<div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div><div>Speaking of invariants, from time to time I would like Racket to know some properties about its usual operators, so that some usual treatments get simplified and can be easily generalized.<br>
<br></div>For example, considering group theory, properties like 'identity-element', 'absorbing-elements', 'inverse-operator', 'commutative?', 'associative?' and such could be attached to operators like `+', `*', `max', `string-append', `hc-append', etc.<br>
</div>Forms like `for/op' could use this information to know how to loop and accumulate, and even possibly to optimize the code, even for newly created operators.<br></div><div>In the simple case of + and such, one also only needs to define the binary operator, and the multi-argument procedure can be generated automatically.<br>
<br></div><div>Of course it needs not be tied to group/category/mathematical theory. It can be about whatever is useful.<br></div><br></div>It's only an idea, in case this resonates for someone.<br><br></div>Laurent<br>
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