S4 modal sequent calculus as intermediate logic and intermediate language

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Caspar, Jean, Munch-Maccagnoni, Guillaume
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Caspar, Jean
Munch-Maccagnoni, Guillaume
author_facet Caspar, Jean
Munch-Maccagnoni, Guillaume
contents In this short paper, we advocate for the idea that continuation-based intermediate languages correspond to intermediate logics. The goal of intermediate languages is to serve as a basis for compiler intermediate representations, allowing to represent expressive program transformations for optimisation and compilation, while preserving the properties that make programs compilable efficiently in the first place, such as the "stackability" of continuations. Intermediate logics are logics between intuitionistic and classical logic in terms of provability. Second-class continuations used in CPS-based intermediate languages correspond to a classical modal logic S4 with the added restriction that implications may only return modal types. This indeed corresponds to an intermediate logic, owing to the Gödel-McKinsey-Tarski theorem which states the intuitionistic nature of the modal fragment of S4. We introduce a three-kinded polarised sequent calculus for S4, together with an operational machine model that separates a heap from a stack. With this model we study a stackability property for the modal fragment of S4.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_08071
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle S4 modal sequent calculus as intermediate logic and intermediate language
Caspar, Jean
Munch-Maccagnoni, Guillaume
Logic in Computer Science
Programming Languages
In this short paper, we advocate for the idea that continuation-based intermediate languages correspond to intermediate logics. The goal of intermediate languages is to serve as a basis for compiler intermediate representations, allowing to represent expressive program transformations for optimisation and compilation, while preserving the properties that make programs compilable efficiently in the first place, such as the "stackability" of continuations. Intermediate logics are logics between intuitionistic and classical logic in terms of provability. Second-class continuations used in CPS-based intermediate languages correspond to a classical modal logic S4 with the added restriction that implications may only return modal types. This indeed corresponds to an intermediate logic, owing to the Gödel-McKinsey-Tarski theorem which states the intuitionistic nature of the modal fragment of S4. We introduce a three-kinded polarised sequent calculus for S4, together with an operational machine model that separates a heap from a stack. With this model we study a stackability property for the modal fragment of S4.
title S4 modal sequent calculus as intermediate logic and intermediate language
topic Logic in Computer Science
Programming Languages
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.08071