nLab type of propositions

Idea

In type theory a type of propositions — typically denoted $Prop$ or $\Omega$ — corresponds, under categorical semantics, roughly to a subobject classifier.

(To be precise, depending on the type theoretic rules and axioms this may not be quite true: one needs propositional resizing, propositional extensionality, and — in some type theories where “proposition” is not defined as an h-proposition, such as the calculus of constructions — the principle of unique choice.)

Its generalization from propositions to general types is a type universe.

The subtypes of a type $A$ may typically be identified with the function types into the type of propositions

$$Sub(A) \;\; = \;\; Prop_A \;\; \equiv \;\; A \to Prop \;\; \equiv \;\; A \to \Omega \,.$$

In dependent type theory such a $P \,\colon\, A \to Prop$ is equivalently an $A$-dependent proposition, to be understood as assingning to any term $a \colon A$ the assertion that “$a$ is contained in the given subtype”.

Definition

The type of all propositions

The type of all propositions $\Omega$ in a dependent type theory could be presented either as a Russell universe or a Tarski universe. The difference between the two is that in the former, every mere proposition in the type theory is literally an element of the type of all propositions, while in the latter, elements of $\Omega$ are only indices of a (-1)-truncated type family $\mathrm{El}$; every mere proposition in the type theory is only essentially $\Omega$-small for weak Tarski universes or judgmentally equal to an $\mathrm{El}(P)$ for $P:\Omega$ for strict Tarski universes.

As a Russell universe

As a Russell universe, the type of all propositions is given by the following rules:

Formation rules:

$$\frac{\Gamma \; \mathrm{ctx}}{\Gamma \vdash \Omega \; \mathrm{type}}$$

Type reflection:

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega}{\Gamma \vdash A \; \mathrm{type}}$$

Propositional truncation for each type reflection

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega}{\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{proptrunc}(A):\mathrm{isProp}(A)}$$

Introduction rule:

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A \; \mathrm{type} \quad \Gamma \vdash \mathrm{proptrunc}_A:\mathrm{isProp}(A)}{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega}$$

Univalence:

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega \quad \Gamma \vdash B:\Omega} {\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{univalence}(A, B):\mathrm{Id}_\Omega(A, B) \simeq (A \simeq B)}$$

As a Tarski universe

As a Tarski universe, the type of all propositions is given by the following rules:

Formation rules:

$$\frac{\Gamma \; \mathrm{ctx}}{\Gamma \vdash \Omega \; \mathrm{type}}$$

Type reflection:

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega}{\Gamma \vdash El(A) \; \mathrm{type}}$$

Propositional truncation for each type reflection

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega}{\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{proptrunc}(A):\mathrm{isProp}(El(A))}$$

Introduction rule:

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A \; \mathrm{type} \quad \Gamma \vdash \mathrm{proptrunc}_A:\mathrm{isProp}(A)}{\Gamma \vdash A_\Omega:\Omega}$$

Essential smallness of propositions (for weak types of all propositions) or judgmental equality (for strict types of all propositions):

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A \; \mathrm{type} \quad \Gamma \vdash \mathrm{proptrunc}_A:\mathrm{isProp}(A)}{\Gamma \vdash \delta_A:El(A_\Omega) \simeq A}\mathrm{weak} \quad \frac{\Gamma \vdash A \; \mathrm{type} \quad \Gamma \vdash \mathrm{proptrunc}_A:\mathrm{isProp}(A)}{\Gamma \vdash El(A_\Omega) \equiv A \; \mathrm{type}}\mathrm{strict}$$

Univalence:

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega \quad \Gamma \vdash B:\Omega} {\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{univalence}(A, B):\mathrm{isEquiv}(\mathrm{transport}^\mathrm{El}(A, B))}$$

The empty proposition and falsehood

To ensure that the type of all propositions isn’t a contractible type, one could include the following axiom, which states that there exists a proposition satisfying ex falso quodlibet:

$$\frac{\Gamma \; \mathrm{ctx}}{\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{axempty}:\sum_{\bot:\Omega} \prod_{C:\bot \to \Omega} \mathrm{isContr}\left(\prod_{x:\bot} C(x)\right)}\mathrm{Russell} \qquad \frac{\Gamma \; \mathrm{ctx}}{\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{axempty}:\sum_{\bot:\Omega} \prod_{C:\mathrm{El}(\bot) \to \Omega} \mathrm{isContr}\left(\prod_{x:\mathrm{El}(\bot)} \mathrm{El}(C(x))\right)}\mathrm{Tarski}$$

