--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/Attic/Prefix_subtract.thy	Tue Aug 02 15:27:37 2011 +0000
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+theory Prefix_subtract
+  imports Main "~~/src/HOL/Library/List_Prefix"
+begin
+
+
+section {* A small theory of prefix subtraction *}
+
+text {*
+  The notion of @{text "prefix_subtract"} makes 
+  the second direction of the Myhill-Nerode theorem 
+  more readable.
+*}
+
+instantiation list :: (type) minus
+begin
+
+fun minus_list :: "'a list \<Rightarrow> 'a list \<Rightarrow> 'a list" 
+where
+  "minus_list []     xs     = []" 
+| "minus_list (x#xs) []     = x#xs" 
+| "minus_list (x#xs) (y#ys) = (if x = y then minus_list xs ys else (x#xs))"
+
+instance by default
+
+end
+
+lemma [simp]: "x - [] = x"
+by (induct x) (auto)
+
+lemma [simp]: "(x @ y) - x = y"
+by (induct x) (auto)
+
+lemma [simp]: "x - x = []"
+by (induct x) (auto)
+
+lemma [simp]: "x = z @ y \<Longrightarrow> x - z = y "
+by (induct x) (auto)
+
+lemma diff_prefix:
+  "\<lbrakk>c \<le> a - b; b \<le> a\<rbrakk> \<Longrightarrow> b @ c \<le> a"
+by (auto elim: prefixE)
+
+lemma diff_diff_append: 
+  "\<lbrakk>c < a - b; b < a\<rbrakk> \<Longrightarrow> (a - b) - c = a - (b @ c)"
+apply (clarsimp simp:strict_prefix_def)
+by (drule diff_prefix, auto elim:prefixE)
+
+lemma append_eq_cases:
+  assumes a: "x @ y = m @ n"
+  shows "x \<le> m \<or> m \<le> x"
+unfolding prefix_def using a
+by (auto simp add: append_eq_append_conv2)
+
+lemma append_eq_dest:
+  assumes a: "x @ y = m @ n" 
+  shows "(x \<le> m \<and> (m - x) @ n = y) \<or> (m \<le> x \<and> (x - m) @ y = n)"
+using append_eq_cases[OF a] a
+by (auto elim: prefixE)
+
+end