could help avoid the array used to map free variable indices to their names. (The free variable name would then just be encoded in the traversal occurrence itself.)
  • Alternating AST probably not needed: p-view/core could be adjusted to operate on traditional AST (with single node per lambda/application), though traversals would get longer;
  • Implementing traversals using (shared) linked-lists could help save on memory by avoiding array copy at each recursive call. Justification pointers could also be implemented with pointers instead of array index/deltas.

Rust implementation

Installation and usage for Rust

After cloning the git repository install Rust and run cargo build and cargo test.

The Rust version features a parser implemented using LALRPOP. The user provides the input lambda term as a string argument to the program. For instance:

cd rust
cargo run -- --normalize --normalize_resolve "(λt . t (λn a x . n (λs z . a s (x s z))) (λa . a) (λz0 . z0) ) (λs2 z2 . s2 (s2 z2))"

Output:

Reading input lambda term from command-line argument
Parsing lambda term '(λt . t (λn a x . n (λs z . a s (x s z))) (λa . a) (λz0 . z0) ) (λs2 z2 . s2 (s2 z2))'
term has length 26
===== Evaluation without name resolution
Evaluating (λt.t (λn a x.n (λs z.a s (x s z))) (λa.a) (λz0.z0))(λs2 z2.s2 (s2 z2))
λx x s z.s(1,3) (x(3,1) s(5,3) (x(5,2) s(7,3) z(7,4)))
longest traversal 48
===== Evaluation with name resolution
Evaluating (λt.t (λn a x.n (λs z.a s (x s z))) (λa.a) (λz0.z0))(λs2 z2.s2 (s2 z2))
Normalized term: λx x' s z.s (x s (x' s z))
longest traversal 48

The input lambda term can also be passed from standard input. For instance on Windows:

type fib_four.lmd | cargo run

To enumerate all traversals add the --enumerate switch:

cargo run -- --enumerate "(λu.u (x u))(λv.v y)"

Output:

Reading input lambda term from command-line argument
Parsing lambda term '(λu.u (x u))(λv.v y)'
term has length 12
===== Enumerate all traversals
Traversing (λu.u (x u))(λv.v y)
  |Depth:1|Length:12|Maximal traversal:[]--@--[u](1,0)--u(1,1)--[v](3,1)--v(1,1)--[](3,1)--x(7,1)--{}(1,2)--#(3,1)--[](5,1)--y(11,2)
  |               projection:[]--x(1,1)--{}(1,2)--y(3,2)
    |Depth:2|Length:18|Maximal traversal:[]--@--[u](1,0)--u(1,1)--[v](3,1)--v(1,1)--[](3,1)--x(7,1)--[](1,1)--u(7,1)--[v](9,1)--v(1,1)--{}(3,1)--#(5,1)--{}(1,1)--#(3,1)--[](5,1)--y(17,2)
    |               projection:[]--x(1,1)--[v](1,1)--#(1,1)--{}(1,1)--y(5,2)
longest traversal 18

Examples

The term Fib = (λa.a (λ b c. c (λ d e f.f) (λ d e. d) (λ d e. d e) (λ d e. b (λ f g. c (λ h i. i (h f)) (λh.g) (λh.h)) d (b (λ f g. c(λ h i.i (h (λ j k. k (j f)))) (λh i.g) (λ h.h)(λ h.h)) d e))) (λ b c.c) a) convert a church numeral $n$ to the $n+2$th number in the Fibonacci sequence. Here is a traversal normalization of $Fib 4$:

cargo run "(λa.a (λ b c. c (λ d e f.f) (λ d e. d) (λ d e. d e) (λ d e. b (λ f g. c (λ h i. i (h f)) (λh.g) (λh.h)) d (b (λ f g. c(λ h i.i (h (λ j k. k (j f)))) (λh i.g) (λ h.h)(λ h.h)) d e))) (λ b c.c) a) (λf x . f(f(f (f x))))"

Output:

No command specified, defaulting to normalization with name resolution.
Reading input lambda term from command-line argument
Parsing lambda term '(λa.a (λ b c. c (λ d e f.f) (λ d e. d) (λ d e. d e) (λ d e. b (λ f g. c (λ h i. i (h f)) (λh.g) (λh.h)) d (b (λ f g. c(λ h i.i (h (λ j k. k (j f)))) (λh i.g) (λ h.h)(λ h.h)) d e))) (λ b c.c) a) (λf x . f(f(f (f x))))'
term has length 68
===== Evaluation with name resolution
Evaluating (λa.a (λb c.c (λd e f.f) (λd e.d) (λd e.d e) (λd e.b (λf g.c (λh i.i (h f)) (λh.g) (λh.h)) d (b (λf g.c (λh i.i (h (λj k.k (j f)))) (λh i.g) (λh.h) (λh.h)) d e))) (λb c.c) a)(λf x.f (f (f (f x))))
Normalized term: λd e.d (d (d (d (d (d (d (d e)))))))
longest traversal 980

Pumping of Ghost copy-cat occurrences

By default, the Rust implementation pumps out internal ghost copy-cat occurrences when enumerating traversals. This yields traversals that are tremendously shorter which makes their enumeration more memory efficient. This behavior can be disabled with the --no-pumping switch to obtain the same traversals as the ones from the paper.

On the fibonacci sequence calculation based on Church numerals, ghost pumping leads to exponentially shorter traversals. Here are two runs comparing fib four, which computes the sixth number in the fibonacci sequence, with and without ghost pumping:

type fib_four.lmd | cargo run

Output:

===== Evaluation with name resolution
Evaluating (λa.a (λb c.c (λd e f.f) (λd e.d) (λd e.d e) (λd e.b (λf g.c (λh i.i (h f)) (λh.g) (λh.h)) d (b (λf g.c (λh i.i (h (λj k.k (j f)))) (λh i.g) (λh.h) (λh.h)) d e))) (λb c.c) a)(λf x.f (f (f (f x))))
Normalized term: λd e.d (d (d (d (d (d (d (d e)))))))
longest traversal 980

Without ghost pumping:

type fib_four.lmd | cargo run -- --no-pumping

Output:

===== Evaluation with name resolution
Evaluating (λa.a (λb c.c (λd e f.f) (λd e.d) (λd e.d e) (λd e.b (λf g.c (λh i.i (h f)) (λh.g) (λh.h)) d (b (λf g.c (λh i.i (h (λj k.k (j f)))) (λh i.g) (λh.h) (λh.h)) d e))) (λb c.c) a)(λf x.f (f (f (f x))))
Normalized term: λd e.d (d (d (d (d (d (d (d e)))))))
longest traversal 218582

Other implementations

  • An OCaml/F# implementation with GUI available here. I originally wrote this tool back in 2008 for my DPhil thesis for the simply-typed lambda calculus and higher-order grammars. In 2018 I added the traversal implementation for the untyped lambda calculus. The tools lets you perform a full traversal enumeration with core projections from which the term AST can be reconstructed, though it does not implement the conflict avoiding name-resolution readout from the paper.