UnbiasedLenses

Ian Ray. 4th November 2025.

Minor changes and merged into TypeToplogy in June 2026.


{-# OPTIONS --safe --without-K #-}

module ReflexiveGraphs.UnbiasedLenses where

open import MLTT.Spartan
open import UF.Equiv
open import UF.EquivalenceExamples
open import ReflexiveGraphs.Displayed
open import ReflexiveGraphs.DisplayedUnivalent
open import ReflexiveGraphs.Lenses
open import ReflexiveGraphs.Type
open import ReflexiveGraphs.Univalent


In this file we generalize the two previous notion of lenses, but before diving
into the technical details we attempt to motivate the notion of an unbiased lens
(see index for link to Jon Sterling's "Reflexive graph lenses in univalent
foundations"). We first note that, not surprisingly, some univalent reflexive
graphs of interest do not arise naturally from the existing notion of lenses.
For example consider an isomorphism of magmas (M , βŠ—) ≃ (N , βŠ—') which consist
of an equivalence of the underlying types e : M ≃ N that preserves the binary
operation, that is: e (x βŠ— y) ＝ (e x) βŠ—' (e y) for all x, y : M. One could
produce the reflexive graph for the type of magmas from the following displayed
reflexive graph 

          BinOp(M) :≑ M Γ— M β†’ M
          βŠ— β‰ˆβŸ¨ BinOp , e ⟩ βŠ—' :≑ (x y : M) β†’ e (x βŠ— y) ＝ (e x) βŠ—' (e y)
          β‰ˆ-disp-refl BinOp βŠ— :≑ Ξ» x y : M . refl {x βŠ— y}

but notice that this displayed reflexive graph DOES NOT arise from either of
the existing notions of lens. We could consider a similar, albeit asymmetric
(or biased!), displayed reflexive graph

          BinOp(M) :≑ M Γ— M β†’ M
          βŠ— β‰ˆβŸ¨ BinOp , e ⟩ βŠ—' :≑ (x y : N) β†’ e (e⁻¹ x βŠ—  e⁻¹ y) ＝ x βŠ—' y
          β‰ˆ-disp-refl BinOp βŠ— :≑ Ξ» x y : M . refl {x βŠ— y}

which does arise from an oplax contravariant lens. Aesthetically, the latter
is lacking but more importantly it is awkward to use. What we need is a notion
of lens that allows us to mediate between either side of the edge we are
displaying over. Without further delay we now introduce the notion of an
unbiased lens. (TODO when the examples file is added we should note that the
above magma example is actually formalized.)

We define the structure of an unbiased lens using a record and then collect the
type of unbiased lenses as a sigma type.


record unbiased-lens-structure
 (𝓀' π“₯' : Universe) (𝓐 : Refl-Graph 𝓀 π“₯)
 (𝓑 : {x y : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} β†’ (x β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓐 ⟩ y) β†’ Refl-Graph 𝓀' π“₯') : 𝓀 βŠ” π“₯ βŠ” 𝓀' βŠ” π“₯' Μ‡
 where
 field
  lext : {x y : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} (p : x β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓐 ⟩ y) β†’ ⟨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩ β†’ ⟨ 𝓑 p ⟩
  rext : {x y : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} (p : x β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓐 ⟩ y) β†’ ⟨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 y) ⟩ β†’ ⟨ 𝓑 p ⟩
  ext-refl : {x : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} (u : ⟨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩)
           β†’ lext (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) u β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩ rext (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) u
  rext-refl : {x : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} (u : ⟨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩)
            β†’ u β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩ rext (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) u


Although the previous discussion motivating the notion of an unbiased lens
may offer the reader with insight into the first three fields one may have a
moment's pause at the final field rext-refl. You will see below that it is
not necessary for defining a displayed reflexive graph associated to an
unbiased lens, but it will be relevant when showing univalence is inherited.
The reader may wonder why we only include a reflexivity datum for the rext
field. The situation here is similar to that of half-adjoint equivalences
where we must exclude one of the coherences in the interest of ensuring that
being an equivalence is a property (although it is worth noting that the
situation does differ in that the analogous lext-refl is not derivable from
rext-refl in general).


