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Arrays in pure functional programming languages

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LISP and Symbolic Computation

Abstract

In pure functional programs it is common to represent arrays by association lists. Association lists have the disadvantage that the access time varies linearly both with the size of the array (counted in number of entries) and with the size of the index (counted in cons nodes). This paper presents another simple representation of arrays for which the access time varies linearly in the size of the index but is independent of the size of the array. The paper compares this representation with association lists in functional languages and arrays in imperative languages.

This paper also considers lazy programming and states how to use potentially infinite arrays for time optimization for certain programs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DIKU, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken I, DK-2100, Copenhagen East, Denmark

    Klaus E. Grue

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  1. Klaus E. Grue
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Grue, K.E. Arrays in pure functional programming languages. Lisp and Symbolic Computation 2, 105–113 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01811535

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01811535

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