[FMFP] Lazy eval done

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2026-03-28 11:03:18 +01:00
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\newpage
\subsection{Evaluation}
Evaluation is then done using tree traversal as we have already seen in the Haskell section.
Evaluation is then done using tree traversal as we have already seen in the Haskell section
\subsubsection{Lazy Evaluation}
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This can obviously lead to duplicated evaluation, i.e. a computation reoccurring.
\paragraph{In Haskell}
In Haskell, this is solved using sharing where the terms are represented in a directed graph.
In pattern matching, the arguments are evaluated only as much as is needed to determine a pattern match.
For guards, the execution proceeds sequentially until success occurs.
For instance in an \texttt{OR} statement, only the first statement is evaluated if it evaluates to true
Local definitions are also lazily evaluated (i.e. bound with \texttt{where} clauses)
\paragraph{Applications}
This concept can be used for data-driven programming.
For instance, to determine the minimum value of a list, we could use insertion sort and take the head.
Due to lazy evaluation, we have way fewer evaluations that need to happen.
Additionally for infinite lists or other infinite data structures, lazy evaluation allows creating a finite representation for the infinite data.
It also allows operating on the infinite data given the operation only operates on a finite subset of the data structure.
An application of that is the prime number algorithm Sieve of Eratosthenes:
\begin{enumerate}
\item Generate list: \texttt{[2 ..]} (list of all natural numbers)
\item Mark the first unmarked number: \texttt{head :: [a] -> a} from prelude determines first element
\item Cross out all multiples: \verb|dropMults x ys = filter (\y -> y `mod` x /= 0) ys|
\item Repeat with recursions: \texttt{sieve xs = head xs : sieve (dropMults (head xs) (tail xs))}
\end{enumerate}
Another example is Newton's Algorithm to find roots.
\paragraph{Correctness}
Lazy evaluation makes reasoning about complexity and correctness harder, as types like \texttt{[Int]} include
\begin{enumerate}
\item finite, everywhere defined lists (e.g. \texttt{[1, 3, 5]})
\item finite lists with undefined elements like \texttt{[1, 2, undef]}
\item infinite lists with defined or undefined elements such as \texttt{[1..]}
\end{enumerate}
However, induction is only sound for the first kind. More on this later on