Product of Tree Elements SMLNJ - sml

Question

I have the following qtree datatype:
datatype 'a qtree = Leaf of 'a
| Node of 'a branches
and 'a branches = Empty
| Branch of 'a qtree * 'a branches
An example tree is defined as follows:
val tr1 =
Node(Branch(Leaf(2),
Branch(Node(Branch(Leaf(6),
Branch(Leaf(5),Empty))),
Branch(Node(Empty),Empty))))
Here is a visual representation of tr1:
/|\
/ | \
2 / \
/ \
6 5
I have defined the following function tree_prod to find the product of the values in a qtree:
fun tree_prod(Leaf(n)) = n
| tree_prod(Empty) = 1
| tree_prod(Node(br)) = tree_prod(br)
| tree_prod(Branch(n, br)) = tree_prod(n) * tree_prod(br)
But I am receiving the following errors, which seem to occur due to a type mixup between qtree and branches:
stdIn:10.5-13.42 Error: parameter or result constraints of clauses don't
agree [tycon mismatch]
this clause: 'Z branches -> 'Y
previous clauses: 'X qtree -> 'Y
in declaration:
tree_prod =
(fn Leaf n => n
| Empty => 1
| Node br => tree_prod br
| Branch (<pat>,<pat>) => tree_prod <exp> * tree_prod <exp>)
stdIn:10.5-13.42 Error: parameter or result constraints of clauses don't
agree [tycon mismatch]
this clause: 'Z branches -> 'Y
previous clauses: 'X qtree -> 'Y
in declaration:
tree_prod =
(fn Leaf n => n
| Empty => 1
| Node br => tree_prod br
| Branch (<pat>,<pat>) => tree_prod <exp> * tree_prod <exp>)
stdIn:12.19-12.27 Error: operator and operand don't agree [tycon mismatch]
operator domain: [int ty] qtree
operand: [int ty] branches
in expression:
tree_prod br
stdIn:13.24-13.42 Error: operator and operand don't agree [tycon mismatch]
operator domain: [int ty] qtree
operand: [int ty] branches
in expression:
tree_prod br
How do I fix these errors?
Bonus: How do I implement this function using fold?

Answer 1

Your tree_prod attempts to apply to both types, which won't work - you need two functions.
If it's possible for you to change the type, you can use the fact that 'a branches is isomorphic to a list of 'a qtree (with Empty as nil and Branch as cons).
datatype 'a qtree = Leaf of 'a
| Node of ('a qtree) list
and then you can fold over the branches:
fun tree_prod (Leaf n) = n
| tree_prod (Node br) = List.foldl (fn (tree, acc) => tree_prod tree * acc) 1 br
val tr1 = Node [Leaf 2, Node [Leaf 6, Leaf 5], Node []]
- tree_prod tr1;
val it = 60 : int
If you don't want to change the type, you can write your own fold over 'a branches, following the same form as a list-fold.
Something like this might do it:
fun branch_fold f x Empty = x
| branch_fold f x (Branch t bs) = branch_fold f (f (t, x)) bs
and would give an almost identical "product":
fun tree_prod (Leaf n) = n
| tree_prod (Node br) = branch_fold (fn (tree, acc) => tree_prod tree * acc) 1 br

Answer 2

I have located the answer on my own. By dividing this into two separate functions, I am able to specify which types I am wanting to work with.
Here is the working solution:
fun tree_prod (Leaf(n)) = n
| tree_prod (Node(br)) = branches_prod(br)
and branches_prod (Empty) = 1
| branches_prod (Branch(n, br)) =
tree_prod(n) * branches_prod(br)