The type of all decidable propositions

Something similar holds for the type of all decidable propositions $\Omega_\mathrm{decidable}$ in a dependent type theory, which could be presented either as a Russell universe or a Tarski universe. The difference between the two is that in the former, every decidable proposition in the type theory is literally an element of the type of all decidable propositions, while in the latter, elements of $\Omega_\mathrm{decidable}$ are only indices of a (-1)-truncated type family $\mathrm{El}$; every decidable proposition in the type theory is only essentially $\Omega_\mathrm{decidable}$-small for weak Tarski universes or judgmentally equal to an $\mathrm{El}(P)$ for $P:\Omega_\mathrm{decidable}$ for strict Tarski universes.

As a Russell universe

As a Russell universe, the type of all decidable propositions is given by the following rules:

Formation rules:

$$\frac{\Gamma \; \mathrm{ctx}}{\Gamma \vdash \Omega_\mathrm{decidable} \; \mathrm{type}}$$

Type reflection:

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega_\mathrm{decidable}}{\Gamma \vdash A \; \mathrm{type}}$$

Propositional truncation for each type reflection

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega_\mathrm{decidable}}{\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{proptrunc}(A):\mathrm{isProp}(A)}$$

Excluded middle for each type reflection

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega_\mathrm{decidable}}{\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{lem}(A):\mathrm{isProp}(A) \to (A \vee \neg A)}$$

Introduction rules:

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A \; \mathrm{type} \quad \Gamma \vdash \mathrm{proptrunc}_A:\mathrm{isProp}(A) \quad \Gamma \vdash \mathrm{lem}_A:\mathrm{isProp}(A) \to (A \vee \neg A)}{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega_\mathrm{decidable}}$$

Univalence:

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega_\mathrm{decidable} \quad \Gamma \vdash B:\Omega_\mathrm{decidable}} {\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{univalence}(A, B):\mathrm{Id}_{\Omega_\mathrm{decidable}}(A, B) \simeq (A \simeq B)}$$

As a Tarski universe

As a Tarski universe, the type of all decidable propositions is given by the following rules:

Formation rules:

$$\frac{\Gamma \; \mathrm{ctx}}{\Gamma \vdash \Omega_\mathrm{decidable} \; \mathrm{type}}$$

Type reflection:

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega_\mathrm{decidable}}{\Gamma \vdash El(A) \; \mathrm{type}}$$

Propositional truncation for each type reflection

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega_\mathrm{decidable}}{\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{proptrunc}(A):\mathrm{isProp}(El(A))}$$

Excluded middle for each type reflection

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega_\mathrm{decidable}}{\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{lem}(A):\mathrm{isProp}(El(A)) \to (El(A) \vee \neg El(A))}$$

Introduction rules:

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A \; \mathrm{type} \quad \Gamma \vdash \mathrm{proptrunc}_A:\mathrm{isProp}(A) \quad \Gamma \vdash \mathrm{lem}_A:\mathrm{isProp}(A) \to A \vee \neg A}{\Gamma \vdash A_\Omega:\Omega_\mathrm{decidable}}$$

Essential smallness of propositions (for weak types of all decidable propositions) or judgmental equality (for strict types of all decidable propositions):

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A \; \mathrm{type} \quad \Gamma \vdash \mathrm{proptrunc}_A:\mathrm{isProp}(A) \quad \Gamma \vdash \mathrm{lem}_A:\mathrm{isProp}(A) \to (A \vee \neg A)}{\Gamma \vdash \delta_A:El(A_\Omega) \simeq A}\mathrm{weak} \qquad \frac{\Gamma \vdash A \; \mathrm{type} \quad \Gamma \vdash \mathrm{proptrunc}_A:\mathrm{isProp}(A) \quad \Gamma \vdash \mathrm{lem}_A:\mathrm{isProp}(A) \to (A \vee \neg A)}{\Gamma \vdash El(A_\Omega) \equiv A \; \mathrm{type}}\mathrm{strict}$$

Univalence:

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\Omega_\mathrm{decidable} \quad \Gamma \vdash B:\Omega_\mathrm{decidable}} {\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{univalence}(A, B):\mathrm{isEquiv}(\mathrm{transport}^\mathrm{El}(A, B))}$$

The type of booleans

The type of booleans or booleans type is given by the following rules:

