Types, equations, dimensions and the Pi theorem

The languages of mathematical physics and modelling are endowed with a rich ``grammar of dimensions'' that common abstractions of programming languages fail to represent. We propose a dependently typed domain-specific language (embedded in Idris) that captures this grammar. We apply it to formalize basic notions of dimensional analysis: those of dimension function, physical quantity, homomorphic measurement, the covariance principle and Buckingham's Pi theorem. We hope that the language makes mathematical physics more accessible to computer scientists and functional programming more palatable to modellers and physicists.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Functional Programming
Published
2026-06-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.46298/jfp.17762
Primary Topic
Distributed and Parallel Computing Systems
Type
preprint
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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preprint

Types, equations, dimensions and the Pi theorem

Nicola Botta, Patrik Jansson
Journal of Functional Programming
Distributed and Parallel Computing Systems
preprint

Types, equations, dimensions and the Pi theorem

Nicola Botta, Patrik Jansson
preprint en

Abstract

The languages of mathematical physics and modelling are endowed with a rich ``grammar of dimensions'' that common abstractions of programming languages fail to represent. We propose a dependently typed domain-specific language (embedded in Idris) that captures this grammar. We apply it to formalize basic notions of dimensional analysis: those of dimension function, physical quantity, homomorphic measurement, the covariance principle and Buckingham's Pi theorem. We hope that the language makes mathematical physics more accessible to computer scientists and functional programming more palatable to modellers and physicists.

Journal of Functional ProgrammingVol. Volume 36
European Commission
Quality Education
Openalex Percentile: Top 100%
Distributed and Parallel Computing Systems
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