[MLton] Possible contributions to optimization

[Kristopher Micinski]

Hello all MLton developers,

    I've been writing code in SML and other functional languages for a
little more than a year (after being converted from a 7 year C
tenure). I'm a HS senior, and have pretty much completed my
requirements for schooling other than formalities. I now have a bit of
time on my hands (a few months or so, before I head off to college,
and I don't know where I'll be going yet) to work on whatever I want.
I want to look at working on the MLton compiler, perhaps improving
some optimization it makes. Does anyone have any input as to what I
should start doing (other than reading the source) or what some good
optimizations might be. I am aware of the projects page, and have a
little compiler experience. I've written a C parser and a part of the
backend, and a compiler for another language. Both have targeted
virtual machines; I don't have much experience with the low level
instruction coding of architectures. I also have no experience with
compiling functional languages, but I'd like to help a little.

    -- Kristopher Micinski