Purely Functional Data Structures

This book describes data structures and data structure design techniques for functional languages.

Chris Okasaki (Author)

9780521631242, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 13 April 1998

232 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.51 kg

"This book is important because it presents data structures from the point of view of functional languages...a handy reference for professional functional programmers...Most of the programs can easily be adapted to other functional languages. Even C and Java programmers should find implementing these data structures a relatively straightforward process...Programs are physically well structured and readable, and are displayed in boxes. Okasaki has produced a valuable book about functional programming, exploring a wide range of data structures...a significant contribution to the computer science literature." Computing Reviews

Most books on data structures assume an imperative language like C or C++. However, data structures for these languages do not always translate well to functional languages such as Standard ML, Haskell, or Scheme. This book describes data structures from the point of view of functional languages, with examples, and presents design techniques so that programmers can develop their own functional data structures. It includes both classical data structures, such as red-black trees and binomial queues, and a host of new data structures developed exclusively for functional languages. All source code is given in Standard ML and Haskell, and most of the programs can easily be adapted to other functional languages. This handy reference for professional programmers working with functional languages can also be used as a tutorial or for self-study.

1. Introduction
2. Persistence
3. Some familiar data structures in a functional setting
4. Lazy evaluation
5. Fundamentals of amortization
6. Amortization and persistence via lazy evaluation
7. Eliminating amortization
8. Lazy rebuilding
9. Numerical representations
10. Data-structural bootstrapping
11. Implicit recursive slowdown
Appendix: Haskell source code.

Subject Areas: Databases [UN]