A Computational Interpretation of Parametricity

Abstract

Reynolds' abstraction theorem has recently been extended to lambda-calculi with dependent types. In this paper, we show how this theorem can be internalized. More precisely, we describe an extension of the Pure Type Systems with a special parametricity rule (with computational content), and prove fundamental properties such as Church-Rosser's and strong normalization. All instances of the abstraction theorem can be both expressed and proved in the calculus itself. Moreover, one can apply parametricity to the parametricity rule: parametricity is itself parametric.