In this article, we present a personal story for a small research domain where Edoardo Ballico brought very significant contributions. This nice small domain is the theory of uniform algebraic vector bundles on projective spaces (here below we simply write bundle for algebraic vector bundle on a projective space). This theory was essentially developed between 1971 and 1983 by a handful of colleagues and accordingly, our story dedicates one section to each of them. Concerning this period, we will also highlight a trend in the community of complex geometers, namely the shift from analytic to algebraic geometry, which we call the GAGA shift.

By abstracting over well-known properties of De Bruijn's representation with nameless dummies, we design a new theory of syntax with variable binding and capture-avoiding substitution. We propose it as a simpler alternative to Fiore, Plotkin, and Turi's approach, with which we establish a strong formal link. We also show that our theory easily incorporates simple types and equations between terms.

This paper is a contribution to the search for efficient and high-level mathematical tools to specify and reason about (abstract) programming languages or calculi. Generalising the reduction monads of Ahrens et al., we introduce transition monads, thus covering new applications such as lambda-bar-mu-calculus, pi-calculus, Positive GSOS specifications, differential lambda-calculus, and the big-step, simply-typed, call-by-value lambda-calculus. Moreover, we design a suitable notion of signature for transition monads.

We present a device for specifying and reasoning about syntax for datatypes, programming languages, and logic calculi. More precisely, we study a notion of "signature" for specifying syntactic constructions. In the spirit of Initial Semantics, we define the "syntax generated by a signature" to be the initial object-if it exists-in a suitable category of models. In our framework, the existence of an associated syntax to a signature is not automatically guaranteed. We identify, via the notion of presentation of a signature, a large class of signatures that do generate a syntax. Our (presentable) signatures subsume classical algebraic signatures (i.e., signatures for languages with variable binding, such as the pure lambda calculus) and extend them to include several other significant examples of syntactic constructions. One key feature of our notions of signature, syntax, and presentation is that they are highly compositional, in the sense that complex examples can be obtained by gluing simpler ones. Moreover, through the Initial Semantics approach, our framework provides, beyond the desired algebra of terms, a well-behaved substitution and the induction and recursion principles associated to the syntax. This paper builds upon ideas from a previous attempt by Hirschowitz-Maggesi, which, in turn, was directly inspired by some earlier work of Ghani-Uustalu-Hamana and Matthes-Uust alu. The main results presented in the paper are computer-checked within the UniMath system.

In this work, we study reduction monads , which are essentially the same as monads relative to the free functor from sets into multigraphs. Reduction monads account for two aspects of the lambda calculus: on the one hand, in the monadic viewpoint, the lambda calculus is an object equipped with a well-behaved substitution; on the other hand, in the graphical viewpoint, it is an oriented multigraph whose vertices are terms and whose edges witness the reductions between two terms. We study presentations of reduction monads. To this end, we propose a notion of reduction signature . As usual, such a signature plays the role of a virtual presentation, and specifies arities for generating operations—possibly subject to equations—together with arities for generating reduction rules. For each such signature, we define a category of models; any model is, in particular, a reduction monad. If the initial object of this category of models exists, we call it the reduction monad presented (or specified) by the given reduction signature . Our main result identifies a class of reduction signatures which specify a reduction monad in the above sense. We show in the examples that our approach covers several standard variants of the lambda calculus.

In their work on second-order equational logic, Fiore and Hur have studied presentations of simply typed languages by generating binding constructions and equations among them. To each pair consisting of a binding signature and a set of equations, they associate a category of `models', and they give a monadicity result which implies that this category has an initial object, which is the language presented by the pair. In the present work, we propose, for the untyped setting, a variant of their approach where monads and modules over them are the central notions. More precisely, we study, for monads over sets, presentations by generating (`higher-order') operations and equations among them. We consider a notion of 2-signature which allows to specify a monad with a family of binding operations subject to a family of equations, as is the case for the paradigmatic example of the lambda calculus, specified by its two standard constructions (application and abstraction) subject to $\beta$- and $\eta$-equalities. Such a 2-signature is hence a pair $(\Sigma,E)$ of a binding signature $\Sigma$ and a family $E$ of equations for $\Sigma$. This notion of 2-signature has been introduced earlier by Ahrens in a slightly different context. We associate, to each 2-signature $(\Sigma,E)$, a category of `models of $(\Sigma,E)$; and we say that a 2-signature is `effective' if this category has an initial object; the monad underlying this (essentially unique) object is the `monad specified by the 2-signature'. Not every 2-signature is effective; we identify a class of 2-signatures, which we call `algebraic', that are effective. Importantly, our 2-signatures together with their models enjoy `modularity': when we glue (algebraic) 2-signatures together, their initial models are glued accordingly. We provide a computer formalization for our main results.

