[comp.theory] Decidability of a tiny subtype system.

wp@iddth.id.dk (Wiesiek Pawlowski (900415#)) (01/25/91)

Maybe somebody could give me some references to the literature or give
me some advise. I have problems in proving decidability of a sequent
calculus formalizing subtype-relation. The system looks as follows: 

Type ::= Nat | Type-set | T + T | N

N - type name (an identifier)

Subtype Calculus

formulae are of the form:  T1 < T2 
sequents are of the form:  A |- f ,where f is a formula and A is a set of
                           formulae.

inference rules:

A |- T < T

T1 < T2,A |- T1 < T2

A |- T1 < T2 ==> A |- T1-set < T2-set

A |- T < T1 ==> A |- T < T1+T2
A |- T < T2 ==> A |- T < T1+T2

A |- T1 < T  &  A |- T2 < T  ==> A |- T1+T2 < T

n < T2,A |- T1 < T2  ==>  A |- n < T2     ,where  n=T1 is a type definition

A |- T1 < T2  &  A |- T2 < T3  ==>  A |- T1 < T3

It is the last rule - the rule of transitivity which causes problems.
In a sence some form of "transitivity-elimination" theorem should be
proved. In a reacher type system with more constants and some specific
axioms it would mean that for a given proof tree we are able to "push-down"
all the occurrences of the transitivity rule up to the axioms. But I do not
know how to prove it. Perhaps there exists some well-known strategy
of proving decidability of similar systems? Maybe the system as stated
is undecidable?!

Wiesiek Pawlowski

my e-mail address is wp@id.dth.dk