Re: [Caml-list] Polymorphic recursion

[Alain Frisch <Alain.Frisch@inria.fr>]

Roland Zumkeller wrote:
> On 03/04/07, Loup Vaillant <loup.vaillant@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Can't we implement non uniform recursive function (efficiently, or at
>> all)?.
> 
> It has actually been done: call ocaml with the option "-rectypes" and
> your example will work as is.

No. The example would typecheck and the following type will be inferred:

  val size : ('a * 'a as 'a) seq -> int = <fun>

but since there is no value of type ('a * 'a as 'a) (for some 'a), you
will be able to apply the function only to the value Unit:

# size Unit;;
- : int = 0
# size (Seq (1, Unit));;
This expression has type int * 'a seq but is here used with type
  ('b * 'b as 'b) * ('b * 'b) seq


This is a good illustration of why -rectypes is not enabled by default.


-- Alain