A common use pattern of Fold is to define a variable-arity function that combines multiple arguments together using a binary function. It is slightly tricky to do this directly using fold, because of the special treatment required for the case of zero or one argument. Here is a structure, Fold01N, that solves the problem once and for all, and eases the definition of such functions.

structure Fold01N =
   struct
      fun fold {finish, start, zero} =
         Fold.fold ((id, finish, fn () => zero, start),
                    fn (finish, _, p, _) => finish (p ()))
      
      fun step0 {combine, input} =
         Fold.step0 (fn (_, finish, _, f) =>
                     (finish,
                      finish,
                      fn () => f input,
                      fn x' => combine (f input, x')))
         
      fun step1 {combine} z input =
         step0 {combine = combine, input = input} z
   end

If one has a value zero, and functions start, c, and finish, then one can define a variable-arity function f and stepper ` as follows.

val f = fn z => Fold01N.fold {finish = finish, start = start, zero = zero} z
val ` = fn z => Fold01N.step1 {combine = c} z

One can then use the fold equation to prove the following equations.

f $ = zero
f `a1 $ = finish (start a1)
f `a1 `a2 $ = finish (c (start a1, a2))
f `a1 `a2 `a3 $ = finish (c (c (start a1, a2), a3))
...

For an example of Fold01N, see VariableArityPolymorphism.

Typing Fold01N

Here is the signature for Fold01N. We use a trick to avoid having to duplicate the definition of some rather complex types in both the signature and the structure. We first define the types in a structure. Then, we define them via type re-definitions in the signature, and via open in the full structure.

structure Fold01N =
   struct
      type ('input, 'accum1, 'accum2, 'answer, 'zero,
            'a, 'b, 'c, 'd, 'e) t =
         (('zero -> 'zero)
          * ('accum2 -> 'answer)
          * (unit -> 'zero)
          * ('input -> 'accum1),
          ('a -> 'b) * 'c * (unit -> 'a) * 'd,
          'b,
          'e) Fold.t

       type ('input1, 'accum1, 'input2, 'accum2,
            'a, 'b, 'c, 'd, 'e, 'f) step0 =
         ('a * 'b * 'c * ('input1 -> 'accum1),
          'b * 'b * (unit -> 'accum1) * ('input2 -> 'accum2),
          'd, 'e, 'f) Fold.step0

      type ('accum1, 'input, 'accum2,
            'a, 'b, 'c, 'd, 'e, 'f, 'g) step1 =
         ('a,
          'b * 'c * 'd * ('a -> 'accum1),
          'c * 'c * (unit -> 'accum1) * ('input -> 'accum2),
          'e, 'f, 'g) Fold.step1
   end

signature FOLD_01N =
   sig
      type ('a, 'b, 'c, 'd, 'e, 'f, 'g, 'h, 'i, 'j) t =
         ('a, 'b, 'c, 'd, 'e, 'f, 'g, 'h, 'i, 'j) Fold01N.t
      type ('a, 'b, 'c, 'd, 'e, 'f, 'g, 'h, 'i, 'j) step0 =
         ('a, 'b, 'c, 'd, 'e, 'f, 'g, 'h, 'i, 'j) Fold01N.step0
      type ('a, 'b, 'c, 'd, 'e, 'f, 'g, 'h, 'i, 'j) step1 =
         ('a, 'b, 'c, 'd, 'e, 'f, 'g, 'h, 'i, 'j) Fold01N.step1
      
      val fold:
         {finish: 'accum2 -> 'answer,
          start: 'input -> 'accum1,
          zero: 'zero}
         -> ('input, 'accum1, 'accum2, 'answer, 'zero,
             'a, 'b, 'c, 'd, 'e) t

      val step0:
         {combine: 'accum1 * 'input2 -> 'accum2,
          input: 'input1}
         -> ('input1, 'accum1, 'input2, 'accum2,
             'a, 'b, 'c, 'd, 'e, 'f) step0
         
      val step1:
         {combine: 'accum1 * 'input -> 'accum2}
         -> ('accum1, 'input, 'accum2,
             'a, 'b, 'c, 'd, 'e, 'f, 'g) step1
   end

structure Fold01N: FOLD_01N =
   struct
      open Fold01N
      
      fun fold {finish, start, zero} =
         Fold.fold ((id, finish, fn () => zero, start),
                    fn (finish, _, p, _) => finish (p ()))
      
      fun step0 {combine, input} =
         Fold.step0 (fn (_, finish, _, f) =>
                     (finish,
                      finish,
                      fn () => f input,
                      fn x' => combine (f input, x')))
         
      fun step1 {combine} z input =
         step0 {combine = combine, input = input} z
   end