No speedup for geometric theories

Abstract

Geometric theories based on classical logic are conservative over their intuitionistic counterparts for geometric implications. The latter result (sometimes referred to as Barr's theorem) is squarely a consequence of Gentzen's Hauptsatz. Prima facie though, cut elimination can result in superexponentially longer proofs. In this paper it is shown that the transformation of a classical proof of a geometric implication in a geometric theory into an intuitionistic proof can be achieved in feasibly many steps.