Formation rules:

$$\frac{\Gamma \; \mathrm{ctx}}{\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{bool} \; \mathrm{type}}$$

Type reflection:

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\mathrm{bool}}{\Gamma \vdash El(A) \; \mathrm{type}}$$

Introduction rules:

$$\frac{\Gamma \; \mathrm{ctx}}{\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{false}:\mathrm{bool}} \quad \frac{\Gamma \; \mathrm{ctx}}{\Gamma \vdash \delta_\mathbb{0}:El(\mathrm{false}) \simeq \mathbb{0}}$$

$$\frac{\Gamma \; \mathrm{ctx}}{\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{true}:\mathrm{bool}} \quad \frac{\Gamma \; \mathrm{ctx}}{\Gamma \vdash \delta_\mathbb{1}:El(\mathrm{true}) \simeq \mathbb{1}}$$

Univalence:

$$\frac{\Gamma \vdash A:\mathrm{bool} \quad \Gamma \vdash B:\mathrm{bool}} {\Gamma \vdash \mathrm{univalence}(A, B):\mathrm{isEquiv}(\mathrm{transport}^\mathrm{El}(A, B))}$$

Unlike a generic two-valued type defined as the sum type of two copies of the unit type or directly defined in terms of natural deduction rules, having a type of booleans is inconsistent with every type being an h-proposition. If $\mathrm{bool}$ were an h-proposition, that means that the identity type $\mathrm{false} = \mathrm{true}$ is pointed, and by transport across $\mathrm{El}$, there is an equivalence between the empty type and the unit type, which is a contradiction.

Other types of propositions

We work in an intensional type theory with propositional truncations $\left[T\right]$ for types $T$. A type of propositions is a type $\Omega$ with a type family $T$ such that

• for every proposition $P:\Omega$, the type $T(P)$ is an h-proposition:
  $$\prod_{P:\Omega} \prod_{a:T(P)} \prod_{b:T(P)} a =_{T(P)} b$$
• the transport function
  $$\mathrm{trans}^T(P, Q):P =_\Omega Q \to (T(P) \simeq T(Q))$$

  is an equivalence of types for all propositions $P:\Omega$ and $Q:\Omega$

  $$\prod_{P:\Omega} \prod_{Q:\Omega} \mathrm{isEquiv}(\mathrm{trans}^T(P, Q))$$
• $(\Omega, T)$ is weakly closed under truth: there is an element $\top_\Omega:\Omega$ and an equivalence $\mathrm{canonical}_\top: T(\top_\Omega) \simeq \mathbb{1}$
• $(\Omega, T)$ is weakly closed under conjunction: there is a function $(-)\wedge(-):\Omega \times \Omega \to \Omega$ and an equivalence $\mathrm{canonical}_\wedge(P, Q): T(P \wedge Q) \simeq \left[T(P) \times T(Q)\right]$
• $(\Omega, T)$ is weakly closed under implication: there is a function $(-)\implies(-):\Omega \times \Omega \to \Omega$ and an equivalence $\mathrm{canonical}_\implies(P, Q): T(P \implies Q) \simeq \left[T(P) \to T(Q)\right]$
• $(\Omega, T)$ is weakly closed under falsehood: there is an element $\bot_\Omega:\Omega$ and an equivalence $\mathrm{canonical}_\bot: T(\bot_\Omega) \simeq \mathbb{0}$
• $(\Omega, T)$ is weakly closed under disjunction: there is a function $(-)\vee(-):\Omega \times \Omega \to \Omega$ and an equivalence $\mathrm{canonical}_\vee(P, Q): T(P \vee Q) \simeq \left[T(P) + T(Q)\right]$

These axioms imply that $(\Omega, T)$ satisfy propositional extensionality and that $\Omega$ is an h-set and a Heyting algebra.

Examples

The type of all internal propositions

$$\sum_{A:U} \mathrm{isProp}(T(A))$$

in a Tarski universe $(U, T)$ is a type of propositions. If the Tarski universe has all propositions, then

$$\sum_{A:U} \mathrm{isProp}(T(A))$$

is the type of all propositions.

Related concepts

• subtype, subobject

• subobject classifier

• dominance

• propositional extensionality

• type universe

• type of classes

• type of strict propositions

• propositional logic as a dependent type theory

References

Detailed discussion of the type of propositions in Coq is in

• Adam Chlipala, Certified programming with dependent types – Library Universes