Unbiased-Lens : (𝓀' π“₯' : Universe) (𝓐 : Refl-Graph 𝓀 π“₯)
              β†’ 𝓀 βŠ” π“₯ βŠ” (𝓀' βŠ” π“₯')⁺  Μ‡
Unbiased-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐
 = Ξ£ 𝓑 κž‰ ({x y : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} β†’ (x β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓐 ⟩ y) β†’ Refl-Graph 𝓀' π“₯')
    , unbiased-lens-structure 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐 𝓑

module _ {𝓀' π“₯' : Universe} {𝓐 : Refl-Graph 𝓀 π“₯}
         (𝓛@(𝓑 , s) : Unbiased-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐)
       where

 open unbiased-lens-structure s

 unbiased-graph : {x y : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} β†’ (x β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓐 ⟩ y) β†’ Refl-Graph 𝓀' π“₯'
 unbiased-graph = 𝓑

 unbiased-fam : {x y : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} β†’ (x β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓐 ⟩ y) β†’ 𝓀' Μ‡
 unbiased-fam p = ⟨ unbiased-graph p ⟩

 unbiased-lext : {x y : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} (p : x β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓐 ⟩ y)
               β†’ ⟨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩
               β†’ ⟨ 𝓑 p ⟩
 unbiased-lext = lext

 unbiased-rext : {x y : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} (p : x β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓐 ⟩ y)
               β†’ ⟨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 y) ⟩
               β†’ ⟨ 𝓑 p ⟩
 unbiased-rext = rext

 unbiased-ext-refl
  : {x : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} (u : ⟨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩)
  β†’ lext (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) u β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩ rext (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) u
 unbiased-ext-refl = ext-refl

 unbiased-rext-refl
  : {x : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} (u : ⟨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩)
  β†’ u β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩ rext (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) u
 unbiased-rext-refl = rext-refl


Now we define when a unbiased lens is univalent.


module _ {𝓀' π“₯' : Universe} (𝓐 : Refl-Graph 𝓀 π“₯) where

 unbiased-lens-is-univalent : Unbiased-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐
                            β†’ 𝓀 βŠ” π“₯ βŠ” 𝓀' βŠ” π“₯' Μ‡
 unbiased-lens-is-univalent 𝓛 = {x y : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} (p : (x β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓐 ⟩ y))
                              β†’ is-univalent-refl-graph (unbiased-graph 𝓛 p)


Now we define a display of unbiased lenses.


 display-unbiased-lens : Unbiased-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐 β†’ Displayed-Refl-Graph 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐
 display-unbiased-lens 𝓛 = (I , II , III)
  where
   I : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩ β†’ 𝓀' Μ‡
   I x = ⟨ unbiased-graph 𝓛 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩
   II : {x y : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩}
      β†’ (x β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓐 ⟩ y)
      β†’ ⟨ unbiased-graph 𝓛 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩
      β†’ ⟨ unbiased-graph 𝓛 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 y) ⟩
      β†’ π“₯' Μ‡
   II p u v = unbiased-lext 𝓛 p u β‰ˆβŸ¨ unbiased-graph 𝓛 p ⟩ unbiased-rext 𝓛 p v
   III : {x : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} (u : ⟨ unbiased-graph 𝓛 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩)
       β†’ II (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) u u
   III {x} u = unbiased-ext-refl 𝓛 u

 dispΒ± : Unbiased-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐 β†’ Displayed-Refl-Graph 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐
 dispΒ± 𝓛 = display-unbiased-lens 𝓛

 private
  observation₁
   : (𝓛 : Unbiased-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐)
   β†’ (x : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩)
   β†’ [ dispΒ± 𝓛 ] x ＝ (βŸͺ dispΒ± 𝓛 ⟫ x
                       , displayed-edge-rel (dispΒ± 𝓛) (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x)
                       , β‰ˆ-disp-refl (dispΒ± 𝓛))
  observation₁ 𝓛 x = refl


We now look at fans of unbiased lenses.


 compute-fan-of-unbiased-lens
  : (𝓛 : Unbiased-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐)
  β†’ ((x : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩)
   β†’ is-univalent-refl-graph (unbiased-graph 𝓛 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x)))
  β†’ (x : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩)
  β†’ (u : βŸͺ dispΒ± 𝓛 ⟫ x)
  β†’ fan ([ dispΒ± 𝓛 ] x) u ≃ fan (unbiased-graph 𝓛 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x))
                                (unbiased-lext 𝓛 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) u)
 compute-fan-of-unbiased-lens 𝓛@(𝓑 , s) fibers-ua x u = III
  where
   open unbiased-lens-structure s
   I : (v : βŸͺ dispΒ± 𝓛 ⟫ x)
     β†’ (rext (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) v , rext-refl v) ＝ (v , β‰ˆ-refl (𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x)) v)
   I v = fibers-ua x v
          (rext (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) v , rext-refl v)
          (v , β‰ˆ-refl (𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x)) v)
   II : (v : βŸͺ dispΒ± 𝓛 ⟫ x) β†’ rext (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) v ＝ v
   II v = ap pr₁ (I v)
   III : (Ξ£ v κž‰ (βŸͺ dispΒ± 𝓛 ⟫ x) ,
           lext (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) u β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩ rext (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) v)
       ≃ (Ξ£ v κž‰ (⟨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩) ,
           lext (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) u β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩ v)
   III = Ξ£-cong (Ξ» v β†’ transport-≃
                        (Ξ» - β†’ lext (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) u β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓑 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) ⟩ -)
                (II v))