In classical homotopy theory, the homotopy hypothesis asserts that the fundamental varpi-groupoid construction induces an equivalence between topological spaces and weak varpi-groupoids. In the light of Voevodsky's univalent foundations program, which puts forward an interpretation of types as topological spaces, we consider the question of transposing the homotopy hypothesis to type theory. Indeed such a transposition could stand as a new approach to specifying higher inductive types. Since the formalisation of general weak varpi-groupoids in type theory is a difficult task, we only take a first step towards this goal, which consists in exploring a shortcut through strict varpi-categories. The first outcome is a satisfactory type-theoretic notion of strict varpi-category, which has hsets of cells in all dimensions. For this notion, defining the 'fundamental strict varpi-category' of a type seems out of reach. The second outcome is an 'incoherently strict' notion of type-theoretic varpi-category, which admits arbitrary types of cells in all dimensions. These are the 'wild' varpi-categories of the title. They allow the definition of a 'fundamental wild varpi-category' map, which leads to our (partial) homotopy hypothesis for type theory (stating an adjunction, not an equivalence). All of our results have been formalised in the Coq proof assistant. Our formalisation makes systematic use of the machinery of coinductive types.

Directed topology is a refinement of standard topology, where spaces may have non-reversible paths. It has been put forward as a candidate approach to the analysis of concurrent processes. Recently, a wealth of different frameworks for, i.e., categories of, directed spaces have been proposed. In the present work, starting from Grandis’s notion of directed space, we propose an additional condition of saturation for distinguished sets of paths and show how it allows to rule out exotic examples without any serious collateral damage. Our saturation condition is local in a natural sense, and is satisfied by the directed interval (and the directed circle). Furthermore we show in which sense it is the strongest condition fulfilling these two basic requirements. Our saturation condition selects a full, reflective subcategory of Grandis’s category of d-spaces, which is closed under arbitrary limits of d-spaces, has arbitrary colimits (obtained by saturating the corresponding colimits of d-spaces), and has nice cylinder and cocylinder constructions. Finally, the forgetful functor to plain topological spaces has both a right and a left adjoint.

We give a new general definition of arity, yielding the companion notions of signature and associated syntax. This setting is modular in the sense requested by Ghani and Uustalu: merging two extensions of syntax corresponds to building an amalgamated sum. These signatures are too general in the sense that we are not able to prove the existence of an associated syntax in this general context. So we have to select arities and signatures for which there exists the desired initial monad. For this, we follow a track opened by Matthes and Uustalu: we introduce a notion of strengthened arity and prove that the corresponding signatures have initial semantics (i.e. associated syntax). Our strengthened arities admit colimits, which allows the treatment of the λ-calculus with explicit substitution.

We illustrate Nested Abstract Syntax as a high-level alternative representation of languages with binding constructs, based on nested datatypes. Our running example is a partial solution in the Coq proof assistant to the POPLmark Challenge. The resulting formalization is very compact and does not require any extra library or special logical apparatus. Along the way, we propose an original, high-level perspective on environments.

In this paper, we investigate the question of triviality of the rational Chow groups of complete intersections in projective spaces and obtain improved bounds for this triviality to hold. Along the way, we study the dimension and nonemptiness of some Hilbert schemes of fat $r$-planes contained in a complete intersection $Y$, generalizing well-known results on the Fano varieties of $r$-planes contained in $Y$.

