Specialization of Functional Logic Programs

Title: Specialization of Functional Logic Programs

Research Question: How can functional logic programs be specialized to improve performance and efficiency?

Methodology: The authors propose a technique called "partial evaluation" based on a strategy called "needed narrowing." This technique involves evaluating and computing the results of certain parts of the program ahead of time, before the program is run in its entirety. This approach is particularly useful for functional logic programs, which combine the features of functional and logic programming languages.

Results: The authors provide correctness results for partial evaluation based on needed narrowing. They show that this strategy has several nice properties, such as preserving the structure of the original program and allowing the same evaluation strategy to be applied to specialized programs. This is in contrast to other partial evaluation schemes, which may change the program structure in a negative way.

Implications: The results of this research have implications for the development of more efficient and effective functional logic programs. The technique of partial evaluation based on needed narrowing can be used to create specialized versions of programs that can be executed more quickly and with less resources. This technique can also be applied to other declarative multi-paradigm programs, further expanding its impact on the field.

Link to Article: https://arxiv.org/abs/0403011v1 Authors: arXiv ID: 0403011v1