Computer science Type theory Concept
Linear type system
Builds on Type systemLinear logic
Summary
A linear type system is a type system in which each variable must be used exactly once. It is the type-theoretic side of linear logic. It drops the structural rules of weakening, which allows a variable to be ignored, and of contraction, which allows it to be used twice. Values of linear type behave like resources, such as a file handle or a block of memory, that can be neither copied nor lost. Related substructural systems are affine types, where each variable is used at most once, and relevant types, where it is used at least once. Rust's ownership types are close to affine types.
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About this page
| Tag | DJGYZTS0YC |
|---|---|
| URI | m2://DJGYZTS0YC |
| Kind | concept |
| Writing | W0 stub |
| MSC | 68N15, 03B47, 68N18 |
| Specializes | Type system |
| Uses | Type system, Linear logic |
| Changed | 3 November 2026 |
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