Normal form (abstract rewriting)In abstract rewriting, an object is in normal form if it cannot be rewritten any further, i.e. it is irreducible. Depending on the rewriting system, an object may rewrite to several normal forms or none at all. Many properties of rewriting systems relate to normal forms. Stated formally, if (A,→) is an abstract rewriting system, x∈A is in normal form if no y∈A exists such that x→y, i.e. x is an irreducible term. An object a is weakly normalizing if there exists at least one particular sequence of rewrites starting from a that eventually yields a normal form.
Agda (programming language)Agda is a dependently typed functional programming language originally developed by Ulf Norell at Chalmers University of Technology with implementation described in his PhD thesis. The original Agda system was developed at Chalmers by Catarina Coquand in 1999. The current version, originally known as Agda 2, is a full rewrite, which should be considered a new language that shares a name and tradition. Agda is also a proof assistant based on the propositions-as-types paradigm, but unlike Coq, has no separate tactics language, and proofs are written in a functional programming style.
Epigram (programming language)Epigram is a functional programming language with dependent types, and the integrated development environment (IDE) usually packaged with the language. Epigram's type system is strong enough to express program specifications. The goal is to support a smooth transition from ordinary programming to integrated programs and proofs whose correctness can be checked and certified by the compiler. Epigram exploits the Curry–Howard correspondence, also termed the propositions as types principle, and is based on intuitionistic type theory.
Dependent typeIn computer science and logic, a dependent type is a type whose definition depends on a value. It is an overlapping feature of type theory and type systems. In intuitionistic type theory, dependent types are used to encode logic's quantifiers like "for all" and "there exists". In functional programming languages like Agda, ATS, Coq, F*, Epigram, and Idris, dependent types help reduce bugs by enabling the programmer to assign types that further restrain the set of possible implementations.
