Consider the TRS R consisting of the rewrite rules 1: del(x . (y . z)) -> f(x = y,x,y,z) 2: f(true,x,y,z) -> del(y . z) 3: f(false,x,y,z) -> x . del(y . z) 4: nil = nil -> true 5: (x . y) = nil -> false 6: nil = (y . z) -> false 7: (x . y) = (u . v) -> and(x = u,y = v) There are 6 dependency pairs: 8: DEL(x . (y . z)) -> F(x = y,x,y,z) 9: DEL(x . (y . z)) -> x =# y 10: F(true,x,y,z) -> DEL(y . z) 11: F(false,x,y,z) -> DEL(y . z) 12: (x . y) =# (u . v) -> x =# u 13: (x . y) =# (u . v) -> y =# v The approximated dependency graph contains one SCC: {8,10,11}. - Consider the SCC {8,10,11}. The usable rules are {4-7}. By taking the polynomial interpretation [false] = [nil] = [true] = [u] = [v] = 1, [DEL](x) = x, [.](x,y) = [=](x,y) = [and](x,y) = x + y + 1 and [F](x,y,z,w) = y + z + w + 1, the rules in {7,10,11} are weakly decreasing and the rules in {4-6,8} are strictly decreasing. Hence the TRS is terminating.