On the Complexity of Deciding Call-by-Need

Abstract: In a paper we introduced a new framework for the study of call by need computations to normal form and root-stable form in term rewriting. Using elementary tree automata techniques and ground tree transducers we obtained simple decidability proofs for classes of rewrite systems that are much larger than earlier classes defined using the complicated sequentiality concept. In this paper we show that we can do without ground tree transducers in order to arrive at decidability proofs that are phrased in direct tree automata constructions. This allows us to derive better complexity bounds.