[Haskell-beginners] The Holy Trinity of Functional Programming

[Christopher Howard]

On 08/22/2012 01:27 AM, Costello, Roger L. wrote:
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> The Holy Trinity of Functional Programming
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> These three ideas constitute the holy trinity of functional programming:
> 
> 1.  User-defined recursive data types.
> 2.  Recursively defined functions over recursive data types.
> 3.  Proof by induction: show that some property P(n) holds for each element of a recursive data type.
> 

<snip>

> 
> Although the infinite Nat value is not of much use, the same is not true of the infinite values of other data types.
> 

Please bear with us simpletons: But do you think you could provide a
more "real world" example of an application of the "Holy Trinity" ideas?
(One of those mysterious "other data types".)

Not to say that recursive data types and proof by induction aren't
fascinating in and of themselves... but sometimes it is difficult to
make the connection to the practical programming process.

-- 
frigidcode.com
indicium.us

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