A Curry-Howard Correspondence for Linear, Reversible Computation

Abstract

In this paper, we present a linear and reversible programming language with inductives types and recursion. The semantics of the languages is based on pattern-matching; we show how ensuring syntactical exhaustivity and non-overlapping of clauses is enough to ensure reversibility. The language allows to represent any Primitive Recursive Function. We then give a Curry-Howard correspondence with the logic $\mu$MALL: linear logic extended with least fixed points allowing inductive statements. The critical part of our work is to show how primitive recursion yields circular proofs that satisfy $\mu$MALL validity criterion and how the language simulates the cut-elimination procedure of $\mu$MALL.