Everything About ___
Live briefing

Everything about Parametric polymorphism

Basis of generic programming

In programming languages and type theory, parametric polymorphism allows a single piece of code to be given a "generic" type, using variables in place of actual types, and then instantiated with particular types as needed. Parametrically polymorphic functions and data types are sometimes called generic functions and generic datatypes, respectively, and they form the basis of generic programming. Wikipedia →

🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path

  1. Read the overview: Parametric polymorphismA 5-minute orientation
  2. Skim a recent paper: Parametric Subtyping for Structural Parametric PolymorphismInfluential work since 2022
  3. Pick up a classic book: Understanding object-oriented programming with JavaThe most-reprinted book on the subject
  4. Read the landmark paper: Parametric polymorphism and operational equivalenceCited 113 times
  5. Go sideways: Kind (type theory)A closely related topic
  6. Go sideways: Hindley–Milner type systemA closely related topic

📖 Definitions

Noun A way to make a computer language more expressive, while maintaining full static type safety, by allowing a function or a data type to be written generically so that it can handle values identically without depending on their type.

🗂️ The subject at a glance

  1. Basic definition
  2. History
  3. Predicativity, impredicativity, and higher-rank polymorphism
  4. Bounded parametric polymorphism

🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)

🆕 Influential since 2022

📚 Books worth reading

Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.

🔗 Related topics