STRICTNESS ANALYSER FOR SUPERCOMBINATORS

Abstract

Functional languages can be extended to parallel evaluation because of the absence of side effects in them. However, in lazy implementations, evaluating all expressions in which some are to be subsequently discarded, results in wasting of machine resources. This wastage can be reduced if the expression is evaluated only when its value is needed in future eva.l ua.tions. This type of information (whether the value of the expression is needed in future evaluations or not) can be extracted from the expression using strictness analysis, which is a. compile time technique based on abstract interpretation. The strictness analysis can also be used to increase the efficiency of the sequential machines. In this dissertation supercombina.tors have been analysed using strictness analysis. Accordingly they have been annotated to give the information about the arguments whether they can be evaluated in parallel or not.