Destructors are operators that break down complex expressions having canonical form, and continue computing on those parts. Here are our primitive destructors:
InjCase(inl(a); u. c(u); v. d(v)) * c(a)
InjCase(inr(b); u. c(u); v. d(v)) * d(b)
Case of nil; nil b ; x.xs, rec:v f(x;xs;v) * b
Case of a.as; nil b ; x.xs, rec:v f(x;xs;v)
*
f(a;as;Case of as; nil b ; x.xs, rec:v f(x;xs;v))
<a,b>/c,d. f(c;d) * f(a;b)
(x.b(x))(a) * b(a)
Each of these rewrites has the following significance. For any closed instance of the rewrite, to evaluate the left-hand side, one evaluates the right hand side.
These forms on the left-hand sides are called "redexes" and are said to "reduce" to their "contractums" shown on the right-hand side. In these destructor forms, the place filled by the term to be analyzed is called a "principal argument" place, which means that it is evaluated in place before the resulting redex is evaluated.
It is also possible to have operators that compute regardless of the form of the arguments.
recind(a; f,x. g(f;x)) * g(x.recind(x; f,x. g(f;x));a)
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