Deriving SN from PSN: a general proof technique

Abstract: In the framework of explicit substitutions there is two termination properties: preservation of strong normalization (PSN), and strong normalization (SN). Since there are not easily proved, only one of them is usually established (and sometimes none). We propose here a connection between them which helps to get SN when one already has PSN. For this purpose, we formalize a general proof technique of SN which consists in expanding substitutions into "pure" lambda-terms and to inherit SN of the whole calculus by SN of the "pure" calculus and by PSN. We apply it successfully to a large set of calculi with explicit substitutions, allowing us to establish SN, or, at least, to trace back the failure of SN to that of PSN.