The Russell-Prawitz embedding and the atomization of universal instantiation

Abstract Given the recent interest in the fragment of system $\mathbf{F}$ where universal instantiation is restricted to atomic formulas, a fragment nowadays named system ${\mathbf{F}}_{\textbf{at}}$, we study directly in system $\mathbf{F}$ new conversions whose purpose is to enforce that restriction. We show some benefits of these new atomization conversions: (i) they help achieving strict simulation of proof reduction by means of the Russell–Prawitz embedding of $\textbf{IPC}$ into system $\mathbf{F}$, (ii) they are not stronger than a certain ‘dinaturality’ conversion known to generate a consistent equality of proofs, (iii) they provide the bridge between the Russell–Prawitz embedding and another translation, due to the authors, of $\textbf{IPC}$ directly into system ${\mathbf{F}}_{\textbf{at}}$ and (iv) they give means for explaining why the Russell–Prawitz translation achieves strict simulation whereas the translation into ${\mathbf{F}}_{\textbf{at}}$ does not.