Provable isomorphisms of types

Abstract

A constructive characterization is given of the isomorphisms which must hold in all models of the typed lambda calculus with surjective pairing. Using the close relation between closed Cartesian categories and models of these calculi, we also produce a characterization of those isomorphisms which hold in all CCC's. Using the correspondence between these calculi and proofs in intuitionistic positive propositional logic, we thus provide a characterization of equivalent formulae of this logic, where the definition of equivalence of terms depends on having “invertible” proofs between the two terms. Work of Rittri (1989), on types as search keys in program libraries, provides an interesting example of use of these characterizations.