We now show that if each fiber of a unbiased lens is univalent then the
displayed reflexive graph over it is univalent.


 disp-unbiased-lens-univalent
  : (𝓛 : Unbiased-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐)
  β†’ ((x : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩)
  β†’ is-univalent-refl-graph (unbiased-graph 𝓛 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x)))
  β†’ is-displayed-univalent-refl-graph 𝓐 (dispΒ± 𝓛)
 disp-unbiased-lens-univalent 𝓛 fibers-ua x u 
  = equiv-to-prop
     (compute-fan-of-unbiased-lens 𝓛 fibers-ua x u)
     (fibers-ua x (unbiased-lext 𝓛 (β‰ˆ-refl 𝓐 x) u))


We construct an unbiased lens from an oplax covariant lens.


 oplax-covariant-to-unbiased-lens : Oplax-Covariant-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐
                                  β†’ Unbiased-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐
 oplax-covariant-to-unbiased-lens 𝓛@(𝓑 , s) = (𝓑' , s')
  where
   open oplax-covariant-lens-structure s
   𝓑' : {x y : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} β†’ (x β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓐 ⟩ y) β†’ Refl-Graph 𝓀' π“₯'
   𝓑' {x} {y} p = 𝓑 y
   s' : unbiased-lens-structure 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐 (Ξ» {x} {y} p β†’ 𝓑 y)
   s' = record
        { lext = Ξ» {x} {y} p u β†’ push p u
        ; rext = Ξ» {x} {y} p u β†’ u 
        ; ext-refl = Ξ» {x} u β†’ push-refl u
        ; rext-refl = Ξ» {x} u β†’ β‰ˆ-refl (𝓑 x) u
        }

 unbias⁺ : Oplax-Covariant-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐 β†’ Unbiased-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐
 unbias⁺ 𝓛 = oplax-covariant-to-unbiased-lens 𝓛


We open a new module so we can make the carriers in the arguments of the
induced displayed reflexive graphs explicit in the following observation.


module _ {𝓀' π“₯' : Universe} (𝓐 : Refl-Graph 𝓀 π“₯) where

 private
  observationβ‚‚ : (𝓛 : Oplax-Covariant-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐)
               β†’ disp⁺ 𝓐 𝓛 ＝ dispΒ± 𝓐 (unbias⁺ 𝓐 𝓛)
  observationβ‚‚ 𝓛 = refl


We now construct an unbiased lens from a lax contravariant lens.


 lax-contravariant-to-unbiased-lens : Lax-Contravariant-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐
                                    β†’ Unbiased-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐
 lax-contravariant-to-unbiased-lens 𝓛@(𝓑 , s) = (𝓑' , s')
  where
   open lax-contravariant-lens-structure s
   𝓑' : {x y : ⟨ 𝓐 ⟩} β†’ (x β‰ˆβŸ¨ 𝓐 ⟩ y) β†’ Refl-Graph 𝓀' π“₯'
   𝓑' {x} {y} p = 𝓑 x
   s' : unbiased-lens-structure 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐 (Ξ» {x} {y} p β†’ 𝓑 x)
   s' = record
        { lext = Ξ» {x} {y} p u β†’ u
        ; rext = Ξ» {x} {y} p u β†’ pull p u
        ; ext-refl = Ξ» {x} u β†’ pull-refl u
        ; rext-refl = Ξ» {x} u β†’ pull-refl u
        }

 unbias⁻ : Lax-Contravariant-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐 β†’ Unbiased-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐
 unbias⁻ 𝓛 = lax-contravariant-to-unbiased-lens 𝓛

module _ {𝓀' π“₯' : Universe} (𝓐 : Refl-Graph 𝓀 π“₯) where

 private
  observation₃ : (𝓛 : Lax-Contravariant-Lens 𝓀' π“₯' 𝓐)
               β†’ disp⁻ 𝓐 𝓛 ＝ dispΒ± 𝓐 (unbias⁻ 𝓐 𝓛)
  observation₃ 𝓛 = refl