Inspired by the classical theory of modules over a monoid, we introduce the natural notion of module over a monad. The associated notion of morphism of left modules (“linear” natural transformations) captures an important property of compatibility with substitution, not only in the so-called homogeneous case but also in the heterogeneous case where “terms” and variables therein could be of different types. In this paper, we present basic constructions of modules and we show how modules allow a new point of view concerning higher-order syntax and semantics.

In the standard sequent presentations of Girard's Linear Logic [10] (LL), there are two "non-decreasing" rules, where the premises are not smaller than the conclusion, namely the cut and the contraction rules. It is a universal concern to eliminate the cut rule. We show that, using an admissible modification of the tensor rule, contractions can be eliminated, and that cuts can be simultaneously limited to a single initial occurrence.This view leads to a consistent, but incomplete game model for LL with exponentials, which is finitary, in the sense that each play is finite. The game is based on a set of inference rules which does not enjoy cut elimination. Nevertheless, the cut rule is valid in the model.

We define a naive game for cut-free multiplicative additive l n ar logic with constants (but without variables). In this game t wo players fight for proving a formula respectively its linear negation. If the f ormula has a proof, the player has a winning strategy. A position in our game roug hly consists of a single set of formulas arranged by the two players in two “ort h gonal” families of sequents. An “active” move in our game closely correspond s to the application of an introduction rule for a positive formula, while a “pass ive” move “requests” from the other player the application of such a rule. We upgra de our game as a categorical game, which is the game-theoretic way to accoun t f r the cut-rule.

As an attempt to uncover the topological nature of composition of strategies in game semantics, we present a ``topological'' game for Multiplicative Additive Linear Logic without propositional variables, including cut moves. We recast the notion of (winning) strategy and the question of cut elimination in this context, and prove a cut elimination theorem. Finally, we prove soundness and completeness. The topology plays a crucial role, in particular through the fact that strategies form a sheaf.

We propose a new definition for abstract syntax (with binding constructions), and, accordingly, for initial semantics and algebraicity. Our definition is based on the notion of module over a monad and its companion notion of linearity. In our setting, we give a one-line definition of an untyped lambda-calculus. Among untyped lambda-calculi, the initial one, the pure untyped lambda-calculus, appears as defined by two algebraic constructions (abs and the unary application app1), together with two algebraic equations which are essentially the β and η rules.

Game semantics is a valuable source of fully abstract models of programming languages or proof theories based on categories of so-called games and strategies. However, there are many variants of this technique, whose interrelationships largely remain to be elucidated. This raises the question: what is a category of games and strategies? Our central idea, taken from the first author’s PhD thesis [11], is that positions and moves in a game should be morphisms in a base category: playing move m in position f consists in factoring f through m, the new position being the other factor. Accordingly, we provide a general construction which, from a selection of legal moves in an almost arbitrary category, produces a category of games and strategies, together with subcategories of deterministic and winning strategies. As our running example, we instantiate our construction to obtain the standard category of Hyland-Ong games subject to the switching condition. The extension of our framework to games without the switching condition is handled in the first author’s PhD thesis [11].

We extend our approach to abstract syntax (with binding constructions) through modules and linearity. First we give a new general definition of arity, yielding the companion notion of signature. Then we obtain a modularity result as requested by Ghani and Uustalu (2003): in our setting, merging two extensions of syntax corresponds to building an amalgamated sum. Finally we define a natural notion of equation concerning a signature and prove the existence of an initial semantics for a so-called representable signature equipped with a set of equations.

Inspired by the classical theory of modules over a monoid, we give a first account of the natural notion of module over a monad. The associated notion of morphism of left modules ("Linear" natural transformations) captures an important property of compatibility with substitution, in the heterogeneous case where "terms" and variables therein could be of different types as well as in the homogeneous case. In this paper, we present basic constructions of modules and we show examples concerning in particular abstract syntax and lambda-calculus.

We use the notion of module over a monad to propose a new definition for abstract syntax and semantics (with binding constructions) encapsulating compositionality and various substitution lemmas.