Certification Problem

Input (COPS 24)

We consider the TRS containing the following rules:

f(x,x) → a (1)
c → h(c,g(c)) (2)
h(x,g(x)) → f(x,h(x,g(c))) (3)

The underlying signature is as follows:

{f/2, a/0, c/0, h/2, g/1}

Property / Task

Prove or disprove confluence.

Answer / Result

No.

Proof (by csi @ CoCo 2020)

1 Redundant Rules Transformation

To prove that the TRS is (non-)confluent, we show (non-)confluence of the following modified system:

f(x,x) → a (1)
c → h(c,g(c)) (2)
h(x,g(x)) → f(x,h(x,g(c))) (3)
c → f(c,h(c,g(c))) (4)
f(f(x,x),a) → a (5)
f(a,f(x,x)) → a (6)
f(c,h(c,g(c))) → a (7)
f(h(c,g(c)),c) → a (8)

All redundant rules that were added or removed can be simulated in 3 steps .

1.1 Redundant Rules Transformation

To prove that the TRS is (non-)confluent, we show (non-)confluence of the following modified system:

f(x,x) → a (1)
c → h(c,g(c)) (2)
h(x,g(x)) → f(x,h(x,g(c))) (3)
c → f(c,h(c,g(c))) (4)
f(f(x,x),a) → a (5)
f(a,f(x,x)) → a (6)
f(c,h(c,g(c))) → a (7)
f(h(c,g(c)),c) → a (8)
h(c,g(c)) → a (9)
c → a (10)
f(c,c) → a (11)

All redundant rules that were added or removed can be simulated in 3 steps .

1.1.1 Non-Joinable Fork

The system is not confluent due to the following forking derivations.

t0 = h(c,g(c))
→ h(a,g(c))
= t1

t0 = h(c,g(c))
→ a
= t1

The two resulting terms cannot be joined for the following reason: