2017/01/27 by Beniamino Accattoli, Giulio Guerrieri, Accattoli, Beniamino +1
Computer Science · #D.3.1 #F.1.1 #F.3.1 #F.3.2 #F.4.1 #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Formal Methods in Verification #Logic in Computer Science (cs.LO) #Logic, Reasoning, and Knowledge #Logic, programming, and type systems
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1701.08186
openalex publication_date 2017/01/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The theory of the call-by-value lambda-calculus relies on weak evaluation and closed terms, that are natural hypotheses in the study of programming languages. To model proof assistants, however, strong evaluation and open terms are required. Open call-by-value is the intermediate setting of weak evaluation with open terms, on top of which Grégoire and Leroy designed the abstract machine of Coq. This paper provides a theory of abstract machines for open call-by-value. The literature contains machines that are either simple but inefficient, as they have an exponential overhead, or efficient but heavy, as they rely on a labelling of environments and a technical optimization. We introduce a machine that is simple and efficient: it does not use labels and it implements open call-by-value within a bilinear overhead. Moreover, we provide a new fine understanding of how different optimizations impact on the complexity of the overhead.