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A cost-Aware logical framework

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  • Yue Niu, Carnegie Mellon University
  • ,
  • Jonathan Sterling
  • Harrison Grodin, Carnegie Mellon University
  • ,
  • Robert Harper, Carnegie Mellon University

We present calf, a cost-Aware logical framework for studying quantitative aspects of functional programs. Taking inspiration from recent work that reconstructs traditional aspects of programming languages in terms of a modal account of phase distinctions, we argue that the cost structure of programs motivates a phase distinction between intension and extension. Armed with this technology, we contribute a synthetic account of cost structure as a computational effect in which cost-Aware programs enjoy an internal noninterference property: input/output behavior cannot depend on cost. As a full-spectrum dependent type theory, calf presents a unified language for programming and specification of both cost and behavior that can be integrated smoothly with existing mathematical libraries available in type theoretic proof assistants. We evaluate calf as a general framework for cost analysis by implementing two fundamental techniques for algorithm analysis: The method of recurrence relations and physicist's method for amortized analysis. We deploy these techniques on a variety of case studies: we prove a tight, closed bound for Euclid's algorithm, verify the amortized complexity of batched queues, and derive tight, closed bounds for the sequential and parallel complexity of merge sort, all fully mechanized in the Agda proof assistant. Lastly we substantiate the soundness of quantitative reasoning in calf by means of a model construction.

Original languageEnglish
Article number3498670
JournalProceedings of the ACM on Programming Languages
Volume6
IssuePOPL
Number of pages31
ISSN2475-1421
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2022

Bibliographical note

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    Research areas

  • algorithm analysis, amortized analysis, behavioral verification, cost models, equational reasoning, intensional property, mechanized proof, modal type theory, noninterference, parallel algorithms, phase distinction, proof assistants, recurrence relations

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