# Parametricity and variants of Girard's J operator



We have written a short (5 page) note on parametricity and
Girard's J operator in impredicative polymorphic systems.
This is available by anon ftp from theory.stanford.edu,
file pub/jcm/girard-j.dvi, or through the web page
http://theory.stanford.edu/people/jcm/home.html

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Parametricity and variants of Girard's $J$ operator

Robert Harper and John Mitchell
Dec 29, 1994

SUMMARY

The impredicative polymorphic lambda calculus, or System F,
is generally recognized as a calculus of parametric polymorphism.
Intuitively, this means that the polymorphic functions definable
in the language must use the same algorithm at all types. There
are no non-parametric functions such as a single multiplication
function that computes an inner product on vectors, ordinary product
on natural numbers and similar or unrelated products'' on other types.

In his 1971 paper, Girard discusses parametricity in System F and
gives an example showing that if we add a non-parametric operator to
the calculus, normalization fails.  This example has been interpreted
as a demonstration that System F is inherently a calculus of parametric
functions. Specifically, since adding a non-parametric operator alters
a fundamental property of the system, we can conclude the System F is
inherently parametric. However, this interpretation of the example relies on
the implicit assumption that J is as simple a non-parametric
operator as possible. If it is possible to add a simpler non-parametric
operator to System F in a manner that preserves strong normalization,
we could not really say that Girard's example convincingly demonstrates
the parametric nature of System F. In this short note, we give some
variants of Girard's example, hoping to more clearly identify the kind
of non-parametric operations that invalidate normalization.
In the concluding remarks, we observe that impredicativity appears essential.

One possible reservation regarding Girard's example is that it combines
non-parametric functions with a change in the typing properties
of the language. More specifically, the type of $J$ is
$\fa s. \fa t. s \aro t$, which is not  the type of any pure closed
term of System F since it is not a provable propositional formula.
The non-normalizing term constructed using $J$ also seems to
require a term  $0: \fa t.t$. Again, there are no pure
closed terms with type $0: \fa t.t$.
This led us to formulate the following question:

Is there a simple non-parametric operator Op :\sigma such that
(i) there exist pure closed terms of type \sigma, and
(ii) adding Op to System F causes normalization to fail?

We settle this question affirmatively and give a simple example, J'.
Our goal is to dispel the possible misconception that in impredicative
systems, Girard's example is simply a typing trick'' that
could not be carried out with other non-parametric operations.

One consequence of replacing J by an operator whose type already contains pure
closed terms is that we can easily show that the fixed-point operator is not
definable.  More specifically, suppose Op : \sigma$and there exists a pure closed term of type \sigma. Then using the formulas-as-types analogy, we can show that there exists a closed term of type \tau containing Op iff there exists a pure closed term of type \tau not containing Op. The argument is simply that if we add a new axiom for a formula that is already provable, we do not change the set of provable formulas. Since \fa t.(t \aro t)\aro t is not a provable formula of intuitionistic logic, there is no pure closed term of this type. It follows that when the type of Op contains pure closed terms, no closed term of type \fa t.(t \aro t)\aro t is definable from Op. In particular, since the fixed-point operator$Y\$ has this type, Y
is not definable from J'.  In light of various studies relating logical
paradoxes and fixed-point operators, it does not seem easy to establish
that no fixed-point operator or looping combinator'' is definable from J.