Shrinking Reductions in SML.NET

One performance-critical phase in the SML.NET compiler involves rewriting intermediate terms to monadic normal form and performing non-duplicating β-reductions. We present an imperative algorithm for this simplification phase, working with a mutable, pointerbased term representation, which significantly outperforms our existing functional algorithm. This is the first implementation and evaluation of a linear-time rewriting algorithm proposed by Appel and Jim.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2004
• Where: IFL
• Authors: Nick Benton, Andrew Kennedy, Sam Lindley, Claudio V. Russo
• Keywords: IFL 2004, Linear-time Rewriting Algorithm, Monadic Normal Form, Performance-critical Phase