This paper investigates the status of the fragments of Peano Arithmetic obtained by restricting induction, collection and least number axiom schemes to formulas which are $${\Delta_1}$$ provably in an arithmetic theory T. In particular, we determine the provably total computable functions of this kind of theories. As an application, we obtain a reduction of the problem whether $${I\Delta_0 + \neg \mathit{exp}}$$ implies $${B\Sigma_1}$$ to a purely recursion-theoretic question.

Let T be Gödel's system of primitive recursive functionals of finite type in a combinatory logic formulation. Let $T^{\star}$ be the subsystem of T in which the iterator and recursor constants are permitted only when immediately applied to type 0 arguments. By a Howard-Schütte-style argument the $T^{\star}$ -derivation lengths are classified in terms of an iterated exponential function. As a consequence a constructive strong normalization proof for $T^{\star}$ is obtained. Another consequence is that every $T^{\star}$ -representable number-theoretic function is elementary (...) recursive. Furthermore, it is shown that, conversely, every elementary recursive function is representable in $T^{\star}$ .The expressive weakness of $T^{\star}$ compared to the full system T can be explained as follows: In contrast to $T$ , computation steps in $T^{\star}$ never increase the nesting-depth of ${\mathcal I}_\rho$ and ${\mathcal R}_\rho$ at recursion positions. (shrink)